Fabian Hemmert: The shape-shifting future of the mobile phone

譯者: Leonard Lin 審譯者: Wang-Ju Tsai

I am a PhD student.

我正在讀我的博士學位，

And that means I have a question:

這代表，我有個論文題目：

How can we make digital content graspable?

我們怎樣感覺數位資訊？

Because you see, on the one hand, there is the digital world

這是因為，

在一邊是數位世界，

and no question, many things are happening there right now.

無可置疑，是個快速變化的世界．

And for us humans, it's not quite material, it's not really there --

對於我們人類來說，數位世界是不存在的．

它只是個虛擬的世界．

it's virtual.

在另一方面來說，我們人類，

On the other hand,

we're humans, we live in a physical world.

住在一個現實生活．

It's rich, it tastes good, it feels good, it smells good.

一個充滿豐富感官的世界中．

So the question is:

所以，問題是

How do we get the stuff over from the digital into the physical?

我們怎樣轉換數位為實體？

That's my question.

這是我的題目．

If you look at the iPhone with its touch

蘋果的iPhone有著觸摸式功能

and the Wii with its bodily activity,

任天堂Wii感應你的身體動作

you can see the tendency; it's getting physical.

由這兩項你可以看見趨勢：越來越實體化。

The question is: What's next?

所以，下一個將會是什麼？

Now, I have three options that I would like to show you.

我有三個不同的方案，

The first one is mass.

第一個是重量．

As humans, we are sensitive to where an object in our hand is heavy.

人類的手對於重量很敏感，

我們可以感覺出重量在手裡的哪部分．

So could we use that in mobile phones?

既然如此，這可不可以用在手機上面？

Let me show you the weight-shifting mobile.

讓我展示一部重量會隨著資訊改變的手機．

It is a mobile phone-shaped box

這是個手機形狀的盒子，

that has an iron weight inside, which we can move around,

在裡面有著一個可以移動的鐵塊．

and you can feel where it's heavy.

隨著重心的改變，

We shift the gravitational center of it.

我們可以感覺重量的位置．

For example, we can augment digital content with physical mass.

比方說，我們可以把數位資訊增強，

把數位資訊跟重量結合在一起．

So you move around the content on the display,

所以如果你在螢幕內容上移動，

but you can also feel where it is just from the weight of the device.

你可以藉由重量而感覺出來螢幕上的點在哪裡．

Another thing it's good for is navigation.

這種手機對導航也很有用．

It can guide you around in a city.

它可以藉由重量，

It can tell you by its weight,

你在城市裡走透透．

"OK, move right. Walk ahead. Make a left here."

向右走，往前方移動，在這裡左轉．

And the good thing about that is,

你不需要一直盯著螢幕才能得知你得要往哪個地方走．

you don't have to look at the device all the time;

你可以用你的視野來享受四周．

you have your eyes free to see the city.

重量只是第一個主意．

Now, mass is the first thing --

the second thing, that's shape.

第二個想法是形狀．

We're also sensitive to the shape of objects we have in our hands.

我們對於手中東西的形狀也很敏感．

如果我下載一本２０頁的電子書，

So if I download an e-book and it has 20 pages --

well, they could be thin, right?

那就只是薄薄的幾頁，對吧．

But if it has 500 pages, I want to feel that "Harry Potter" --

但是呢，如果我想要感覺我在讀５００頁的"哈利波特"呢?

it's thick.

那就是厚重的一本書了．

(Laughter)

So let me show you the shape-changing mobile.

所以讓我示範會改變形狀的手機．

Again, it's a mobile phone-shaped box,

如你所見，又是個手機形狀的盒子．

and this one can change its shape.

這個呢，可以改變盒子的形狀．

We can play with the shape itself.

我們可以任意的改變手機形狀．

For example, it can be thin in your pocket,

例如呢，在你口袋裡時，它是薄薄的．

which we of course want it to be.

我們大家都想要這樣子的手機．

But then if you hold it in your hand, it can lean towards you, be thick.

但是當你握住手機的時候，它可以往你的方向傾斜．

It's like tapered to the downside.

變成梯形樣式的手機。

If you change the grasp, it can adjust to that.

如果你的掌握姿勢改變，樣子也隨之改變．

It's also useful if you want to put it down on your nightstand

你也可以利用這個性能，將手機放在床頭櫃並用來看電影．

to watch a movie or use as an alarm clock.

或是作為一個鬧鐘．

It stands.

It's fairly simple.

這蠻簡單的．

Another thing is,

另外呢，

sometimes we watch things on a mobile phone

有時候我們在手機上的資訊，

that are bigger than the phone itself.

要比手機螢幕來的大．

In that case -- like here, there's an app

像是這個軟體，它比螢幕還要大，

that's bigger than the phone's screen --

手機形狀可以跟你感覺，

the shape of the phone could tell you,

"OK, off the screen, right here, there is more content.

＂在螢幕之外有著更多的資訊．

雖然你看不到，但是這是事實．＂

You can't see it, but it's there."

並且，你可以感覺一邊比另一邊厚．

And you can feel it, because it's thicker at that edge.

形狀是第二種想法．

The shape is the second thing.

The third thing operates on a different level.

第三項就比較抽象化了．

As humans, we are social, we are empathic,

我們，人類是合群的並且有感情的．

and that's great.

這是件好事．

Wouldn't that be a way to make mobile phones more intuitive?

所以為什麼不讓手機變得更直覺化？

Think of a hamster in the pocket.

想像一隻在口袋裡的倉鼠．

Well, I can feel it, it's doing all right. I don't have to check it.

我可以感覺到它，它沒事，不需要不時檢查．

(Laughter)

讓我展現有生命的手機．

Let me show you the living mobile phone.

又一次的手機形狀的盒子．

So, once again, a mobile phone-shaped box.

But this one, it has a breath and a heartbeat,

但是，這個有著呼吸跟心跳．

and it feels very organic.

感覺起來是活的．

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

你可以感覺到，它正在休息．

And you can tell, it's relaxed right now.

喔，糟了，新的未接來電，

Oh, now -- missed call, a new call,

也許是新交的女朋友．

new girlfriend, maybe -- very exciting.

非常興奮．

(Laughter)

How do we calm it down?

如何讓它冷靜呢？

You give it a pat behind the ears,

輕輕的拍它的耳背．

就會回復到平常的狀況．

and everything is all right again.

That's very intuitive, and that's what we want.

這就是我們所追求的直覺化．

So what we have seen are three ways to make the digital graspable for us.

現在呢，我們已經了解三種方式，

可以讓數據變為可感覺的．

所以在我的認知裡，將數據實體化，

And I think making it physical is a good way to do that.

是個很不錯的方法．

What's behind that is a postulation,

這些想法都存在著一種假設．

namely, not that humans should get much more technical in the future;

那就是，

在未來，人類會變得更加科技化．

rather than that, technology, a bit more human.

與其那樣，

科技應該更人性化．

(Applause)

（掌聲）