How we'll become cyborgs and extend human potential | Hugh Herr

譯者: Helen Chang 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

I'm an MIT professor,

我是麻省理工學院的教授，

but I do not design buildings or computer systems.

但我不設計建築物或電腦系統。

Rather, I build body parts,

而是建造人體的部件，

bionic legs that augment human walking and running.

能增強人類行走 和跑步能力的仿生腿。

In 1982, I was in a mountain-climbing accident,

1982 年我在英國遭遇登山事故，

and both of my legs had to be amputated due to tissue damage from frostbite.

由於凍傷造成組織損傷， 我的雙腿不得不被截肢。

Here, you can see my legs:

在這裡，你可以看到我的雙腿：

24 sensors, six microprocessors and muscle-tendon-like actuators.

24 個傳感器，6 個微處理器 和肌肉腱狀執行器。

I'm basically a bunch of nuts and bolts from the knee down.

基本上我膝蓋以下 是一堆螺母和螺栓。

But with this advanced bionic technology,

但藉助這種先進的仿生技術，

I can skip, dance and run.

我能跳躍、跳舞和跑步。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I'm a bionic man, but I'm not yet a cyborg.

我是個仿生人， 但還不是個生化人。

When I think about moving my legs,

當我想移動雙腿時，

neural signals from my central nervous system

來自中樞神經系統的神經信號

pass through my nerves

通過我的神經

and activate muscles within my residual limbs.

激活殘肢內的肌肉。

Artificial electrodes sense these signals,

人造電極感應這些信號，

and small computers in the bionic limb

仿生肢體中的小型電腦

decode my nerve pulses into my intended movement patterns.

將神經脈衝解碼為 我所預期的運動模式。

Stated simply,

簡而言之，

when I think about moving,

當我想要移動時，

that command is communicated to the synthetic part of my body.

該命令會傳達給我身體的合成部分。

However, those computers can't input information into my nervous system.

但是這些電腦訊息 無法傳入我的神經系統。

When I touch and move my synthetic limbs,

當我觸摸、移動我的合成肢體時，

I do not experience normal touch and movement sensations.

我沒有正常的觸摸、運動的感覺。

If I were a cyborg and could feel my legs

如果我是一個生化人， 我就能感受我的雙腿，

via small computers inputting information into my nervous system,

能通過小型電腦傳訊息 給神經系統來感受我的雙腿，

it would fundamentally change, I believe,

我相信那會從根本上改變

my relationship to my synthetic body.

我與合成身體的關係。

Today, I can't feel my legs,

今天，我感覺不到自己的雙腿，

and because of that,

因此，我的雙腿是獨立於

my legs are separate tools from my mind and my body.

頭腦和身體之外的工具。

They're not part of me.

它們不是我的一部分。

I believe that if I were a cyborg and could feel my legs,

我相信如果我是一個生化人 就能夠感受到雙腿，

they would become part of me, part of self.

雙腿會成為我的一部分， 自我的一部分。

At MIT, we're thinking about NeuroEmbodied Design.

在麻省理工學院，我們正思考 神經體現（NeuroEmbodied）設計。

In this design process,

在這設計過程中，

the designer designs human flesh and bone, the biological body itself,

設計師設計生物體本身， 肌肉和骨骼，

along with synthetics to enhance the bidirectional communication

以及合成材料，

用來增強神經系統 和人造物間的雙向交流。

between the nervous system and the built world.

NeuroEmbodied Design is a methodology to create cyborg function.

神經體現設計是一種 創造生化人功能的方法。

In this design process, designers contemplate a future

在這個設計過程中，

設計師思考的未來技術

in which technology no longer compromises separate,

不再是獨立於頭腦 和身體之外的無生命工具；

lifeless tools from our minds and our bodies,

a future in which technology has been carefully integrated

而是技術已經被仔細 整合在我們天性中的未來。

within our nature,

a world in which what is biological and what is not,

在這個世界裡 什麼是生物，什麼不是，

what is human and what is not,

什麼是人類，什麼不是，

what is nature and what is not

什麼是天然的，什麼不是，

will be forever blurred.

將永遠界線模糊。

That future will provide humanity new bodies.

這未來將提供人類新的身體。

NeuroEmbodied Design will extend our nervous systems

神經體現設計將把我們的神經系統

into the synthetic world,

擴展到合成的世界，

and the synthetic world into us,

並將合成世界擴展到我們，

fundamentally changing who we are.

從根本上改變我們是誰。

By designing the biological body to better communicate

通過設計生物體

來與設計出來的世界溝通得更好，

with the built design world,

humanity will end disability in this 21st century

人類將在 21 世紀結束殘疾，

and establish the scientific and technological basis

並建立增強人類的科學和技術基礎，

for human augmentation,

來增強人類的能力，

extending human capability beyond innate, physiological levels,

使之超越先天、生理水平、

cognitively, emotionally and physically.

認知、情感和身體。

There are many ways in which to build new bodies across scale,

有很多方法能構建 不同規模的新身體部位，

from the biomolecular to the scale of tissues and organs.

從生物分子到組織和器官的規模。

Today, I want to talk about one area of NeuroEmbodied Design,

今天，我想談一個 神經體現設計的領域，

in which the body's tissues are manipulated and sculpted

用手術和再生的過程

來操縱和雕刻人體的組織。

using surgical and regenerative processes.

The current amputation paradigm

目前截肢的做法

hasn't changed fundamentally since the US Civil War

自美國內戰以來 並沒有在根本上改變；

and has grown obsolete in light of dramatic advancements

它早已過時，

鑑於我們在執行器、控制系統 和神經接口技術方面的巨大進步。

in actuators, control systems and neural interfacing technologies.

A major deficiency is the lack of dynamic muscle interactions

一個主要的缺陷是欠缺

控制和本體感覺 動態肌肉間的相互作用。

for control and proprioception.

What is proprioception?

什麼是本體感覺？

When you flex your ankle, muscles in the front of your leg contract,

當你腳踝向上翹時前面的腿肌收縮

simultaneously stretching muscles in the back of your leg.

同時後面的腿肌伸展。

The opposite happens when you extend your ankle.

當你伸長腳踝時恰恰相反，

Here, muscles in the back of your leg contract,

你的腿後肌肉收縮

stretching muscles in the front.

而腿前肌肉伸展。

When these muscles flex and extend,

肌肉伸縮時，

biological sensors within the muscle tendons

肌腱內的生物傳感器

send information through nerves to the brain.

通過神經向大腦發送訊息。

This is how we're able to feel where our feet are

這就是何以我們不用眼睛看

without seeing them with our eyes.

也能夠感受到腳在哪裡。

The current amputation paradigm breaks these dynamic muscle relationships,

目前的截肢做法打斷了 肌肉的動態關係，

and in so doing eliminates normal proprioceptive sensations.

因而消除了正常的本體感覺。

Consequently, a standard artificial limb

因此，一般的義肢

cannot feed back information into the nervous system

不能把義肢在空間的位置訊息

about where the prosthesis is in space.

反饋給神經系統。

The patient therefore cannot sense and feel

因此，病人若不用眼睛觀察

the positions and movements of the prosthetic joint

就看不到和感覺不到

without seeing it with their eyes.

義肢關節的位置和動作。

My legs were amputated using this Civil War-era methodology.

我的腿被用這種 內戰時期的方法截肢。

I can feel my feet, I can feel them right now

我能感覺到我的腳，

我現在能感覺到的 是幽靈意識的形式。

as a phantom awareness.

But when I try to move them, I cannot.

但當我嘗試移動它們時則動不了。

It feels like they're stuck inside rigid ski boots.

感覺它們像是被困在硬硬的雪靴內面。

To solve these problems,

為了解決這問題，

at MIT, we invented the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface,

我們麻省理工學院發明了

收縮及伸長肌的神經脈衝界面 （agonist-antagonist myoneural interface），

or AMI, for short.

簡稱 AMI。

The AMI is a method to connect nerves within the residuum

AMI 是一種將殘留的神經

to an external, bionic prosthesis.

連接到外部仿生義肢的方法。

How is the AMI designed, and how does it work?

AMI 是如何設計、如何運作的？

The AMI comprises two muscles that are surgically connected,

AMI 包括兩塊手術連接起來肌肉，

an agonist linked to an antagonist.

收縮肌連接著伸長肌。 （agonist/antagonist muscle）

When the agonist contracts upon electrical activation,

當電子訊號觸發收縮肌這邊時，

it stretches the antagonist.

會拉長另一邊的伸長肌。

This muscle dynamic interaction

這種肌肉的相互作用

causes biological sensors within the muscle tendon

會導致肌腱內的生物傳感器

to send information through the nerve to the central nervous system,

通過神經向中樞神經系統發送訊息，

relating information on the muscle tendon's length, speed and force.

發送有關肌腱長度、 速度和力道的訊息。

This is how muscle tendon proprioception works,

這就是肌腱本體感覺的工作原理，

and it's the primary way we, as humans,

它是我們人類能夠感知肢體位置、

can feel and sense the positions, movements and forces on our limbs.

動作和力量的主要方式。

When a limb is amputated,

被截肢時

the surgeon connects these opposing muscles within the residuum

外科醫生連接殘肢內的這些相對肌肉

to create an AMI.

以形成 AMI。

Now, multiple AMI constructs can be created

如今可以創建多個 AMI 構造

for the control and sensation of multiple prosthetic joints.

來控制和感覺多個義肢關節。

Artificial electrodes are then placed on each AMI muscle,

然後將人造電極 放置在每個 AMI 肌肉上，

and small computers within the bionic limb decode those signals

仿生肢體內的小電腦解碼這些信號

to control powerful motors on the bionic limb.

來控制仿生肢體上強大的電動機。

When the bionic limb moves,

當仿生肢體移動時，

the AMI muscles move back and forth,

AMI 肌肉前後移動，

sending signals through the nerve to the brain,

將信號通過神經發送到大腦，

enabling a person wearing the prosthesis to experience natural sensations

使佩戴義肢的人能夠體驗

義肢的位置和動作的自然感覺。

of positions and movements of the prosthesis.

Can these tissue-design principles be used in an actual human being?

這些組織設計的原則 可實際用在人的身上嗎？

A few years ago, my good friend Jim Ewing -- of 34 years --

幾年前，我 34 歲的好朋友吉姆 · 尤恩，

reached out to me for help.

向我尋求幫助。

Jim was in an a terrible climbing accident.

吉姆遭遇了可怕的登山事故，

He fell 50 feet in the Cayman Islands

在開曼群島摔下 50 英尺，

when his rope failed to catch him hitting the ground's surface.

因繩索沒能拉住他而撞擊地面。

He suffered many, many injuries:

他受了許多傷，

punctured lungs and many broken bones.

肺部被刺破，許多骨頭破碎。

After his accident, he dreamed of returning to his chosen sport

事故發生後，他夢想要回去爬山。

of mountain climbing,

but how might this be possible?

但怎麼辦到呢？

The answer was Team Cyborg,

答案是生化人團隊，

a team of surgeons, scientists and engineers

由外科醫生、科學家 和工程師組成的團隊

assembled at MIT to rebuild Jim back to his former climbing prowess.

在麻省理工學院 重建吉姆以前的攀登實力。

Team member Dr. Matthew Carty amputated Jim's badly damaged leg

隊員馬修卡蒂醫師 截斷吉姆嚴重受傷的腿，

at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston,

手術地點是波士頓的 布萊根婦女醫院，

using the AMI surgical procedure.

使用 AMI 手術程序，

Tendon pulleys were created and attached to Jim's tibia bone

他把創建的肌腱滑輪 連接到吉姆的脛骨上，

to reconnect the opposing muscles.

重新連接對應的肌肉。

The AMI procedure reestablished the neural link

AMI 程序重新建立了吉姆

between Jim's ankle-foot muscles and his brain.

腳踝肌肉和大腦間的神經聯繫。

When Jim moves his phantom limb,

當吉姆移動他的幻肢時，

the reconnected muscles move in dynamic pairs,

重接的肌肉以動態配對動作，

causing signals of proprioception to pass through nerves to the brain,

使本體感受信號 通過神經傳遞到大腦，

so Jim experiences normal sensations with ankle-foot positions and movements,

所以即使蒙住眼睛，

吉姆也會經歷腳踝位置 和動作的正常感覺。

even when blindfolded.

Here's Jim at the MIT laboratory after his surgeries.

這是手術後吉姆在麻省理工實驗室。

We electrically linked Jim's AMI muscles, via the electrodes,

我們通過電極連接吉姆的

AMI 肌肉與仿生肢體，

to a bionic limb,

and Jim quickly learned how to move the bionic limb

吉姆很快就學會如何移動仿生肢體，

in four distinct ankle-foot movement directions.

在四個不同的腳踝動作方向移動。

We were excited by these results, but then Jim stood up,

我們對這些結果感到興奮。

吉姆接著站了起來，

and what occurred was truly remarkable.

發生的事情真的非常了不起。

All the natural biomechanics mediated by the central nervous system

所有中樞神經系統介面 所導引的自然生物力學，

emerged via the synthetic limb

都通過合成肢體呈現

as an involuntary, reflexive action.

無意識、反射的行為。

All the intricacies of foot placement during stair ascent --

上樓時所有錯綜複雜的腳部位置

(Applause)

（掌聲）

emerged before our eyes.

呈現在我們眼前。

Here's Jim descending steps,

這是吉姆走下台階，

reaching with his bionic toe to the next stair tread,

用他的仿生腳趾伸向下一階，

automatically exhibiting natural motions

自動展現自然的動作，

without him even trying to move his limb.

他甚至不用嘗試移動肢體。

Because Jim's central nervous system is receiving the proprioceptive signals,

由於吉姆的中樞神經系統 接收本體感受的信號，

it knows exactly how to control the synthetic limb in a natural way.

所以它確切知道 如何自然地控制合成肢體。

Now, Jim moves and behaves as if the synthetic limb is part of him.

現在吉姆的動作和行為 就像合成肢體是他的一部分。

For example, one day in the lab,

例如，某天在實驗室，

he accidentally stepped on a roll of electrical tape.

他不小心踩到了一卷電氣膠帶。

Now, what do you do when something's stuck to your shoe?

東西粘上你的鞋底時，你會怎麼做？

You don't reach down like this; it's way too awkward.

你不會彎腰去取，那太笨拙了，

Instead, you shake it off,

而是會把它抖掉。

and that's exactly what Jim did

吉姆正是如此，

after being neurally connected to the limb for just a few hours.

他在神經連接到肢體後 幾個小時抖掉它。

What was most interesting to me

我最感興趣的

is what Jim was telling us he was experiencing.

是吉姆告訴我們他經歷到的。

He said, "The robot became part of me."

他說：「機器人成了我的一部分。」

Jim Ewing: The morning after the first time I was attached to the robot,

吉姆 · 尤恩：我連上 機器後的次日早晨，

my daughter came downstairs and asked me how it felt to be a cyborg,

女兒下樓來，問我 成為生化人的感覺如何，

and my answer was that I didn't feel like a cyborg.

我回答不覺得自己是個生化人。

I felt like I had my leg,

我覺得自己的腿回來了，

and it wasn't that I was attached to the robot

不是我連在機器上，

so much as the robot was attached to me,

而是機器連到我身上。

and the robot became part of me.

機器成了我的一部分，

It became my leg pretty quickly.

很快就成了我的腿。

Hugh Herr: Thank you.

休赫爾：謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

By connecting Jim's nervous system bidirectionally

通過將吉姆的神經系統

雙向連接到他的合成肢體上，

to his synthetic limb,

neurological embodiment was achieved.

實現了神經體現。

I hypothesized that because Jim can think and move his synthetic limb,

我推測因為吉姆能夠 思考和移動合成肢體，

and because he can feel those movements within his nervous system,

能感覺到神經系統中的這些動作，

the prosthesis is no longer a separate tool,

所以義肢不再是單獨的工具，

but an integral part of Jim, an integral part of his body.

而是吉姆身體不可分割的一部分。

Because of this neurological embodiment, Jim doesn't feel like a cyborg.

由於這神經體現， 吉姆不覺得自己像個機器人。

He feels like he just has his leg back,

他感覺他得回自己的腿，

that he has his body back.

得回自己的身體。

Now I'm often asked

現在我經常被問到

when I'm going to be neurally linked to my synthetic limbs bidirectionally,

什麼時候我要雙向接上 合成肢體的神經，

when I'm going to become a cyborg.

什麼時候要成為生化人。

The truth is, I'm hesitant to become a cyborg.

事實是我很猶豫要不要成為生化人。

Before my legs were amputated, I was a terrible student.

在截肢之前我是個糟糕的學生，

I got D's and often F's in school.

經常在學校得 D 和 F。

Then, after my limbs were amputated,

截肢後，

I suddenly became an MIT professor.

我突然成為麻省理工學院的教授。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Now I'm worried that once I'm neurally connected to my limbs once again,

現在我擔心， 一旦神經再次接上義肢，

my brain will remap back to its not-so-bright self.

我的大腦就會重新回到 那個不怎麼聰明的我。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But you know what, that's OK, because at MIT, I already have tenure.

知道嗎，沒關係，因為 我已有麻省理工的終身教職。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I believe the reach of NeuroEmbodied Design

我相信神經體現設計的範圍

will extend far beyond limb replacement

將遠遠超出替換肢體的範圍，

and will carry humanity into realms

而會將人類從根本上帶入

that fundamentally redefine human potential.

重新定義人類潛能的領域。

In this 21st century,

在 21 世紀，

designers will extend the nervous system into powerfully strong exoskeletons

設計師們會把神經系統擴展為

that humans can control and feel with their minds.

人類能用思想控制 和感受的強力外骨骼。

Muscles within the body can be reconfigured

體內的肌肉可以重新配置，

for the control of powerful motors,

以控制強大的馬達，

and to feel and sense exoskeletal movements,

感受和感知外骨骼的動作，

augmenting humans' strength, jumping height and running speed.

增強人類的力量、 跳躍的高度和跑步的速度。

In this 21st century, I believe humans will become superheroes.

我相信人類將在 21 世紀 成為超級英雄。

Humans may also extend their bodies

人類也可能將自己的身體

into non-anthropomorphic structures, such as wings,

延伸到非擬人化結構，例如翅膀，

controlling and feeling each wing movement within the nervous system.

控制和感受神經系統內的 每一翅膀動作。

Leonardo da Vinci said, "When once you have tasted flight,

李奧納多 · 達文西說過： 「一旦你嘗試過飛行，

you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,

走在地上時你的眼睛 將會永遠朝向天空，

for there you have been and there you will always long to return."

因為一旦你上去過那裡， 就會一直想要回到那裡去。」

During the twilight years of this century,

我相信本世紀末將會出現

I believe humans will be unrecognizable in morphology and dynamics

今天的人類所無法辨識的

from what we are today.

形態和動力學。

Humanity will take flight and soar.

人類將會飛行並翱翔。

Jim Ewing fell to earth and was badly broken,

吉姆 · 尤恩墜地並嚴重傷殘，

but his eyes turned skyward, where he always longed to return.

但他的眼睛轉向天空， 總是渴望回歸。

After his accident, he not only dreamed to walk again,

事故後，他不僅夢想再次走路，

but also to return to his chosen sport of mountain climbing.

還要回到他所選擇的登山運動。

At MIT, Team Cyborg built Jim a specialized limb for the vertical world,

麻省理工學院的生化團隊 為他造了專門用於垂直世界的肢體，

a brain-controlled leg with full position and movement sensations.

具有完整位置和動作的感覺， 由大腦全面控制的腿。

Using this technology, Jim returned to the Cayman Islands,

用這技術，吉姆回到 開曼群島的事故現場，

the site of his accident,

rebuilt as a cyborg to climb skyward once again.

重建為生化人，再次爬上天空。

(Crashing waves)

（浪潮聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Ladies and gentlemen, Jim Ewing, the first cyborg rock climber.

先生女士們，吉姆 · 尤恩， 世界上第一個生化攀岩者。

(Applause)

（掌聲）