The Future of Machines That Move like Animals | Robert Katzschmann | TED

譯者: Ivy Hung 審譯者: Helen Chang

Modern engineering focuses on rotating motors

現代工程專注在用旋轉馬達

to power almost any machine.

為任何機器供電上。

It has taken about 200 years

大約花了200年

for motors to become what they are today.

讓馬達成為今天的樣子。

And they're still loud and unnatural in their ways.

卻仍然很吵和不自然。

The constant noise of machines

機器不斷的噪音

causes problems for living beings everywhere,

於各地的生物引出了問題，

both in the ocean and also on land.

無論是在海洋中還是在陸地上。

Humans who are constantly exposed to noise can become stressed, depressed

經常暴露在噪音中的人 會變得有壓力、憂鬱

and even develop tinnitus.

甚至患上耳鳴。

In contrast,

相對的，

there are no rotating motors in nature.

自然中沒有旋轉馬達。

Nature often smoothly, glides, swims or wiggles,

自然經常流暢地滑行、游泳或擺動，

without the rattling of rigid parts

沒有僵硬部件的嘎嘎聲

or the loud rubbing of surfaces.

或表面的大聲摩擦。

I believe we can and should rehaul our approach to how we make machines.

我相信我們可以且應該重新檢修 我們製造機器的方法。

Instead of using rigid or unnatural materials,

不使用僵硬或非天然的材料，

what if we made biomimetic machines?

那我們製造仿生機器會如何？

Machines made of soft or living materials

由軟材料或活材料製成，適應性強 且於各種日常職務中使用安全的機器？

that are adaptive and safe to use in a variety of everyday tasks?

Can you imagine boats or submarines that propel themselves

你能想像船或潛艇

by moving their tails from side to side,

像魚一樣透過左右擺動尾巴 自行推進嗎？

just like fish do?

So to imitate these natural movements,

所以要模仿這些自然的動作，

we have to replace rotating motors

我們必須用人造肌肉代替 旋轉馬達和快速旋轉的螺旋槳。

and fast, spinning propellers

with artificial muscles.

And I can tell you this, this can be done.

我可以告訴你，這是可以做到的。

Our team of researchers at MIT and ETH Zurich

我們在麻省理工和蘇黎世 聯邦理工學院的研究團隊

has started to develop less disruptive robots

已經開始發展破壞性較小的機器人，

by introducing a new, biomimetic way of moving through water.

透過引入一種在水中移動， 新的仿生方式。

We created a biomimetic robotic fish.

我們創造了一個仿生機器魚。

Her name is Sophie.

她的名字叫蘇菲。

She's the first demonstration of a fully untethered, soft robot

她是第一個示範可以完全不受束縛， 無需螺旋槳探索海洋的軟機器人。

that can explore the ocean without the need for propellers.

Sophie pumps water back and forth within a highly deformable tail.

蘇菲以一個輕易變形的尾巴來回推水。

Her tail movement imitates the natural swimming motion of real fish.

她的尾巴運動模仿了魚 自然的游泳運動。

Sophie's natural design allows her to closely monitor aquatic life.

索菲的自然設計 讓她能近距離監測水生生物。

Now, there's a catch.

但，有個隱藏的問題。

Sophie is energy-hungry and loud.

蘇菲很耗能又很大聲。

Yes, we successfully managed to build a robot that swims like a fish,

是的，我們成功地建造一個 像魚一樣游泳的機器人，

but...

但......

Sophie requires a motor and a pump to properly work.

蘇菲需要一個馬達和一個泵 才可正常工作。

Now we are replacing that motor and pump,

現在我們要更換馬達和泵，

which is noisy and not desired in such a way,

那很嘈雜、很不理想，

we're replacing it with silent, artificial muscles.

我們用安靜的人造肌肉代替它。

These muscles are called HASELs.

這些肌肉稱作 HASELs，

They directly and efficiently convert electrical energy

直接高效地轉換電能 成為肌肉收縮。

into muscle contractions.

Take a look at this large muscle we made to lift and lower a leg.

看看這我們為了抬起和放下一條腿 製作的大塊肌肉。

A stack of flexible sheets contracts and relaxes

一疊柔軟的薄片收縮和放鬆

just like a thigh muscle does.

就像大腿肌肉一樣。

Let me tell you how this works.

讓我告訴你這是如何運作的。

So we take laminated sheets

我們採用層壓的薄片製作囊。

to create pouches.

We have several of these pouches within a single muscle.

一塊肌肉內有幾個這樣的囊。

We now take a conductive ink

我們將導電油墨噴上這些袋子，

and spray-coat that ink onto these pouches,

and then we inject them with oil.

然後給它們注入油。

After having done this,

完成這些之後，

we have a conductive ink that acts like a flexible electrode

我們有一種導電油墨會像活動的電擊

that squeezes these liquid-filled pouches

施加電壓時會擠壓這些充滿液體的囊。

when a voltage is applied.

Now, just like muscles with real fish,

就像肌肉跟真的魚

we take this kind of filmed muscles

我們採取這種薄薄的肌肉，

and pair them up as antagonistic pairs

配成一對對，

and put them into our soft robotic fish design.

放入我們設計的軟機器魚。

We 3D-print the hull

我們 3D 列印這條魚的身體與脊椎，

and the spine of this fish,

using soft and rigid materials.

使用柔軟和堅硬的材料。

The fish now swims silently

透過給魚裡面肌肉充電， 魚現在靜靜地游著，

by electrically charging the muscles inside of the fish

in an alternating fashion from one side to the other.

以交替的方式從一側到另一側。

To improve our designs,

為了改進我們的設計，

we do not rely on tedious trial and error fabrication.

我們不依繁瑣的嘗試錯誤法。

Instead, our software rapidly simulates

相反，我們的軟件會快速模擬

and optimizes a design for performance

在我們要建造它之前最佳化性能設計。

before we have to build it.

Our approach creates a continuous design space

我們的方法創造連續的設計空間，

that interpolates between existing fish designs to create new designs.

在現有魚設計之間插入創造新的設計。

Our optimization then explores this continuous design space

我們最佳化地探索這連續性的設計空間

to come up with new and faster creatures we have not seen before.

來更新更快地發想創造未曾見過之物。

Robots one day might even be made of living muscle cells.

活的肌肉細胞甚至有一天 可以組成機器人。

Wouldn't it be great if such a living robot would then heal itself,

如果像那樣活著的機器人可以修復自己，

就像人的肌肉一樣，該會有多好?

just like human muscles do?

I can tell you this.

我可以告訴你，

Starting from muscle cells,

從肌肉細胞開始，

we can already print, grow and stimulate muscles.

我們已經可以列印、 生長和刺激肌肉。

We are now beginning to make these muscles larger,

我們現在正開始讓這些肌肉變更大、

longer-lasting and controllable.

更持久和更可控。

It’s a fascinating challenge to engineer a standalone muscle

設計一個沒有生物支持的獨立肌肉 且供應這種肌肉一個免疫系統

without a supporting organism

that provides this muscle with an immune system.

是個迷人的挑戰。

These living muscles efficiently convert chemical energy that comes from nutrients

這些活的肌肉有效率地 轉換來自營養的化學能

into muscle contractions.

成肌肉收縮。

Living muscles can eventually become sustainable

活肌肉最終可以變得可持久

and biodegradable machines

與可生物分解的機器，

that decrease emissions and pollution

減少排放和污染，

all while actually truly mimicking nature.

同時真正模仿自然。

So all of this,

所以我告訴你的這一切

what I've told you, is possible

是可能的，

with the knowledge that researchers and engineers have today.

用當今研究人員 和工程師的知識辦得到。

I believe we have to rethink every machine ever invented

我相信我們必須從整體的角度 來重新考慮我們每台發明的機器。

from a holistic perspective.

We have to rethink what the machine should do

我們必須重新考慮 機器應該做什麼

and what it should not do.

以及它不應該做什麼。

I think we want machines that safely integrate with us,

我想我們需要機器 安全地與我們融合，

improve our quality of life.

提高我們的生活質量。

All the while, we respect nature,

同時，我們要尊重自然，

and don't pollute our world with loud noises.

不要噪音污染我們的世界。

So let's reimagine machines to take on forms

所以讓我們重新想像機器化成 我們從來沒想過的形式

we have never thought of before

and discover places we have never been to before.

並發現我們從未到達的地方。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）