Robert Full: Engineering and evolution

譯者: Ana Choi 審譯者: Wang-Ju Tsai

Welcome. If I could have the first slide, please?

歡迎光臨。可以幫我放第一張幻燈片嗎？

Contrary to calculations made by some engineers, bees can fly,

跟一些工程師的計算相反 蜜蜂能飛，

dolphins can swim, and geckos can even climb

海豚可以游泳，壁虎甚至可以在

up the smoothest surfaces. Now, what I want to do, in the short time I have,

光滑的表面上爬行。現在, 在這很短的時間內, 我想做的事，

is to try to allow each of you to experience

就便是要盡量讓你們每人去體驗一下，

the thrill of revealing nature's design.

一點點，揭示大自然設計的快感。

I get to do this all the time, and it's just incredible.

我常常會做這種揭示，它確實是令人難以置信。

I want to try to share just a little bit of that with you in this presentation.

我想在此介紹給你們分享一下。

The challenge of looking at nature's designs --

我們觀看大自然的設計所面臨的挑戰 --

and I'll tell you the way that we perceive it, and the way we've used it.

我會告訴你我們觀察的方式，以及我們用它的方式。

The challenge, of course, is to answer this question:

當然, 我們面臨的挑戰，就是要回答這個問題：

what permits this extraordinary performance of animals

是什麼讓動物具有這不平凡的性能，

that allows them basically to go anywhere?

使他們基本上可以去任何地方？

And if we could figure that out, how can we implement those designs?

並且如果我們能明白這一點，我們怎麼能實現這些設計？

Well, many biologists will tell engineers, and others,

許多生物學家會告訴工程師和其他人,

organisms have millions of years to get it right;

生物有百萬年才能改進得到這些功能，

they're spectacular; they can do everything wonderfully well.

牠們是了不起，牠們能順當的做一切事情。

So, the answer is bio-mimicry: just copy nature directly.

因此，答案是仿生學 -- 只需直接複製大自然。

We know from working on animals that the truth is

我們從在動物的工作知道，

that's exactly what you don't want to do -- because evolution works

事實上這正是你不應做的方法。因為進化工程的原則

on the just-good-enough principle, not on a perfecting principle.

是剛剛夠用就好，而不是一個完美式的原則。

And the constraints in building any organism, when you look at it,

而在建築任何生物體的限制

are really severe. Natural technologies have incredible constraints.

其實是相當嚴格的。大自然的技術有令人難以置信的限制。

Think about it. If you were an engineer and I told you

想想看。如果你是一名工程師，我告訴你，

that you had to build an automobile, but it had to start off to be this big,

你必須建造一輛汽車，但它一開始必須這麼大，

then it had to grow to be full size and had to work every step along the way.

接著它必須充分成長，並且每一步都需運作順利。

Or think about the fact that if you build an automobile, I'll tell you that you also -- inside it --

想想看，你若建成這輛汽車, 其實我需要你

have to put a factory that allows you to make another automobile.

在它裡面建立一個工廠來生產更多的汽車。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

And you can absolutely never, absolutely never, because of history

而且，你不可以，絕不可以，因為歷史和

and the inherited plan, start with a clean slate.

繼承的計劃，從零開始。

So, organisms have this important history.

因此, 生物體有這個重要的歷史。

Really evolution works more like a tinkerer than an engineer.

真正的, 進化工程更像是一個熔補器。

And this is really important when you begin to look at animals.

而當你開始看動物, 這是非常重要的。

Instead, we believe you need to be inspired by biology.

相反，我們相信你們需要得到生物學的啟發。

You need to discover the general principles of nature,

你需要去發現大自然的一般原則，

and then use these analogies when they're advantageous.

然後當在有利的時刻運用這些比喻。

This is a real challenge to do this, because animals,

這樣做是一個真正的挑戰，因為動物，

when you start to really look inside them -- how they work --

當你開始真正觀察牠們，牠們是如何運作時，

appear hopelessly complex. There's no detailed history

呈現絕望的複雜程度。沒有詳細的

of the design plans, you can't go look it up anywhere.

設計方案歷史，你亦無從考究。

They have way too many motions for their joints, too many muscles.

牠們的關節有太多的動作，太多肌肉，

Even the simplest animal we think of, something like an insect,

連我們想到最簡單的動物，類似昆蟲，

and they have more neurons and connections than you can imagine.

牠們亦有比你想像中更多的神經元和連接。

How can you make sense of this? Well, we believed --

你怎麼能理出頭緒？我們相信 --

and we hypothesized -- that one way animals could work simply,

及假設 -- 即是, 動物可以簡單地運作的一種方法，

is if the control of their movements

便是如果控制牠們行動的機能

tended to be built into their bodies themselves.

是建在本來身體的一部分。

What we discovered was that two-, four-, six- and eight-legged animals

我們發現，當二，四，六，八足動物

all produce the same forces on the ground when they move.

在地面上移動, 都是產生相同的力量。

They all work like this kangaroo, they bounce.

牠們都像這頭袋鼠，會彈跳。

And they can be modeled by a spring-mass system that we call the spring mass system

牠們可以模擬彈簧系統，因為我們是生物力學家,

because we're biomechanists. It's actually a pogo stick.

我們稱之為諧振子系統，它實際上是一個彈簧單高蹺。

They all produce the pattern of a pogo stick. How is that true?

他們都複製彈簧單高蹺的模式。爲什麽？

Well, a human, one of your legs works like two legs of a trotting dog,

一個人，你的一條腿，運作像一隻兩條腿跑著的小狗，

or works like three legs, together as one, of a trotting insect,

或像三足聯為一體的小昆蟲，

or four legs as one of a trotting crab.

或像四腿為一的小蟹。

And then they alternate in their propulsion,

然後牠們在交替推進動力，

but the patterns are all the same. Almost every organism we've looked at this way

但模式都是一樣。幾乎我們已經研究了的每一個有機體都是這種方式 --

-- you'll see next week, I'll give you a hint,

你下一個星期會看到 -- 我給你一個提示，

there'll be an article coming out that says that really big things

將有一篇文章登出，指出真正大的動物

like T. rex probably couldn't do this, but you'll see that next week.

像霸王龍便無法這樣做，你下一個星期便會看到。

Now, what's interesting is the animals, then -- we said -- bounce along

現在有趣的是, 我們說的動物這樣

the vertical plane this way, and in our collaborations with Pixar,

反彈沿垂直面，而在我們與皮克斯動畫工作室

in "A Bug's Life," we discussed the

合作的“蟲蟲危機”，我們便討論了

bipedal nature of the characters of the ants.

螞蟻的雙足性質。

And we told them, of course, they move in another plane as well.

我們告訴他們，牠們當然能在另一個水平面行動，

And they asked us this question. They say, "Why model

他們問我們這個問題。他們問，“當你告訴我們這些動物

just in the sagittal plane or the vertical plane,

是在水平移動,

when you're telling us these animals are moving

那為什麼動物的模型只是在矢狀平面

in the horizontal plane?" This is a good question.

或垂直平面上？” 這是一個很好的問題。

Nobody in biology ever modeled it this way.

沒有人在生物學曾經採用這種方式模擬模型。

We took their advice and we modeled the animals moving

我們採取他們的意見, 將動物模擬

in the horizontal plane as well. We took their three legs,

運動在水平面上。我們採取了牠們的三隻腳,

we collapsed them down as one.

將牠塌下成為一隻，

We got some of the best mathematicians in the world

我們採用了一些在世界上最好的數學家，

from Princeton to work on this problem.

從普林斯頓大學, 努力在這方面的問題。

And we were able to create a model

而我們成功建立了一個模型，

where animals are not only bouncing up and down,

動物不僅上下彈跳，

but they're also bouncing side to side at the same time.

牠們也能在同一時間一邊彈跳到另一邊。

And many organisms fit this kind of pattern.

而許多生物都適合這種模式。

Now, why is this important to have this model?

那, 為什麼需要有這種模型？

Because it's very interesting. When you take this model

因為它很有趣。當你把這個模型，

and you perturb it, you give it a push,

你擾動它，你給它一推，

as it bumps into something, it self-stabilizes, with no brain

因它碰到東西，它會自我穩定，不需要大腦，

or no reflexes, just by the structure alone.

無反射，只是純粹的結構。

It's a beautiful model. Let's look at the mathematics.

這是一個美麗的模型。讓我們看看數學。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

That's enough!

好了。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

The animals, when you look at them running,

這些動物，當你看牠們跑，

appear to be self-stabilizing like this,

似乎這樣的自我穩定，

using basically springy legs. That is, the legs can do

採用基本上彈性的腿。也就是說，腿可以

computations on their own; the control algorithms, in a sense,

自行計算，在一定意義上控制算法

are embedded in the form of the animal itself.

是嵌入動物本身的形式。

Why haven't we been more inspired by nature and these kinds of discoveries?

為什麼我們沒有從大自然或這些發現中得到更多的靈感？

Well, I would argue that human technologies are really different from

我認為，人類的技術是真的不同於

natural technologies, at least they have been so far.

自然的技術，至少到目前為止。

Think about the typical kind of robot that you see.

想想你看到的典型的機器人。

Human technologies have tended to be large, flat,

人類的科技往往要大，平坦，

with right angles, stiff, made of metal. They have rolling devices

有直角，僵硬，金屬製成。他們有著軋製設備

and axles. There are very few motors, very few sensors.

和車軸。很少電機，很少傳感器。

Whereas nature tends to be small, and curved,

而大自然的往往是小，彎曲，

and it bends and twists, and has legs instead, and appendages,

而且彎曲和扭曲，有著腿而不是和附屬物，

and has many muscles and many, many sensors.

並有許多肌肉和許多，許多的傳感器。

So it's a very different design. However, what's changing,

所以這是一些非常不同的設計。然而，不斷變化的，

what's really exciting -- and I'll show you some of that next --

什麼是真正令人興奮的 -- 我接下來會告訴你 --

is that as human technology takes on more of the characteristics

就是當人類的科技需要更多的大自然的特性，

of nature, then nature really can become a much more useful teacher.

大自然真能成為一個更為有用的老師。

And here's one example that's really exciting.

而這裡便是一個實在是很令人興奮的例子。

This is a collaboration we have with Stanford.

這是我們與斯坦福大學的一個合作。

And they developed this new technique, called Shape Deposition Manufacturing.

他們開發了的這種新技術, 稱為形狀沉積製造。

It's a technique where they can mix materials together and mold any shape

這是一種製造科技，他們可以將模具材料混合在一起，

that they like, and put in the material properties.

鑄造他們喜歡的任何形狀，並能注入材料的性能。

They can embed sensors and actuators right in the form itself.

他們可以在形式本身嵌入傳感器和執行器。

For example, here's a leg: the clear part is stiff,

例如，這條腿 - -透明部分是僵硬，

the white part is compliant, and you don't need any axles there or anything.

白色部分是可彎曲的，你不需要有任何車軸或其他什麼東西。

It just bends by itself beautifully.

它本身便會精美地彎曲。

So, you can put those properties in. It inspired them to show off

所以，你可以把這些屬性嵌入。這啟發他們炫耀這種設計，

this design by producing a little robot they named Sprawl.

便製作了一個小機器人，他們命名為Sprawl (爬行)。

Our work has also inspired another robot, a biologically inspired bouncing robot,

我們的工作也激發了另一個機器人的製作，一個生物啟發的彈跳機器人，

from the University of Michigan and McGill

從密歇根大學和麥吉爾大學,

named RHex, for robot hexapod, and this one's autonomous.

命名RHex，六足機器人，而這個機器人是獨立自主的。

Let's go to the video, and let me show you some of these animals moving

讓我們看看視頻，讓我告訴你這些動物的一些動作功能。

and then some of the simple robots

然後, 一些應用我們靈感

that have been inspired by our discoveries.

所設計的簡單機器人。

Here's what some of you did this morning, although you did it outside,

以下你們今天上午所做的，雖然你在外面做,

not on a treadmill.

而且沒有在跑步機上。

Here's what we do.

這是我們所做的

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

This is a death's head cockroach. This is an American cockroach

這是一隻名叫"死亡的頭"的蟑螂 -- 這是你認為

you think you don't have in your kitchen.

在你的廚房沒有的美洲大蟑螂。

This is an eight-legged scorpion, six-legged ant, forty-four-legged centipede.

這是一隻八腳的蝎子，六條腿的螞蟻，44條腿的蜈蚣。

Now, I said all these animals are sort of working like pogo sticks --

現在我說所有這些動物都有點像彈簧單高蹺的運作 --

they're bouncing along as they move. And you can see that

從在這巴拿馬海灘和北卡羅萊納州的鬼蟹

in this ghost crab, from the beaches of Panama and North Carolina.

你可以看到，牠們移動沿著反彈。

It goes up to four meters per second when it runs.

當牠運行時上升至每秒四米。

It actually leaps into the air, and has aerial phases

牠實際上是跨越到空氣中，

when it does it, like a horse, and you'll see it's bouncing here.

像一匹馬，你會看到牠在這裡彈跳。

What we discovered is whether you look at the leg of a human

我們發現, 不論你是一個人的腿

like Richard, or a cockroach, or a crab, or a kangaroo,

像理查德的腿，或一隻蟑螂，或蟹，或袋鼠，

the relative leg stiffness of that spring is the same for everything we've seen so far.

到我們現在所看到的, 相對腿部僵硬，跳躍是一切相同的。

Now, what good are springy legs then? What can they do?

那有彈性腿的話有什麼好，它們可以做什麼？

Well, we wanted to see if they allowed the animals

我們想看看它們能否讓動物

to have greater stability and maneuverability.

有更大的穩定性和機動性。

So, we built a terrain that had obstacles three times the hip height

因此，我們建立了一個比我們研究的動物臀部

of the animals that we're looking at.

高三倍的有障礙的地形，

And we were certain they couldn't do this. And here's what they did.

而我們肯定些牠們不能通過這些。這便是牠們所做的。

The animal ran over it and it didn't even slow down!

動物跑過去它，甚至沒有慢下來。

It didn't decrease its preferred speed at all.

牠們並沒有減少速度。

We couldn't believe that it could do this. It said to us

我們無法相信牠可以做到這一點。這意味著，

that if you could build a robot with very simple, springy legs,

如果你能建立一個具備非常簡單彈性腿的機器人，

you could make it as maneuverable as any that's ever been built.

你可以把它為機動性能開發到任何機器的運動功能。

Here's the first example of that. This is the Stanford

這裡的第一個例子是，這是史丹佛大學

Shape Deposition Manufactured robot, named Sprawl.

形狀沉積製造的機器人名叫Sprawl (爬行)。

It has six legs -- there are the tuned, springy legs.

它有六條腿 -- 調整至有彈性的腿。

It moves in a gait that an insect uses, and here it is

它在像一隻昆蟲的移動步態，

going on the treadmill. Now, what's important about this robot,

這便是它在跑步機上。現在有關這個機器人的重要性是，

compared to other robots, is that it can't see anything,

相比其他機器人，是它什麼都看不到，

it can't feel anything, it doesn't have a brain, yet it can maneuver

什麼都感覺不到，它沒有大腦，但它可以

over these obstacles without any difficulty whatsoever.

沒有任何困難地通過這些障礙。

It's this technique of building the properties into the form.

這種正是建立屬性在本身形式的技術。

This is a graduate student. This is what he's doing to his thesis project --

這是一個研究生在做的論文項目，

very robust, if a graduate student

如果一個研究生論文做這個項目，

does that to his thesis project.

這確是非常強勁。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

This is from McGill and University of Michigan. This is the RHex,

這是由麥吉爾大學和密歇根州麥吉爾大學所製的RHex，

making its first outing in a demo.

第一次外出演示。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Same principle: it only has six moving parts,

同樣的原則。它只有六個運動部件。

six motors, but it has springy, tuned legs. It moves in the gait of the insect.

六個發動機，但它有彈性和調整性的腿。

It has the middle leg moving in synchrony with the front,

它中間的腿與前方和

and the hind leg on the other side. Sort of an alternating tripod,

另一邊的後腿同步移動。交替排序像三腳架，

and they can negotiate obstacles just like the animal.

他們可以像動物的迴避障礙。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

(Voice: Oh my God.)

噢，我的天。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Robert Full: It'll go on different surfaces -- here's sand --

它會去不同的表面上，這裡是沙子，

although we haven't perfected the feet yet, but I'll talk about that later.

雖然我們還沒有完善的腳，但我將會稍後討論。

Here's RHex entering the woods.

這裡是RHex進入樹林。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Again, this robot can't see anything, it can't feel anything,

重申，這機器人看不到任何東西，它沒有任何感覺，

it has no brain. It's just working with a tuned mechanical system,

它沒有大腦。這只是調整機械系統運作，

with very simple parts, but inspired from the fundamental dynamics of the animal.

非常簡單的機件。是從動物的根本動力啟發。

(Voice: Ah, I love him, Bob.) RF: Here's it going down a pathway.

啊，我愛鮑勃。這裡是它行走在通路上。

I presented this to the jet propulsion lab at NASA, and they said

我到美國宇航局的噴氣推進實驗室提出這個機械系統，他們說，

that they had no ability to go down craters to look for ice,

他們沒有能力去火星環形山尋找冰的存在，

and life, ultimately, on Mars. And he said --

或是火星上的生命。他說 --

especially with legged-robots, because they're way too complicated.

尤其是有腿機器人，因為它們太複雜。

Nothing can do that. And I talk next. I showed them this video

沒有任何東西可以做到。接著便到我說。我給他們看了這個

with the simple design of RHex here. And just to convince them

簡單RHex設計的視頻，而且為了說服他們

we should go to Mars in 2011, I tinted the video orange

我們應該在2011年去火星，我將色視頻著了橙色

just to give them the sense of being on Mars.

只為了給他們正在火星上的感覺。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Another reason why animals have extraordinary performance,

另一個原因動物有非凡的表現，

and can go anywhere, is because they have an effective interaction

亦可以去任何地方，是因為他們有一個有效的

with the environment. The animal I'm going to show you,

與環境的互動能力。我要告訴你

that we studied to look at this, is the gecko.

我們研的該動物是壁虎。

We have one here and notice its position. It's holding on.

我們有一隻在這裡，注意牠的位置。牠在按住。

Now I'm going to challenge you. I'm going show you a video.

現在我向你挑戰。我要給你看一個視頻。

One of the animals is going to be running on the level,

其中一隻是在水平上運行，

and the other one's going to be running up a wall. Which one's which?

而另一隻是在牆上運行。你能看出哪一隻是在水平上和哪一隻在牆上？

They're going at a meter a second. How many think the one on the left

牠們每一秒鐘跑一米。許多人認為左邊的那一隻

is running up the wall?

是在牆上跑？

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Okay. The point is it's really hard to tell, isn't it? It's incredible,

好的。關鍵是這真的很難說，是嗎？這真是不可思議，

we looked at students do this and they couldn't tell.

我們問學生們，他們都看不出。

They can run up a wall at a meter a second, 15 steps per second,

牠們可以在牆上跑一秒鐘一米，一秒鐘15級，

and they look like they're running on the level. How do they do this?

然而牠們看起來像在水平上跑。牠們如何做到這一點？

It's just phenomenal. The one on the right was going up the hill.

這實在太奇妙了。其實其實在右邊的一隻往山上跑。

How do they do this? They have bizarre toes. They have toes

牠們是怎麼做到這一點 -- 牠們有奇特的腳趾 --

that uncurl like party favors when you blow them out,

像你吹的派對吹捲它們可將其展平出來，

and then peel off the surface, like tape.

然後可像膠紙般從表面剝去。

Like if we had a piece of tape now, we'd peel it this way.

如我們現有的從膠紙表面剝去一樣。

They do this with their toes. It's bizarre! This peeling inspired

牠們這樣用牠們的腳趾。非常奇特。這種表面剝去啟發

iRobot -- that we work with -- to build Mecho-Geckos.

我們與 iRobot公司製造建立的Mecho-壁虎。

Here's a legged version and a tractor version, or a bulldozer version.

這裡是一個有腿版本和拖拉機的版本，或推土機的版本。

Let's see some of the geckos move with some video,

讓我們看看一些壁虎行動的視頻，

and then I'll show you a little bit of a clip of the robots.

然後我會給你看看一點機器人的片段。

Here's the gecko running up a vertical surface. There it goes,

這裡的壁虎在一個垂直的表面上跑，

in real time. There it goes again. Obviously, we have to slow this down a little bit.

實時再跑一次。顯然，我們不得不慢下一點點來。

You can't use regular cameras.

不能使用普通相機。

You have to take 1,000 pictures per second to see this.

你必須每秒拍一千張圖片才看到這一點。

And here's some video at 1,000 frames per second.

這裡有一些每秒1000幀的視頻。

Now, I want you to look at the animal's back.

現在我要你看看牠的背部。

Do you see how much it's bending like that? We can't figure that out --

你可以看到牠這樣有多彎曲呢？我們不明白這一點 --

that's an unsolved mystery. We don't know how it works.

這是一個未解之謎。我們不知道牠是如何運作。

If you have a son or a daughter that wants to come to Berkeley,

如果你有一個兒子或女兒要來柏克萊加州大學，

come to my lab and we'll figure this out. Okay, send them to Berkeley

請來到我的實驗室看看幫忙解謎。好了，送他們到柏克萊，

because that's the next thing I want to do. Here's the gecko mill.

其實因為下一樣我想做的事情是建設壁虎跑步機。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

It's a see-through treadmill with a see-through treadmill belt,

這是一個透明的跑步機設有透明的跑步機帶，

so we can watch the animal's feet, and videotape them

我們可以觀看動物的腳，通過錄像帶

through the treadmill belt, to see how they move.

和跑步機帶，看​​牠們如何行動。

Here's the animal that we have here, running on a vertical surface.

這是我們在這裡的動物，運行在一個垂直的表面，

Pick a foot and try to watch a toe, and see if you can see what the animal's doing.

挑一隻腳並嘗試觀看腳趾，看看你能看到動物在做什麼。

See it uncurl and then peel these toes.

看牠將其腳趾展平然後剝離。

It can do this in 14 milliseconds. It's unbelievable.

牠可以在14毫秒做到這一點。令人難以置信。

Here are the robots that they inspire, the Mecho-Geckos from iRobot.

以下是他們啟發的機器人，iRobot公司的Mecho壁虎。

First we'll see the animals toes peeling -- look at that.

首先，我們將看到動物的腳趾剝離 -- 看看那個。

And here's the peeling action of the Mecho-Gecko.

而這裡是Mecho壁虎的剝離行動,

It uses a pressure-sensitive adhesive to do it.

它使用壓敏膠去做到這動作。

Peeling in the animal. Peeling in the Mecho-Gecko --

動物的剝離行動，Mecho壁虎的剝離行動，

that allows them climb autonomously. Can go on the flat surface,

那使他們可以自主爬上平面過渡到牆壁，

transition to a wall, and then go onto a ceiling.

然後爬上到天花板去。

There's the bulldozer version. Now, it doesn't use pressure-sensitive glue.

這裡是推土機的版本。它不使用壓力敏感膠。

The animal does not use that.

該動物不會使用它。

But that's what we're limited to, at the moment.

而這是我們現時有的限制。

What does the animal do? The animal has weird toes.

動物幹什麼呢？動物都有怪異的腳趾，

And if you look at the toes, they have these little leaves there,

如果你看看他們這些小腳趾那裡有一瓣瓣，

and if you blow them up and zoom in, you'll see

如果你放大你會看到

that's there's little striations in these leaves.

在這些瓣葉子上有小小的條紋。

And if you zoom in 270 times, you'll see it looks like a rug.

如果你放大270倍，它看起來像一塊地毯。

And if you blow that up, and zoom in 900 times,

如果你再放大, 至900倍，

you see there are hairs there, tiny hairs. And if you look carefully,

你會看到那裡有毛，細毛，如果你仔細看

those tiny hairs have striations. And if you zoom in on those 30,000 times,

那些微小的毛髮有條紋。

you'll see each hair has split ends.

如果你放大至3萬倍，你會看到每條毛髮有開叉。

And if you blow those up, they have these little structures on the end.

如果你再放大，在尾端處有小小的結構了。

The smallest branch of the hairs looks like spatulae,

最小分支的頭髮看起來像一個小鏟,

and an animal like that has one billion of these nano-size split ends,

像這種動物有10億條這些納米尺寸的開叉

to get very close to the surface. In fact, there's the diameter of your hair --

用來非常接近地面。

a gecko has two million of these, and each hair has 100 to 1,000 split ends.

其實，這是你頭髮的直徑，壁虎有2萬條，每條毛髮有100到1000個開叉。

Think of the contact of that that's possible.

想想那種接觸的程度。

We were fortunate to work with another group

我們有幸運能與另一組在史丹佛大學大學

at Stanford that built us a special manned sensor,

為我們建立的一個特殊的載人傳感器，

that we were able to measure the force of an individual hair.

我們能利用它夠來衡量一條毛髮的力量。

Here's an individual hair with a little split end there.

這裡是其中一條毛髮尾端的開叉,

When we measured the forces, they were enormous.

當我們測量開叉的力量，那力量是巨大的，

They were so large that a patch of hairs about this size --

它們是如此之大，一個這樣補丁的毛髮，

the gecko's foot could support the weight of a small child,

壁虎的腳可以輕易支持一個小孩 --

about 40 pounds, easily. Now, how do they do it?

大約40磅重量的小孩 -- 。那牠們是如何這樣辦呢？

We've recently discovered this. Do they do it by friction?

我們最近發現了這一點。難道牠們用摩擦力這樣做的？

No, force is too low. Do they do it by electrostatics?

不，摩擦力太低。難道牠們用靜電力這樣做的？

No, you can change the charge -- they still hold on.

不，你可以改變電荷，牠們仍然能抓住。

Do they do it by interlocking? That's kind of a like a Velcro-like thing.

難道牠們用環環相扣的方法？像是一種尼龍搭扣一樣的東西。

No, you can put them on molecular smooth surfaces -- they don't do it.

不，你可以把牠們放在光滑的分子表面上的 -- 仍然不。

How about suction? They stick on in a vacuum.

難道是吸力？牠們在一個真空間仍然能抓住。

How about wet adhesion? Or capillary adhesion?

濕附著力？或毛細管粘連？

They don't have any glue, and they even stick under water just fine.

牠們沒有任何膠性，牠們甚至在水下都可貼住。

If you put their foot under water, they grab on.

如果你把牠們的腳放在水中，牠們可貼住。

How do they do it then? Believe it or not, they grab on

那牠們是如何做到這一點呢？信不信由你，

by intermolecular forces, by Van der Waals forces.

牠在用分子間作用力，通過范德華力。

You know, you probably had this a long time ago in chemistry,

你可能從很久以前的化學知道,

where you had these two atoms, they're close together,

你有這兩個原子，它們緊靠在一起，

and the electrons are moving around. That tiny force is sufficient

而電子是動彈的。因為這些小的結構

to allow them to do that because it's added up so many times

增加這麼多倍, 因此這種微小的力量

with these small structures.

足以讓牠們這樣做 。

What we're doing is, we're taking that inspiration of the hairs,

我們正在做的是採取這一種毛髮的靈感，

and with another colleague at Berkeley, we're manufacturing them.

並與另一位在伯克利同事，我們製造這種毛髮。

And just recently we've made a breakthrough, where we now believe

而就在最近，我們已經取得了突破性進展，我們現在相信

we're going to be able to create the first synthetic, self-cleaning,

我們將能夠創造出第一種合成，自清潔，

dry adhesive. Many companies are interested in this.

乾燥的粘合劑。許多公司都有興趣於此。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

We also presented to Nike even.

我們甚至向Nike介紹。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

(Applause)

(掌聲)

We'll see where this goes. We were so excited about this

我們拭目以待這會有什麼作為。我們是對此十分興奮，

that we realized that that small-size scale --

因為我們認識到，小尺寸的規模，

and where everything gets sticky, and gravity doesn't matter anymore --

並在一切變得粘稠，和在引力沒有影響下，

we needed to look at ants and their feet, because

我們需要看看螞蟻和牠們的腳，因為

one of my other colleagues at Berkeley has built a six-millimeter silicone

我在伯克利的一位同事，建立了一個六毫米矽

robot with legs. But it gets stuck. It doesn't move very well.

有腿機器人。但是它被卡住。動作不是很好。

But the ants do, and we'll figure out why, so that ultimately

但螞蟻能夠做到，我們將找出原因，最終

we'll make this move. And imagine: you're going to be able

我們將會做出這一個舉動。想想，你將能夠有

to have swarms of these six-millimeter robots available to run around.

一群這六個毫米左右的機器人可以到處運行。

Where's this going? I think you can see it already.

這會往哪發展？我想你可以看到它了。

Clearly, the Internet is already having eyes and ears,

顯然，互聯網已經有眼睛和耳朵，

you have web cams and so forth. But it's going to also have legs and hands.

你有網絡攝像頭等等。但它也將會有腿和手。

You're going to be able to do programmable

你將能夠做到可編程工作，

work through these kinds of robots, so that you can run,

通過這些類型的機器人，這樣你就可以運行，

fly and swim anywhere. We saw David Kelly is at the beginning of that with his fish.

任何地方到處飛行和游泳。我們在開頭看到大衛凱利與他的魚。

So, in conclusion, I think the message is clear.

所以在最後，我認為信息是明確的。

If you need a message, if nature's not enough, if you care about

如果你需要一個啟示，如果大自然還不夠，如果你關心

search and rescue, or mine clearance, or medicine,

搜索和救援，或掃雷，或藥物，

or the various things we're working on, we must preserve

或各種我們正在努力的事情，我們必須保持

nature's designs, otherwise these secrets will be lost forever.

自然的設計，否則，這些秘密將永遠消失。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）