Cesar Harada: A novel idea for cleaning up oil spills

Translator: Morton Bast Reviewer: Thu-Huong Ha

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Regina Chu

In the ocean,

在海洋中

what is the common point

什麼是

between oil, plastic and radioactivity?

石油、塑膠、和放射線的共通點？

On the top line, this is the BP oil spill:

在上面是 BP 漏油事件：

billions of barrels of oil gushing

數十億桶的石油 （講者更正：數百萬桶）

in the Gulf of Mexico.

湧進墨西哥灣。

The middle line is millions of tons of

在中間是數百萬噸堆積

plastic debris accumulating in our ocean,

在海洋的塑膠碎片

and the third line is radioactive material

在下面則是福島核電站

leaking from Fukushima nuclear power plant

洩漏的放射性物質

in the Pacific Ocean.

飄向太平洋。

Well, the three big problems have in common

這三大問題的共通點是

that they are man-made problems

它們都是人為的問題

but they are controlled by natural forces.

但都由自然力量所控制

This should make us feel very, terribly awful

這應使我們感到非常、 非常可怕

as much as it should make us feel hopeful,

就像它應該讓我們感覺充滿希望

because if we have the power to create these problems,

因為如果我們有能力製造這些問題，

we may as well have the power

我們應該也有能力

to remediate these problems.

來修復這些問題。

But what about natural forces?

但自然力量呢？

Well, that's exactly what I want to talk about today,

嗯，這正是我今天想要談的，

is how we can use these natural forces

就是如何利用這些自然的力量

to remediate these man-made problems.

來修復這些人為的問題。

When the BP oil spill happened,

BP 漏油事件發生的時候，

I was working at MIT, and I was in charge

我在麻省理工學院工作，當時我負責

of developing an oil spill-cleaning technology.

研發清洗石油漏油的技術。

And I had a chance to go in the Gulf of Mexico

那時我有個機會去墨西哥海灣

and meet some fishermen and see

和一些漁民會面，我也看到了

the terrible conditions in which they were working.

他們惡劣的工作環境

More than 700 of these boats,

超過 700 艘這樣的船，

which are fishermen boats repurposed

是以漁船改裝的

with oil absorbent in white

配備白色的油漬吸附劑

and oil containment in orange, were used,

及橙色的攔油索

but they only collected three percent of the oil on the surface,

但是它們只能回收海洋表面 3% 的油，

and the health of the cleaners

而清潔工的健康

were very deeply affected.

卻受到很嚴重的影響。

I was working on a very interesting technology

我當時正在麻省理工學院研究一種

at MIT, but it was a very long-term view

非常有趣的技術，但是就如何開發技術來說

of how to develop technology,

這是一個非常長期的計畫

and it was going to be a very expensive technology,

而且它會是非常昂貴的技術，

and also it would be patented.

並還得取得專利。

So I wanted to develop something that we could

所以我想要發展的東西是一種我們可以

develop very fast, that would be cheap,

發展得非常快、又很廉價的東西

and that would be open-source, so, because

它最好是共享資源。這是因為

oil spills are not only happening in the Gulf of Mexico,

漏油不只發生在墨西哥灣，

and that would be using renewable energy.

而我們要使用可再生能源。

So I quit my dream job,

所以我辭掉我夢想中的工作，

and I moved to New Orleans,

而且我搬到新奧爾良

and I kept on studying how the oil spill was happening.

我在那裡持續學習漏油事故如何發生的。

Currently, what they were doing is

目前，他們在做的是

that they were using these small fishing boats,

他們用這些小漁船來清理，

and they were cleaning clean lines in an ocean of dirt.

但效果最多不過是在汪洋的油汙裡洗出乾淨的線條罷了。

If you're using the exact same amount of surface

如果你使用相同表面積的

of oil absorbent, but you're just paying attention

油漬吸附劑，你會注意到

to natural patterns, and if you're going up the winds,

大自然的規律，如果你從下風往上風方向走，

you can collect a lot more material.

就可以收集更多的油汙。

If you're multiplying the rig,

如果你能裝上許多攔油索，

so you multiply how many layers of absorbent

再配合撒上多層的油漬吸附劑

you're using, you can collect a lot more.

就可以收集更多油汙。

But it's extremely difficult to move oil absorbent

但是你很難逆著風、 逆著表面洋流和海浪

against the winds, the surface currents and the waves.

來拖動油漬吸附劑

These are enormous forces.

這些都是巨大的力量。

So the very simple idea was to use the ancient technique

所以很簡單的想法是，利用古代的

of sailing and tacking of the wind

航海技術，看風向

to capture or intercept the oil

來收集或攔截

that is drifting down the wind.

順風漂流下來的油污。

So this didn't require any invention.

因此，這並不需要任何發明。

We just took a simple sailing boat

我們只是用了簡單的帆船

and we tried to pull something long and heavy,

我們試著拉又長又重的東西

but as we tacked back and forth,

但，當我們來回拖動船體

what we lost was two things:

我們失去兩個東西：

we were losing pulling power and direction.

我們失去拖動力和方向。

And so, I thought, what about if we just take the rudder

這樣，我就想，如果我們把舵

from the back of the boat to the front,

從船尾移到船頭

would we have better control?

我們能更好地控制它嗎？

So I built this small sailing robot

所以我建了這個小帆船機器人

with the rudder at the front,

舵在船頭

and I was trying to pull something very long and heavy,

然後嘗試拉又長又重的東西，

so that's a four-meter-long object just to pull,

這就是四米長的物件，只為了實驗拖東西

and I was surprised with just a 14-centimeter rudder,

然後我很驚訝我僅以 14 公分的舵，

I could control four meters of absorbent.

就可以控制長達四米（公尺）的油漬吸附劑。

Then I was so happy that I kept playing with the robot,

我很高興，所以我一直在試這個機器人，

and so you see the robot has

因此，你看到這個機器人有

a front rudder here.

前方向舵，

Normally it's at the back.

通常這舵是在後面。

And, playing, I realized that the maneuverability

我一直試，意識到它的操縱能力

of this was really amazing,

真的很令人驚訝

and I could avoid an obstacle at the very last second,

我可以在最後一秒閃避障礙物

more maneuverable than a normal boat.

比一般的船更具機動性。

Then I started publishing online, and

然後我開始在網上發表結果

some friends from Korea, they started being

來自韓國的一些朋友，他們開始

interested in this, and we made a boat

在這領域產生興趣，然後我們造了一艘船

which has a front rudder and a back rudder,

有前舵也有後舵

so we started interacting with this,

我們開始做更多的實驗

and it was slightly better,

效果的確是比較好一點，

although it was very small and a bit off balance,

雖然它很小，有點不容易保持平衡，

but then we thought,

但後來我們覺得，

what if we have more than two points of control?

如果我們有兩個以上的控制點會不會更好呢？

What if the entire boat becomes a point of control?

那，要不整艘船都能控制方向？

What if the entire boat changes shape?

或者，改變整艘船的形狀？

So — (Applause)

所以 — — （掌聲）

Thank you very much. (Applause)

謝謝。（掌聲）

And so that's the beginning of Protei,

這就是最初的 Protei

and that's the first boat in history

這是史上第一艘

that completely changed the shape of the hull

能完全改變船形的船

in order to control it,

目的是為了控制它。

and the properties of sailing that we get

帆船的性能

are very superior compared to a normal boat.

和普通船相比是十分優越的

When we're turning, we have the feeling of surfing,

當我們轉向時，我們有衝浪的感覺

and the way it's going up-wind, it's very efficient.

它面臨上風時非常有效率。

This is low speed, low wind speed,

這是低速度、 低風速度，

and the maneuverability is very increased,

機動性進步很多

and here I'm going to do a small jibe,

在這裡我要做微幅的轉舵，

and look at the position of the sail.

看看帆的位置，

What's happening is that, because the boat changes shape,

現在發生的是，因為船更改了形狀，

the position of the front sail and the main sail

前帆和主帆的位置

are different to the wind.

和風向不同，

We're catching wind from both sides.

我們要從兩側乘風，

And this is exactly what we're looking [for]

這也正是我們在尋找的東西

if we want to pull something long and heavy.

如果我們想要拖又長又沉重的東西。

We don't want to lose pulling power, nor direction.

我們不想失去拖曳動力，及失去方向。

So, I wanted to know if this was possible

所以，我想知道是否這是可能的

to put this at an industrial level,

把這個成品產業化

so we made a large boat with a large sail,

所以我們做了大風帆的大船

and with a very light hull, inflatable,

與很輕的船身，充氣時，

very small footprint,

占地面積非常小，

so we have a very big size and power ratio.

所以，我們有一個很大的體積和功率比。

After this, we wanted to see if we could

這之後，我們想看看我們能否

implement this and automate the system,

實現它，並使系統自動化，

so we used the same system but we added

所以我們使用相同的系統，但我們添加了

a structure to it so we could activate the machine.

一種結構，以便我們可以啟動這台機器。

So, we used the same bladder-inflated system,

我們使用同一個氣囊充氣系統

and we took it for testing.

測試它

So this is happening in the Netherlands.

這是在荷蘭

We tried in the water without any skin or ballast

我們試著在沒有任何外殼或壓艙物的情況下放入水中

just to see how it works.

我想看看它是如何工作，

And then we mounted a camera for controlling it,

然後我們接上相機控制它，

but quickly we saw that we would need

但很快，我們知道我們需要

a lot more weight at the bottom,

在底部，置放更多重量

so we had to take it back to the lab,

所以我們把它帶回實驗室，

and then we built a skin around it,

在其外圍覆蓋一層外皮

we put batteries, remote controllers, and then

我們裝上電池、 遠端控制器，

we put it in the water and then we

接著把它放在水裡。然後我們

let it go in the water and see how well it would work,

任它往水裡去，看看它會如何運作，

so let some rope out, and hope it's going to work,

我們拉一些繩子出來，希望它運作順利，

and it worked okay, but we still have a long way.

最終它運作良好了，但我們仍然有很長的路要走。

Our small prototype has given us good insight

我們從模型中得到想法

that it's working very well,

它運作得不錯

but we still need to work a lot more on this.

但我們仍需改進

So what we are doing is an accelerated evolution

所以我們現在正在做的，是加速進化

of sailing technology.

航行技術。

We went from a back rudder to a front rudder

我們從一開始的背舵，改為前舵

to two rudders to multiple rudders

之後從雙舵變成多舵

to the whole boat changing shape,

到後來整條船都可以改變形狀

and the more we are moving forward,

當我們愈是持續地改進它，

and the more the design looks simple and cute. (Laughter)

它的設計看起來就愈來愈簡單、可愛了。（笑聲）

But I wanted to show you a fish because --

我想向各位展示一條魚，因為

In fact, it's very different from a fish.

事實上，它和一條魚非常不同。

A fish will move because -- by changing like this,

一般說來，一條魚會移動，是因為牠像這樣改變，

but our boat is propelled by the wind still,

但我們的船是由風所推動，

and the hull controls the trajectory.

而它的航行方向是由船身控制，

So I brought to you for the first time on the TED stage

這是我第一次把它呈現在 TED 講臺上，

Protei Number Eight. It's not the last one,

Protei 8 號。它不是最後一款設計，

but it's a good one for making demos.

但它是一個好的展示品。

So the first thing as I show you in the video is

所以，我在影片中展示的第一件事是

that we may be able to control the trajectory

我們或許可以更好地控制

of a sailing boat better,

帆船的航向，

or we may be able to never be in irons,

或，我們也可以永遠避免處於頂風處

so never facing the wind,

所以永遠不會面風，

we always can catch the wind from both sides.

我們總能趕上兩側風。

But new properties of a sailing boat.

但新的帆船的特徵是這樣的

So if you're looking at the boat from this side,

如果你從船的這一邊看過去，

this might remind you of an airplane profile.

這可能會讓你想起飛機剖面，

An airplane, when you're moving in this direction,

在飛機上，當你正在朝這個方向前進時

starts to lift, and that's how it takes off.

它開始上升，這是它起飛的樣子。

Now, if you're taking the same system,

現在，如果你把相同的系統，

and you're putting vertical, you're bending,

垂直放，彎曲它

and if you're moving this way forward,

如果通過這種方式向前移動，

your instinct will tell you that you might go this way,

你的直覺會告訴你，你可能會走這條路，

but if you're moving fast enough,

但，如果你移動地夠快，

you might create what we call lateral lift,

你可能會產生一個我們稱之為側平舉的現象，

so we could get further or closer to the wind.

藉此，我們可以更進一步、或者更接近風。

Other property is this:

其他特徵如下所示：

A normal sailing boat has a centerboard here

正常的帆船在這裡有個活動船板

and a rudder at the back,

另外在後面有個方向舵，

and these two things are what creates most

這兩個機件產生了大部分

resistance and turbulence behind the boat,

在船後的阻力和亂流，

but because this doesn't have either

但由於這沒有

a centerboard or a rudder,

活動船板或船舵，

we hope that if we keep working on this hull design

我們希望，如果我們繼續在船體的設計上著力

we can improve and have less resistance.

我們可以改善，使阻力變小；

The other thing is, most boats, when they reach

另外一點是，大多數的船隻，當它們達到

a certain speed, and they are going on waves,

某一速度時，他們會在浪尖上

they start to hit and slap on the surface of the water,

開始衝擊水面

and a lot of the energy moving forward is lost.

並失去很多向前移動的能量，

But if we're going with the flow,

但，如果我們要隨著波流前進，

if we pay attention to natural patterns

如果我們仔細端詳自然的規律

instead of trying to be strong,

而不是嘗試要變得壯碩，

but if you're going with the flow, we may absorb

但如果你打算順著波流走，我們會吸收

a lot of environmental noises, so the wave energy,

很多的環境噪音與波能量，

to actually save some energy to move forward.

以保存一些能量向前移動。

So we may have developed the technology

我們會開發技術

which is very efficient for pulling something long and heavy,

開發一種有效拉動又長又重東西的技術

but the idea is, what is the purpose of technology

然而，這個想法是，到底科技的目的是什麼？

if it doesn't reach the right hands?

如果它不能到達正確的方式呢？

Normal technology or innovation happens like this:

正常的技術或創新是像這樣發生的：

Somebody has an interesting idea,

有人有一個有趣的想法，

some other scientist or engineer,

一些其他的科學家或工程師，

they take it to the next level, they make a theory about it

他們進階研究，研發理論，

and maybe they patent it,

也許他們申請到專利，

and then some industry will make a contract

然後一些企業會提供合約

of exclusivity to manufacture and sell it,

用以獨家製造、銷售，

and then, eventually, a buyer will buy it,

然後，最終，有買主會買它，

and we hope that they are going to use [it] for a good purpose.

而我們希望他們有良好的用途。

What we really want is that this innovation happens

我們真正想要的是，這種創新會持續不斷地發生，

continuously. The inventor and engineers

發明家、工程師、

and also the manufacturers and everybody

製造商、和所有人

works at the same time, but this would be sterile

在同一時間工作，但如果這發生在平行和非交叉的過程中的話，

if this was happening in a parallel and uncrossed process.

可能會產生不出什麽效果。

What you really want is not a sequential,

你真的想要的，不是一種時序性的

not parallel development.

也不是平行發展，

You want to have a network of innovation.

你想要有創新的網路。

You want everybody, like we're doing now,

你想要每個人都像我們現在正在做的:

to work at the same time, and that can only happen

在同一時間工作，而創新只會發生於

if these people all together decide to share the information,

所有這些人一起決定分享資訊，

and that's exactly what open hardware is about.

而這也正符合開放硬體的精神。

It's to replace competition by collaboration.

它是以合作代替競爭，

It's to transform any new product into a new market.

它將任何一個新產品轉化為一個新市場。

So what is open hardware?

那麼什麼是開放硬體？

Essentially, open hardware is a license.

本質上，開放硬體是一個許可證。

It's just an intellectual property setup.

它只是一個智慧財產權的設置。

It means that everybody is free to use,

它意謂著每個人都可以免費使用、

modify and distribute, and in exchange

修改、分發、和交換。

we only ask for two things:

我們只要求兩件事情：

The name is credited -- the name of the project --

標示名稱。也就是專案的名稱；

and also the people who make improvement,

並標示那些對其貢獻的人們，

they share back with the community.

他們回來與社區分享。

So it's a very simple condition.

因此，它是一個非常簡單的條件。

And I started this project alone in a garage in New Orleans,

我的這個專案是在新奧爾良的車庫裡開始的，

but quickly after I wanted to publish and share

但很快地在我發佈和共用

this information, so I made a Kickstarter,

這些資訊之後，所以我做了 Kickstarter，

which is a crowd-fundraising platform,

這是一個向人們籌款的平臺，

and in about one month we fundraised 30,000 dollars.

大約在約一個月內，我們籌到三萬美元的捐助。

With this money, I hired a team of young engineers

用這筆錢，我雇了一個年輕的工程師團隊

from all over the world, and we rented a factory

他們來自世界各地，我們也在荷蘭的鹿特丹

in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

租了一家工廠。

We were peer-learning, we were engineering,

我們同行之間彼此學習，我們做工程、

we were making things, prototyping,

我們發明許多東西、建立模型，

but most importantly we were trying our prototypes

但最重要的是，我們盡可能頻繁地

in the water as often as possible,

在水中測試我們的模型，

to fail as quickly as possible, to learn from.

爲了儘速地從失敗中汲取教訓。

This is a proud member of Protei from Korea,

這是我們來自韓國的一個令人驕傲的成員，

and on the right side, this is a multiple-masts

在右側，這就是多層桅杆，

design proposed by a team in Mexico.

這是由一個在墨西哥的小組所設計的提案，

This idea really appealed to Gabriella Levine

這種想法正合 Gabriella Levine 的意思，

in New York, and so she decided to prototype

所以她決定在紐約建立模型

this idea that she saw, and she documented

她看到這個想法，

every step of the process,

並記錄每個步驟的過程，

and she published it on Instructables,

並且她將它刊載於 Instructables。

which is a website for sharing inventions.

Instructables 是一個網站，提供分享發明

Less than one week after,

不到一星期之後，

this is a team in Eindhoven, it's a school of engineering.

這是一個在荷蘭 Eindhoven 的團隊，這是一所工程學校。

They made it, but they eventually published

他們創造它，

a simplified design.

但最終發表一個簡化的設計。

They also made it into an Instructable,

他們也把它放上 Instructable 網站

and in less than one week, they had

不到一星期後

almost 10,000 views, and they got many new friends.

他們收到幾乎 10,000 個意見，也認識了很多新朋友。

We're working on also simpler technology,

我們現在正在研究較為簡單的技術，

not that complex, with younger people

沒那麼複雜，和較年輕的人、

and also older people,

以及較年長的人工作

like this dinosaur is from Mexico. (Laughter)

就像這恐龍一樣是從墨西哥來的。（笑聲）

So Protei is now an international network

所以 Protei 現在是一個以創新為主的國際網路

of innovation for selling technology

銷售科技技術

using this shape-shifting hull.

使用這種形體轉換的船身。

And what puts us together is that we have a common,

我們在一起的原因是: 我們有一個共同的

at least, global understanding

至少，全球的認知；這個認知是指

of what the word "business" is, or what it should be.

對於「商業」是什麽、或「商業」應當是什麽的認知。

This is how most work today.

這是大多數今天工作的方式。

Business as usual is saying, what's most important

通常在商業活動中，最重要的是

is to make lots of profit, and you'll be using

獲得最大的利潤，

technology for that, and people will be your work force,

並且為此使用科技，而人們成為你的勞工，

instrumentalized,

被你雇傭

and environment is usually the last priority.

然後，環境通常是最後的考量。

It will be just a way to, say, greenwash your audience

它只是用漂綠的方式說服聽眾

and, say, increase your price tag.

而且還可能為此抬高價格。

What we're trying to do, or what we believe,

而我們試圖做的、或我們所相信的是

because this is how we believe the world really works,

我們相信世界運作的道理在於

is that without the environment you have nothing.

沒有環境，你什麽都得不到。

We have the people so we need to protect each other, yes,

我們有人，所以我們需要保護對方，

and we're a technology company,

是的，我們是一家科技公司，

and profit is necessary to make this happen. (Applause)

利潤由此而生。（掌聲）

Thank you very much. (Applause)

謝謝。（掌聲）

If we have the courage to understand or accept

如果我們有勇氣去理解或接受

that this actually how the world really works,

這世界的實際運作，

and this is the order of priority that we need to choose,

而這就是我們的優先選擇次序，

then it makes obvious why we need

於是，為什麼我們需要選擇開放性硬體

to choose open hardware for developing environmental

以作為發展環境科技的原因，便顯而易見了：

technology, because we need to share information.

因為我們需要分享資訊。

What's next for us?

我們的下一步是什麼？

So, this small machine that you've seen,

這個你剛看到的小機器，

we're hoping to make small toys like

我們希望能做出像這樣的小玩具：

one-meter remote control Protei that you can upgrade --

一公尺遠端控制的 Protei，你可以升級它

so replace the remote control parts by Androids,

將遠端控制的部份更改為 Androids

so the mobile phone, and Arduino micro-controller,

這樣，你就可以透過

so you could be controlling this

行動電話和 Arduino 微控制器控制它

from your mobile phone, your tablet.

從你的行動電話、平板電腦控制它

Then what we want to do is create six-meter versions

我們想要做的是打造六公尺的版本

so we can test the maximum performance of these machines,

所以我們可以測試這些機器的最大性能，

so we can go at very, very high speed.

這樣一來，我們上調到非常高的速度。

So imagine yourself.

想像一下你自己

You are laying down in a flexible torpedo,

處於一枚可變換方向的魚雷

sailing at high speed,

在高速中移動

controlling the shape of the hull with your legs

你用腿控制船身

and controlling the sail with your arms.

用手臂控制船帆。

So that's what we're looking for developing. (Applause)

這就是我們正在開發的。（掌聲）

And we replace the human being --

我們取代人工，

to go, for example, for measuring radioactivity,

比如說，用這個產品測量輻射，

you don't want a human to be sailing those robots --

你並不想要用人直接操控那些機器

with batteries, motors, micro-controllers and sensors.

而是用電池、 發動機、 微控制器、和感應器。

This is what our teammates, we dream of at night.

這是我們隊友每夜的夢想。

We hope that we can sometime clean up oil spills,

我們希望我們可以找個時間清理漏油、

or we can gather or collect plastic in the ocean,

或，我們可以收集海洋中的塑膠

or we can have swarms of our machines

或，我們可以讓我們大量的機器

controlled by multi-player video game engines

通過影片遊戲引擎來控制，

to control many of these machines,

通過控制這大批機器

to monitor coral reefs

來監控珊瑚礁

or to monitor fisheries.

或監控漁業資源。

Our hope is that we can use open hardware technology

我們的希望是，我們可以使用開放硬體科技

to better understand and protect our oceans.

使我們更好地瞭解、保護我們的海洋。

Thank you very much. (Applause)

謝謝。（掌聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）