英国皇家科学院圣诞讲座：让火花飞（2014）

robotic surface, like we saw with Sarah's cow.
这样才能在手上施加力
So you could apply a force to your hand.
但布里斯托的一个团队正在开♥发♥
But there's a team in Bristol now developing
一种名叫超声触感的技术
what they call ultrahaptics.
这个盒子向空中发射超声波振动
Now, this box sends ultrasonic vibrations into the air
这样你感受到的物体 就仿佛悬在空中
so that you feel objects as if they hanging in thin air.
谁想来试一试
So, who wants to give this a go?
这么多人呀 好的
Oh, there are so many people. OK.
中间的那位 就是你
What about you, right in the middle, there. Yep, you.
-你叫什么名字 -伊桑
- OK, what's your name? - Ethan.
伊桑 你好 伊桑
Ethan. Hi, Ethan.
你能站在这儿吗
OK, if you want to stand here, OK?
我们现在来猜这儿会出现的形状
Now, what we're going to do is try and guess some shapes here.
好吗 会有些噪音
OK? Now, this is actually going to create a noise,
所以你猜的时候我们不能说话 行吗
so we can't talk whilst you're trying to guess that shape, OK?
好的 我们现在把图像显示在大屏幕上
Right, so, what we're going to do is put the picture on the screen
这样所有人都能看见 然后你来猜
so everybody else can see it, and then I want you to guess
这物体是锥体还是方块
if the object is either a cone or a square.
只有两个选择 准备好了吗 好的
OK? So they're your two choices. OK? Are we ready? Right, so.
-是个锥体吗 -我们来看一看
- Is it a cone? - Let's have a look.
-再说一遍 -锥体
- Say that again? - A cone.
是个锥体对吗
We think it's a cone, so can we see?
对了 大家都看到了锥体
Yep, and that's what everybody else can see.
是个锥体 真棒 漂亮
It's a cone. Excellent. Well done.
这里大约有256个小扬声器
So, what we have are 256 tiny speakers
它们发出超声波振动
and they're creating ultrasonic vibrations,
但这不在人类听力范围之内
so they're outside of the human range of hearing.
虽然听不见 但伊桑能感觉到
So we can't hear them but Ethan can feel them.
这种感觉
And it's like that feeling,
就像是靠近音量很大的低音音响
you know when you're near a very loud bass speaker?
能在胸膛这里感受到振动
So you can feel it in your chest.
和那种感觉很像 但会更加精确
It's like that but much, much more precise.
我们现在来猜第二种形状 好吗
OK, so we should have the second shape loaded. OK?
这次你也可以一边看着屏幕
But this time, I think you can actually look at the screen as well,
因为我说了它不是锥体就是方块
cos I said it was either a cone or a cube,
所以这次就是方块了 好吗
so we know it's a cube this time. OK?
所以 为了让感觉更直观
So, just to give you that sensation,
这次开始时你也看着屏幕
start again, and then you can look at the screen at the same time
你能看到你的手
and you should be able to see your hand.
-感觉像个方块吗 -像
- And does it feel like a cube? - Yeah.
你能感觉到它们的差别吗
Could you feel the difference between then?
可以吗 太棒了
Yeah? That's brilliant.
非常感谢你 伊桑
Well, thank you very much for your help, Ethan.
这真是一项奇妙的技术
I think that is an amazing piece of technology.
伊桑可以看着形状来感受它们是什么
Ethan was just looking at shapes and guessing what they were
而我们却看不见任何实物 真难以置信
when we couldn't see anything. It was unbelievable.
或许在未来
And maybe in the future,
超声触感板与全息投影机相结合
that ultrahaptics board combined with our holographic projector
能够创造出你得以真正与之握手的图像
could create an image that you could shake hands with for real.
那我们其它的感官呢
But what about our other senses?
有什么工具我们可以用来和相隔甚远的人
Is there anything we can use to share tastes and smells with,
分享味道和气味呢
with someone a long way away?
这个实验或许能给我们答案
Well, this could be the answer.
这是世界上第一根电子棒棒糖
This is the world's first electric lollipop.
由伦敦城市大学的研究者开♥发♥
And it's been developed by researchers at City University in London.
这是专为本实验设计的
Now, this has actually been designed to do this.
所以大家不要在家里尝试哦
So this is not something that you should try at home.
你要做的就是
And all you need to do
将舌头伸进这两片电极之间
is put your tongue between these two electrodes.
它会模拟出很多基本味道
And what it will do is simulate a whole range of basic flavours.
你能尝到咸甜或薄荷味辣味
So, salty and sweet, or minty and spicy.
有人饿了吗 谁...
So, who's hungry? Who... oh, wow!
谁愿意和达拉斯分享美味呢
Who would like to share a meal with Dallas?
好 举手的人真多呀
Ok. Wow, there's lots of people.
那边那个穿绿色套头衫的孩子吧
How about you in the green jumper there?
-你叫什么名字 -萨拉
- Ok, what's your name? - Zara.
好的 萨拉 站到这边来好吗
Zara. Ok, Zara, if you just want to come round this side, ok?
给你这个
And what I'm going to do is give you this.
我们还要等达拉斯来
And we need to wait for Dallas as well,
因为我们也给了达拉斯一根棒棒糖
because we've given Dallas a lollipop as well, ok?
我们得有请达拉斯到现场
So, we need to be able to bring Dallas in here as well.
-你好 达拉斯 -你好
- So, hi, Dallas. - Hi, there.
我们也给了你一根棒棒糖
Hi. We've given you a lollipop too.
在我手里呢 不过说实话这看起来
I have it here. Yeah, it doesn't look very appetising,
不怎么好吃啊
I've got to say.
是啊 我想萨拉也有同样的想法
Yes. I think Zara feels the same here as well.
好了 现在我要你们俩
Now, ok, I want you both
-把舌头放到这两片之间好吗 -真的吗
- to place your tongue between the prongs here. Ok? - Really?
-是的 -好
- Yes. - Ok.
我再重申一遍 你不能在家模仿此行为
Now, of course, like I said, you don't do this at home.
这是专为这个实验设计的
This has been specially designed for this.
好 你准备好了吗 拿着这个
Ok, are you ready? You take it off me.
-好了吗 放到舌头上 -萨拉 你先
- Ok? Put it on your tongue. - Zara, you go first.
你先来 我要看看会发生什么
You go first. I'm going to wait to see what happens.
-你准备好了吗 达拉斯 -好了
- Ok, you ready, Dallas? - Ok.
现在你们应该能尝出某种味道了
Now, you should be able to taste a flavour.
-给你们一点时间想想是什么味道 -柠檬
- We'll give you a little time to think what it is. - Lemon?
尝出来了吗 萨拉
Did you taste that, Zara?
果子露的味道
It's sherbety.
-像果子露是吗 -是的
- Like a sherbet, is it? - Yeah?
-我觉得很像薄荷味 -是吗
- I think that tastes quite minty. - You think?
-是 -薄荷味 你觉得有薄荷味道吗
- Yeah. - Minty. Do you think it could taste a bit minty?
-有一点 -再尝尝
- A bit. - Try it again. Yeah.
实际上就是薄荷味
It is actually minty.
-本就该是这味道 -确实像薄荷
- That's what it's meant to be, it's minty. - It does taste like minty.
没错
Yeah.
你能尝到薄荷味吗
Can you taste a bit of mint in there?
-有点儿像牙膏的味道 -有
- A bit like toothpaste, maybe? - Yeah.
或许果子露之类的味道就是这么来的
Yeah? Maybe that's where you're getting the sherbet or sort of taste from.
-好了 我们试试另一种味道 -好
- Ok. Let's try another flavour. - OK.
好了 请为我们设定另一种味道
OK. We can programme this to give us another flavour, please.
有圣诞大餐口味吗
Do you have Christmas dinner flavour?
现在我们已经设定好了第二种味道
All right, now, we should have a second one programmed.
准备好了吗
Are you ready?
好了
OK.
这次会有点不一样 味道会更浓一些
Now, this should be slightly different. Slightly stronger.
-把舌头放上去 -天啊 味道真浓
- So just put it on your tongue. - Oh, God, that is strong. Wow.
-味道浓吗 -好酸 是的
- Is it strong? - It's quite sour. Yeah.
你也尝到酸味了吗 很酸吗
You get sour as well? Is it very sour?
-非常酸 -很酸对吧
- It's quite sour. - Is it, yeah?
-我觉得是柠檬味 -是吗
- I think that one is the one that tastes lemony. - Do you?
-你觉得呢 萨拉 -一样
- What do you think, Zara? - Yeah.
也觉得是柠檬味是吗
Think that could be lemon? Yeah?
所以这次要酸得多
So, that's much more sour.
第一种和第二种口味
Does it taste different
-尝起来有不同吗 -有
- between the first and the second one? - Yeah.
其实原理就是
So, what's happening is
该装置通过两片电极传送微弱电流
that device is sending small electric currents through those prongs,
以此刺♥激♥舌头上的味蕾
so it's stimulating the taste buds on the tongue.
因此我们可以通过改变电流
So by varying that current,
来更改被刺♥激♥的味蕾
we can vary which of the taste buds are being stimulated,
以及味蕾能尝出的味道
and what flavour they can taste as well.
你俩是怎么看待这种体验的
What do you both think of that experience?
我觉得发明者还不够赢得《厨艺大♥师♥》冠军
I don't think the inventors are going to win MasterChef just yet,
但这的确是项有趣的科技
but I think it's a really interesting technology.
他们也许是赢不了冠军
Well, they might not be winning it,
众所周知 我们尤为依赖嗅觉
because it's well known that we rely heavily on our smells
来帮助自己区分味道
to help us distinguish between tastes.
所以还有另一个装置让你们尝试
So we have another device for you to try.
准备好了吗 萨拉
Are you ready for this, Zara?
这个装置叫"小味"