How we're using drones to deliver blood and save lives | Keller Rinaudo

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

Most people think

大部份人認為，

that new technology or advanced technology can never start in Africa.

新科技或先進科技 永遠不可能在非洲開始。

Instead, they think that the best way to help the continent advance

反之，他們認為要讓 這塊大陸進步的最佳方式，

is by providing aid or services

是提供非洲無法為自己

that the continent can't provide for itself.

提供的援助或服務。

So while we see advanced technology like robotics

所以當我們看到先進科技， 像是機器人學

and artificial intelligence

及人工智慧，

growing exponentially in the developed world,

在已開發國家中成指數成長，

those same people are worried

同樣那些人也在擔心

that a technologically backward Africa is falling behind.

科技落後的非洲被遠拋在後。

That attitude couldn't be more wrong.

那樣的態度真是錯到極致。

I'm a robotics entrepreneur who's spent a lot of time here in Africa.

我是位機器人創業家， 我很多時間都花在非洲這裡。

And in 2014 we created Zipline,

在 2014 年，我們創立了 Zipline，

which is a company that uses electric autonomous aircraft

它是一間公司，用電力自動飛機

to deliver medicine to hospitals and health centers on demand.

按需求把藥品送到醫院和健康中心。

Last year, we launched the world's first automated delivery system

去年，我們推出了世界 第一個自動化遞送系統，

operating at national scale.

以全國性的規模在運作。

And guess what?

猜猜怎樣？

We did not do that in the US,

我們沒有在美國那樣做，

we didn't do it in Japan,

我們沒有在日本那樣做，

and we didn't do it in Europe.

我們沒有在歐洲那樣做。

It was actually President Paul Kagame

其實是保羅卡加梅總統

and the Rwandan Ministry of Health

和盧安達健康部長

that made a big bet on the potential of this technology

下了很大的賭注 在這項科技的潛力上，

and signed a commercial contract

簽訂了商業合約，

to deliver a majority of the country's blood on demand.

按需求來為該國做 大部份的血液遞送。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Yeah, they deserve the applause.

是的，掌聲是他們應得的。

So why is blood important?

為什麼血液很重要？

Rwanda collects between 60- and 80,000 units of blood a year.

盧安達每年收集的血液有 60,000~80,000 單位。

So this is a product that when you need it,

這種產品是當你需要它時，

you really, really need it.

你就是真的非常需要它。

But blood is also challenging,

但血液也很有挑戰性，

because it has a very short shelf life,

因為它的保存期限很短，

there are lots of different storage requirements,

貯藏上又有很多不同的要求，

and it's really hard to predict the demand

且在病人真正需要之前，

for all of these different blood groups

非常難預測各種

before a patient actually needs something.

不同血液的需求。

But the cool thing is that using this technology,

但很酷的是使用這項科技，

Rwanda has been able to keep more blood centralized

盧安達就能讓更多血液集中起來，

and then provide it when a patient needs something

然後在病人有需時提供給

to any hospital or health center in an average of just 20 or 30 minutes.

任何醫院或健康中心， 平均只要花 20 或 30 分鐘。

Do you guys want to see how it works?

你們想要看它怎麼運作的嗎？

(Audience) Yes.

（觀眾）要。

All right. Nobody believes me, so ... better to show.

好，沒人相信我。 所以，還是讓大家看看吧。

This is our distribution center,

這是我們的分配中心，

which is about 20 kilometers outside of Kigali.

它位在吉佳利外大約 20 公里處。

This actually used to be a cornfield nine months ago,

九個月前它還是片玉米田，

and with the Rwandan government,

我們配合盧安達政府，

we leveled it and built this center in a couple weeks.

用兩個星期剷平它，建立了這個中心。

So when a patient is having an emergency,

當病人有緊急狀況時，

a doctor or a nurse at that hospital can send us a WhatsApp,

該醫院的醫生或護士會用 WhatsApp 發訊息給我們，

telling us what they need.

告訴我們他們需要什麼。

And then our team will immediately spring into action.

我們的團隊就會馬上動起來。

We pull the blood from our stock,

我們從庫存取出血液，

which is delivered from the National Center for Blood Transfusion;

它們是國家輸血中心送過來的；

we scan the blood into our system

我們把血液掃瞄到我們的系統中，

so the Ministry of Health knows where the blood is going;

這樣健康部就會知道血液的去向；

and then we'll basically pack it into a Zip,

接著我們會把它們打包放入 Zip，

which is what we call these little autonomous airplanes

Zip 是我們對小型自動飛機的稱呼，

that run on batteries.

它們的動力是電池。

And then once that Zip is ready to go,

當 Zip 準備好出發時，

we accelerate it from zero to 100 kilometers an hour

我們在大約半秒內就把它 從每小時 0 公里

in about half of a second.

加速到 100 公里。

(Audience) Whoa!

（觀眾）哇！

And from the moment it leaves the end of the launcher,

從它離開發射器的那一刻，

it's completely autonomous.

它就是全自動的了。

(Video: Air traffic controller directs traffic)

（影片：空中交通管制員指揮交通）

This is our air traffic controller calling it in

這位是我們的空中交通管制員通報

to Kigali International Airport.

吉佳利國際機場。

And when the Zip arrives at the hospital,

當這台 Zip 到達醫院，

it descends to about 30 feet and drops the package.

它會下降約 30 英呎，丟下包裏。

We use a really simple paper parachute -- simple things are best --

我們用非常簡單的紙降落傘 ──簡單的是最好的──

that allows the package to come to the ground gently and reliably

包裏就能每次都和緩地、可靠地

in the same place every time.

在同一處落地。

So it's just like ride sharing;

這就像是共乘；

the doctors get a text message one minute before we arrive, saying,

在我們到達的前一分鐘， 醫生會收到訊息，寫著：

"Walk outside and receive your delivery."

「走出去接收你的快遞。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And then --

接著──

(Applause)

（掌聲）

and then the doctors have what they need to save a patient's life.

接著醫生就有拯救病人性命 所需要的東西了。

This is actually watching a delivery happen from our distribution center;

這其實就是從我們的分配中心 監看著某次快遞的進行；

this vehicle is about 50 kilometers away.

這架飛機大約在 50 公里外。

We're able to watch the vehicle as it makes a delivery at a hospital

我們能夠看著飛機在醫院完成投遞

in real time.

的即時影像。

You may have noticed there are pings

你們可能有注意到，

that are coming off of that vehicle on the screen.

螢幕上的飛機發送訊號（pings），

Those pings are actually data packets

其實是資料封包的訊號，

that we're getting over the cell phone networks.

我們用手機網路取得的那種。

So these planes have SIM cards just like your cell phone does,

這些飛機有 SIM 卡， 和你們的手機一樣，

and they're communicating over the cell network

它們透過手機網路來溝通，

to tell us where they are and how they're doing at all times.

隨時告訴我們它們的所在以及狀況。

Believe it or not, we actually buy family plans --

信不信，我們辦了家庭優惠方案── （註：手機一人多門號的方案）

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

for this fleet of vehicles,

為這支機隊辦的，

because that's how we get the best rates.

因為這樣費率會最理想。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's actually not a joke.

這並不是個笑話。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So today, we're delivering about 20 percent

在吉佳利以外，現今大約有 20%

of the national blood supply of Rwanda

盧安達國家血液供應遞送

outside of Kigali.

由我們做的。

We serve about 12 hospitals,

我們服務約 12 間醫院，

and we're adding hospitals to that network at an accelerating rate.

且以越來越快的速度 將更多的醫院加到我們的網絡。

All of those hospitals only receive blood in this way,

所有那些醫院都只用 這種方式來接收血液，

and most of those hospitals actually place multiple orders every day.

且大部份這些醫院 每天都會下多張訂單。

So the reason --

之所以──

in all of health care logistics,

在所有的健康照護物流中，

you're always trading off waste against access.

你總是在浪費和取得之間做權衡。

So if you want to solve waste, you keep everything centralized.

如果你想解決浪費問題， 你就得讓所有東西集中。

As a result, when patients are having emergencies,

結果就是，當病人有緊急情況時，

sometimes they don't have the medical product they need.

有時他們沒有 他們所需要的醫療產品。

If you want to solve access, you stock a lot of medicine at the last mile,

如果你想解決取得問題，

就在最後一哩路的健康中心 或醫院囤積很多藥品，

at hospitals or health centers,

and then patients have the medicine they need.

那麼病人就有他們需要的藥品。

但你最後會得要丟棄很多藥品，

But you end up throwing a lot of medicine out,

非常浪費。

which is very expensive.

很了不起的是

What's so amazing is that the Rwandan government has been able

盧安達政府能夠永久打破這個循環。

to break this cycle permanently.

Because doctors can get what they need instantly,

因為醫生可以馬上取得 他們需要的東西，

they actually stock less blood at the hospitals.

他們在醫院貯藏的血液就少了。

So although use of blood products has increased substantially

所以，雖然我們服務的所有醫院

對於血液產品的用量都持續增加，

at all the hospitals we serve,

in the last nine months, zero units of blood have expired

過去九個月，在這些醫院中

at any of these hospitals.

沒有任何一單位的血液過期。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

That's an amazing result.

那是非常了不起的結果。

That's actually not been achieved by any other health care system

地球上的任何其他健康照護系統

on the planet,

都還無法做到，

and it happened here.

但在這裡卻成真了。

But obviously, when we're talking about delivering medical products instantly,

但顯然地，當我們談到 立即遞送醫療產品，

the most important thing is patients.

最重要的就是病人了。

Let me give you an example.

讓我給各位一個例子。

A couple months ago, a 24-year-old mother came into one of the hospitals

一位 24 歲的母親幾個月前 到我們所服務的

that we serve,

其中一家醫院，

and she gave birth via C-section.

她剖腹產生下了孩子。

But that led to complications, and she started to bleed.

但造成了併發症，她開始流血。

Luckily, the doctors had some blood of her blood type on hand

幸運的是，醫生手上就有 和她同血型的血液，

that had been delivered via Zipline's routine service,

那是之前透過 Zipline 例行遞送所送來的，

and so they transfused her with a couple units of blood.

所以他們為她輸了幾單位的血。

But she bled out of those units in about 10 minutes.

但約十分鐘，她的出血量 就高出輸血量了。

In this case, that mother's life is in grave danger --

在這個案例中， 那位母親的性命岌岌可危──

in any hospital in the world.

在世界上任何醫院 都會是一樣的情況。

But luckily, the doctors who were taking care of her

但幸運的是，照顧她的醫生

immediately called our distribution center,

馬上打給我們的分配中心，

they placed an emergency order,

下了一張緊急訂單，

and our team actually did emergency delivery after emergency delivery

我們的團隊做了一次又一次

after emergency delivery.

又再一次的緊急遞送。

They ended up sending seven units of red blood cells,

他們最後共遞送了 7 單位的紅血球細胞、

four units of plasma

4 單位的血漿、

and two units of platelets.

2 單位的血小板。

That's more blood than you have in your entire body.

這已經比你整個身體中 所有血液還多了。

All of it was transfused into her,

所有的血都輸給了她，

the doctors were able to stabilize her,

醫生得以把她穩定下來，

and she is healthy today.

現在她很健康。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Since we launched, we've done about 400 emergency deliveries like that,

從我們開張之後，我們已經做了 約 400 次像那樣的緊急遞送，

and there's a story like that one behind most of those emergencies.

幾乎每個緊急事件， 背後都有一個像那樣的故事。

Here are just a couple of the moms

這裡是幾位母親，

who have received transfusions in this way

在過去幾個月，

in the last couple months.

她們都用這種方式接受輸血。

We're always reminded: when we can help a doctor save a mom's life,

我們總會想起：當我們能協助 一名醫生拯救一名母親的性命，

it's not just her life that you're saving.

拯救的並不只是她的性命。

That's also a baby boy or a baby girl

也救了那位男寶寶或女寶寶，

who has a mother while they're growing up.

他們在成長的過程將會有母親陪伴。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

But I want to be clear:

但我想要說清楚：

postpartum hemorrhaging -- it's not a Rwanda problem,

產後出血── 那不是只有盧安達才會有的問題，

it's not a developing-world problem --

那不是開發中世界才會有的問題──

this is a global problem.

它是個全球性問題。

Maternal health is a challenge everywhere.

無論何處，母親健康都是個挑戰。

The main difference is that Rwanda was the first country

差別在於，盧安達是第一個

to use radical technology to do something about it.

用極端科技來採取行動的國家。

And that's the reason this attitude of Africa being disrupted

所以，認為非洲被顛覆、

先進科技在這裡行不通的態度，

or advanced technology not working here

或是認為非洲需要援助的態度，

or needing aid

is so totally wrong.

是大錯特錯。

Africa can be the disrupter.

非洲可以扮演顛覆者。

These small, agile, developing economies can out-innovate large, rich ones.

這些開發中、機靈的小型經濟體， 可在創新上勝過富有的大型經濟體。

And they can totally leapfrog over the absence of legacy infrastructure

它們完全可以跳過沒有 前人留下基礎建設的狀況，

to go straight to newer and better systems.

直接使用更新更好的系統。

In 2000,

在 2000 年，

if you had said that high-quality cellular networks were about to roll out

如果你說高品質手機網路將要襲捲

across all of Africa,

整個非洲，

people would have told you that you were crazy.

別人會告訴你，你瘋了。

And yet, no one anticipated

然而，沒有人預期到

how fast those networks were going to connect and empower people.

那些網路能那麼快 連結人們、賦予人們能力。

Today, 44 percent of the GDP of Kenya flows through M-Pesa,

現今，肯亞的 GDP 有 44% 都透過 M-Pesa，

their mobile payment platform.

他們的行動支付平台。

And not only that,

不只如此，

but our autonomous fleet of vehicles relies on that cellular network.

我們的自動機隊 也要靠手機網路運作。

Over the next few years as we start serving private health care facilities,

接下來的幾年，我們會開始 服務私人健康照護機構，

we'll also use that mobile payment platform

我們也會使用那行動支付平台，

to collect fees for deliveries.

來收取遞送運費。

So innovation leads to more innovation leads to more innovation.

創新造成更多創新， 再造成更多創新。

And meanwhile,

同時，

most people who live in developed economies

住在已開發經濟體中的大部份人

think that drone delivery is technologically impossible,

認為無人機遞送 在技術上是不可行的，

let alone happening at national scale in East Africa.

更不可能會發生在東非， 且規模還廣至全國。

And I do mean East Africa, not just Rwanda.

我確實是指東非，不只盧安達。

On Thursday, just a couple days ago,

星期四，幾天之前，

the Tanzanian Ministry of Health announced

坦桑尼亞的健康部宣佈

that they are going to use this same technology

他們將會用同樣的科技，

to provide instant delivery of a wide range of medical products

針對多種醫療產品做立即的遞送，

to 10 million of the hardest to reach people in the country.

對象是全國最難接觸到的一千萬人。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

It's actually going to be the largest autonomous system anywhere in the world.

這將會是世界上最大型的自動系統。

To give you a sense of what this looks like,

讓各位概略了解一下這個系統，

this is one of the first distribution centers.

這是最早的分配中心之一。

You can see a 75-kilometer service radius around the distribution center,

這是 75 公里的服務半徑， 以分配中心為圓心，

and that allows us to serve hundreds of health facilities and hospitals,

這讓我們能夠從單一個 分配中心來提供服務

all of which are rural,

給數百間位在郊區的

from that single distribution center.

健康機構和醫院。

But to serve over 20 percent of the population of Tanzania,

但若要服務坦尚尼亞 20% 以上的人口，

we're going to need multiple distribution centers.

我們會需要多間分配中心。

We'll actually need four.

其實我們需要四間。

And from these distribution centers,

從這些分配中心，

we expect to be doing several hundred lifesaving deliveries every day,

我們預期每天會進行 數百趟救命的遞送，

and this system will ultimately serve over 1,000 health facilities

這個系統最終將能服務 該國超過 1,000 間

and hospitals in the country.

健康機構以及醫院。

So yeah, East Africa is moving really fast.

所以，是的，東非進展地非常快。

One thing that people, I think, often miss

我認為，人們常會忽略一件事，

is that these kinds of leaps generate compounding gains.

就是這種躍進會產生複合的收益。

For example, Rwanda, by investing in this infrastructure for health care,

比如，盧安達投資了 這項健康照護的基礎建設，

now has an aerial logistics network that they can use

現在該國就有個物流網可以使用，

to catalyze other parts of their economy,

來催化該國經濟的其他部份，

like agriculture or e-commerce.

比如農業或電子商務。

Even more importantly,

更重要的是，

100 percent of the teams we hire at these distribution centers are local.

我們在這些分配中心 所僱用的團隊通通都是當地人。

So here's our Rwandan team,

這是我們的盧安達團隊，

which is a group of extraordinary engineers and operators.

由一群不凡的工程師和操作員組成。

They run the world's only automated delivery system

他們在經營世界上 唯一的自動化遞送系統，

operating at national scale.

且以國家規模在營運。

They have been able to master something

他們所能精通的東西，

that the largest technology companies in the world

是世界上最大的科技公司

have not yet been able to figure out.

都還沒辦法想出來的。

So they are total heroes.

所以他們絕對是英雄。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

They're total heroes.

他們絕對是英雄。

Our team's mission is to deliver basic access to medicine

我們團隊的使命，是要讓 地球上所有七十億人口

to all seven billion people on the planet,

都能有基本的藥品取得方式，

no matter how hard it is to reach them.

不管接觸到他們是有多麼地困難。

We often tell people about that mission,

我們常告訴別人這個使命，

and they say, "That's so generous of you, it's so philanthropic."

他們說：「你們好大方，好博愛。」

No!

不！

Philanthropy has nothing to do with it.

這和博愛無關。

Because of the commercial contracts that we sign with ministries of health,

因為我們和健康部所簽訂的商業合約，

these networks are 100 percent sustainable and scalable.

這些網路是 100% 永續且可擴展的。

And the reason we feel so strongly about correcting that misperception

我們非常在意要修正 那種錯誤認知的原因，

is that entrepreneurship is the only force in human history

是因為企業家精神是人類歷史上唯一

that has lifted millions of people out of poverty.

能讓數百萬人脫離貧困的力量。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

No amount of foreign aid is going to sustainably employ

不論多少的外援都無法永續地僱用

250 million African youth.

250 百萬個非洲年輕人。

And the jobs that these kids may have gotten 10 years ago

而這些孩子十年前可以找到的工作，

are largely being automated

現在已經大多數

or are being changed dramatically by technology.

被自動化或科技給驟然改變了。

So they are looking for new skill sets,

所以他們在尋找新的技能知識，

new competitive advantages.

新的競爭優勢。

They're looking for start-ups.

他們在尋找新公司。

So why aren't there more start-ups that are tackling these global problems

所以為什麼沒有更多新公司 來處理這些全球問題，

that are faced by billions of people in developing economies?

發展中經濟體的數十億人民 所面臨的問題？

The reason is that investors and entrepreneurs are totally blind

原因是，投資者和企業家完全看不見

to the opportunity.

這個機會。

We think these problems are the domain of NGOs or governments,

我們認為這些問題是非政府組織 或政府要處理的領域，

not private companies.

而非私人企業的。

That's what we have to change.

那就是我們得改變的。

You may have noticed I left something out of the video

你們可能有注意到，我剛剛播的影片

that I showed you.

少了什麼東西。

I didn't show you how the planes land

我沒有讓你們看到飛機

when they get back to the distribution center.

回到分配中心時如何降落。

So, it might be obvious to you:

顯而易見地，你可能發現：

none of our planes have landing gear.

我們的飛機都沒有起落架。

We also don't have runways where we operate.

我們營運的地方也沒有跑道。

So we have to be able to decelerate the plane

所以我們得要讓飛機減速，

from about 100 kilometers an hour to zero in half of a second.

在半秒內從每小時 100 公里減到 0 公里。

And the way we do that

而我們的做法是，

is we actually use a wire that tracks that plane as it comes in,

當飛機進來時， 我們用一條繩索絆住飛機，

with centimeter-level accuracy.

精確度可以到只差幾公分。

We snag the plane out of the sky,

我們把飛機從天上勾下來，

and then we gently plop it onto an actively inflated cushion.

然後我們輕輕讓它 落在主動式充氣墊上。

This is basically a combination of an aircraft carrier

基本上，這個想法結合了航空母艦

and a bouncy castle.

及彈跳堡的概念。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So let me show you.

讓我放給各位看。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And it might be obvious to you why I wanted to end with this video.

你們應該看得出來我為什麼 要用這段影片來做結尾。

I wanted to show you the kids and the teenagers

我想讓你們看看，在欄杆外面，

who line up on the fence every day.

每天都排滿了孩子和青少年。

They cheer every launch and every landing.

每次發射和每次降落， 他們都會歡呼。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Sometimes I actually show up at the distribution center early

有時候我會早到分配中心，

because I'm jet-lagged.

因為我有時差。

I'll show up an hour before we begin operation.

我會在開始營業前一小時就到。

And there will be kids on the fence getting good seats.

就已經有孩子到欄杆外搶好位置了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And you go up and you ask them,

你過去，問他們：

"What do you think about the planes?"

「你們覺得這些飛機如何？」

And they'll say, "Oh, it's a sky ambulance."

他們會說：「喔，這是飛天救護車。」

So they get it.

所以他們能懂。

I mean, they get it more than most adults.

他們比大部份的成人還懂。

So I was asking earlier:

所以我先前在問：

Who is going to be creating the disruptive technology companies of Africa

接下來的十年，有誰要 創造非洲的顛覆性

over the next decade?

技術公司？

Ultimately, it's going to be up to these kids.

最終，將會是這些孩子的責任。

They are the engineers of Rwanda and Africa.

他們是盧安達和非洲的工程師。

They are the engineers of our shared future.

他們是我們共享未來的工程師。

But the only way they can build that future is if we realize

但要讓他們能建立那樣的未來， 我們就得了解到，

that world-changing companies can scale in Africa,

非洲中改變世界的公司是能壯大的，

and that disruptive technology can start here first.

而顛覆性科技能從非洲最先開始。

Thanks.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）