Jinha Lee: Reach into the computer and grab a pixel

翻译人员: Yan SU 校对人员: Binglei Shea

Throughout the history of computers

纵观计算机中的历史

we've been striving to shorten the gap between us

我们一直在努力弥合

and digital information,

我们与数字信息之间的隔阂，

the gap between our physical world

还有我们的现实世界

and the world in the screen

与虚拟世界之间的差距。

where our imagination can go wild.

在虚拟世界里，我们的想象力是无穷的。

And this gap has become shorter,

这一差距已经在缩短，

shorter, and even shorter,

还会继续缩短，

and now this gap is shortened down

现在这一差距已经缩短到

to less than a millimeter,

小于一毫米，

the thickness of a touch-screen glass,

就是触摸屏的玻璃那么薄，

and the power of computing

而且计算机已是

has become accessible to everyone.

人皆有之。

But I wondered, what if there could be no boundary at all?

但我在想，要是没有虚拟和现实世界之间的边界该多好?

I started to imagine what this would look like.

我于是就开始大胆尝试这个想法。

First, I created this tool

我首先造出了这个工具，

which penetrates into the digital space,

它可以深入数字空间，

so when you press it hard on the screen,

如果你拿这支笔用力按这个屏幕，

it transfers its physical body into pixels.

这支笔的笔身就会进到由像素点组成的虚拟世界中。

Designers can materialize their ideas

设计师们可以直接在三维立体空间内

directly in 3D,

实现他们的想法，

and surgeons can practice on virtual organs

外科医生可以在屏幕里面

underneath the screen.

练习给虚拟器官动手术。

So with this tool, this boundary has been broken.

可见，这个工具打破了虚拟和现实世界之间的边界。

But our two hands still remain outside the screen.

但我们双手还是在屏幕外。

How can you reach inside and interact

我们怎样才能把手伸进去

with the digital information

和数字信息进行交互，

using the full dexterity of our hands?

从而充分利用我们灵活的双手？

At Microsoft Applied Sciences,

我在微软应用科学实验室，

along with my mentor Cati Boulanger,

和我的导师卡迪•布兰葛

I redesigned the computer

重新设计了这台计算机

and turned a little space above the keyboard

把键盘上方的小空间

into a digital workspace.

挪进数字工作区内。

By combining a transparent display and depth cameras

通过将一个透明显示屏与几个深度摄像头结合，

for sensing your fingers and face,

这几个摄像头可以感知你的手指和脸，

now you can lift up your hands from the keyboard

现在你可以从键盘上抬起你的双手

and reach inside this 3D space

伸进这个三维立体空间去

and grab pixels with your bare hands.

徒手控制里面的虚拟物质——像素点。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Because windows and files have a position in the real space,

因为窗口和文件在现实空间内有了具体位置，

selecting them is as easy as grabbing a book off your shelf.

选取它们变得像从书架上拿一本书那么容易。

Then you can flip through this book

然后你可以翻阅这本书

while highlighting the lines, words

并在每个浮动窗口下面的虚拟触控板上

on the virtual touch pad below each floating window.

划出字词和句子。

Architects can stretch or rotate the models

建筑师们可以直接用他们的双手

with their two hands directly.

拉伸或旋转各种模型。

So in these examples,

在这些例子表明，

we are reaching into the digital world.

我们正在进入数字世界。

But how about reversing its role

可是如何才能转变它的角色

and having the digital information reach us instead?

从而让数字信息进入我们的世界中？

I'm sure many of us have had the experience

相信在座很多人都有

of buying and returning items online.

在线购物和退货的经验。

But now you don't have to worry about it.

不过，现在你不比再担心。

What I got here is an online augmented fitting room.

因为，我这里有个增强版在线试衣间。

This is a view that you get from

这是这个系统分析了我们身体的几何特征后，

head-mounted or see-through display

通过头载式或透视式显示方式

when the system understands the geometry of your body.

展示给我们看的情形。

Taking this idea further, I started to think,

不过，我又开始进一步思考这一想法，

instead of just seeing these pixels in our space,

怎样才能让我们空间里的这些可见的像素点

how can we make it physical

转变为实实在在

so that we can touch and feel it?

能摸得到、感觉到的物质？

What would such a future look like?

这种未来会是什么样子的？

At MIT Media Lab, along with my advisor Hiroshi Ishii

在麻省理工学院媒体实验室里，我和我的导师石井裕

and my collaborator Rehmi Post,

还有我的搭档雷米·波斯特，

we created this one physical pixel.

共同研制出这一“物质像素点”。

Well, in this case, this spherical magnet

在这种情况下，这个球形磁体

acts like a 3D pixel in our space,

就好像是我们空间中的一个三维像素点，

which means that both computers and people

这就意味着计算机和人

can move this object to anywhere

可以将这个物体移动到

within this little 3D space.

这一三维立体小空间的任何位置。

What we did was essentially canceling gravity

我们的基本实现原理是，消除重力对小球的作用

and controlling the movement by combining

并通过磁悬浮、机械驱动

magnetic levitation and mechanical actuation

和传感技术的结合

and sensing technologies.

来控制小球的运动。

And by digitally programming the object,

通过对这个对象的数字编程，

we are liberating the object from constraints

我们正试着解放

of time and space, which means that now,

时间和空间对物质的限制，这意味着，现在，

human motions can be recorded and played back

人的运动可以在物质世界中可以被

and left permanently in the physical world.

录制、重放和永久保留。

So choreography can be taught physically over distance

这样，舞蹈编排就可以被远程而且真实地传授，

and Michael Jordan's famous shooting can be replicated

迈克尔·乔丹著名的扣篮动作就可以

over and over as a physical reality.

反反复复、实实在在地被重演。

Students can use this as a tool

学生可以把它当作一种工具

to learn about the complex concepts

去学习那些复杂的概念

such as planetary motion, physics,

比如行星运动、物理，

and unlike computer screens or textbooks,

而且不同于电脑屏幕或教科书的是，

this is a real, tangible experience

这种学习过程是真实存在的

that you can touch and feel, and it's very powerful.

你可以触摸它、感觉它，很给力！

And what's more exciting

更令人兴奋的是，

than just turning what's currently in the computer physical

这不止是把当前计算机的东西转变为真实的物质，

is to start imagining how programming the world

而是开始想象，编程的世界甚至将

will alter even our daily physical activities.

改变我们日常的体能活动。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

As you can see, the digital information

如您所见，数字信息

will not just show us something

将不仅仅是把东西显示给我们

but it will start directly acting upon us

而是将开始直接作用于我们

as a part of our physical surroundings

成为我们现实环境的一部分

without disconnecting ourselves from our world.

并非切断我们与现实世界的联系。

Today, we started by talking about the boundary,

我今天的演讲是从谈论“边界”问题开始的，

but if we remove this boundary,

如果我们能除去这一边界，

the only boundary left is our imagination.

剩下的就是我们无边无际的想像力了。

Thank you.

谢谢！

(Applause)

（掌声）