英国皇家科学院圣诞讲座：让火花飞（2014）

皇家科学院圣诞讲座2014
让火花飞
如何玩转你的家
第三讲 一场新革命
今晚我们将组建世界上最棒的机器人管弦乐队
Tonight we'll be assembling the world's greatest robot orchestra
向大家阐释简易马达是如何让这些机器
and explaining how simple motors will allow these machines
和人类音乐家一起表演的
to perform alongside human musicians.
欢迎来到圣诞讲座
Welcome to the Christmas Lectures!
世界上到处都是机器人
The world is full of robots,
自动化机器
automated machines,
利用简易马达和智能软件就可以
that use simple motors and clever software
使它们复♥制♥人类的工作
to copy the work done by humans.
它们变得越来越聪明
And they're getting smarter all the time.
看看这些小家伙
Take a look at these little fellows here.
可以走钢丝的机器杂技演员
Robotic acrobats that can balance on a tightrope.
还有六条腿的机器蜘蛛
Or our six-legged robot spider here
可以改变重心来保持平衡
that can shift its weight to stay upright.
就像人类一样
Just like a human can.
那再稍微复杂一点的呢
But what about something slightly more complicated?
乐器怎么样
What about a musical instrument?
我可以做到 但是你就不行了
I could do this, but I don't think you can do this.
我们过一会看看它能不能做到
Well, we'll see if he can do it later on.
敬请期待
Let's see.
如果你看了我的前两期讲座
Now if you've seen any of my earlier lectures,
你就会知道我每一♥期♥都会
you'll know that I've been setting myself
给自己下一个大挑战
a grand challenge each time,
今晚也不例外
and tonight is no different.
第一位成功将电能转化成持续机械能
The first person to achieve continuous movement with electricity
并发明了之后对机器人运行至关重要的
and demonstrate the first electric motor,
第一台电动机的人
which is essential for all robots to function,
就是来自英国皇家科学院的迈克尔·法拉第
was the Royal Institution's very own Michael Faraday.
迈克尔·法拉第
英国物理学家 化学家
他沉迷于研究
Now, he was fascinated with the relationship
电能和机械能之间的关系
between electricity and movement
今晚 我想要纪念他的工作
and tonight, I want to honour his work.
我们用电动机来做一些迈克尔·法拉第
So let's do something amazing with motors
在1821年想都不敢想的事情吧
that Michael Faraday could never have imagined in 1821.
请来点鼓声
So, drum roll, please...
很好
Very good.
今晚 我们要组建
Tonight, we are going to construct
世界上最棒的机器人管弦乐队
the world's greatest robot orchestra!
管弦乐队演奏出的和谐乐声
Now, the sound of an orchestra playing in perfect harmony,
对我而言 代表了人类成就的顶峰
to me, represents the pinnacle of human achievement.
问题在于 机器人可以做到吗
So the question is, can robots replicate this?
在过去的几个月里
Over the past few months,
来自欧洲的工程师们一直在造机器人乐手
engineers from across Europe have been building robot musicians,
今晚我们给他们下一个终极挑战
and tonight we've set them the ultimate challenge -
演奏《神秘博士》的主题曲
to play the Doctor Who theme tune.
《神秘博士》英国广播公♥司♥出品
世界上最长的科幻电视系列剧
现在 乐队里的一些成员
Now, some members of our ensemble
利用家里常见的技术
have used hacked technology
来演奏音乐
from around the home to make the music.
其他的也已经被设定了程序
Others have programmed and trained
并被训练去演奏一些更为传统的乐器
to play much more traditional instruments.
它们将和伦敦当代管弦乐队的真人成员们
And they'll all be accompanied by real, living members
一起演奏
of the London Contemporary Orchestra.
说实话 这真是太棒了
Honestly, this truly is going to be great.
让我们将组建管弦乐队的问题
So let's break down our problem into steps
分成几步
to build up our orchestra.
我们得分解出《神秘博士》主题曲的
We need to break down the tune into its components
组成部分
for the Doctor Who theme tune.
首先要找出节奏部分 鼓音
So, first thing we need is the rhythm section, the drums.
然后是合成器的低音部分
Then we need that low bass synth sound,
所以需要一些合成器
so we need some synthesisers.
然后 再加上一些吉他
Then, let's add some guitars into that.
之后还需要《神秘博士》主题曲的旋律
But then we need the melody for our Doctor Who theme tune.
曲子里还需要键盘乐器的声音
And we also need a keyboard in the tune.
然后 来点小乐子
And then, for a bit of fun,
我们让一件乐器飞起来吧
let's make one of our instruments fly.
机器人有一个共同特点
Now, one thing all of these robots have in common
它们的运动都依赖于
is that they'll all be relying on
电能 电磁能和机械能之间的
the simple relationship between electricity,
简单关系
magnetism and movement.
我就从这里开始
So that's where I'm going to start.
这是世界上第一台电动机
This is the world's first motor.
两百多年前迈克尔·法拉第
And it was demonstrated in this lecture theatre
曾在这个教室里展示它
by Michael Faraday, over 200 years ago.
皇家科学院收藏馆馆长夏洛特
And Charlotte, who is the curator of collections at the RI,
将它带来展示给我们
has very kindly brought this in for us.
由于它非常脆弱 除了夏洛特之外
Now, it's so fragile that nobody's allowed to touch it
任何人都不能触碰它
apart from Charlotte,
非常感谢你把它带过来 夏洛特
so thank you very much for bringing this in, Charlotte.
不客气
You're welcome.
安迪为我们组装了一个复♥制♥品
So, Andy has very kindly built a replica for us as well.
法拉第知道如果让电流经过导线
Now, Faraday knew that if he could run a current through a wire,
导线周围就会产生一个磁场
this would create a magnetic field around that wire.
如果我们把导线放在磁铁旁边
So if we place the wire next to the magnet
当磁铁的磁场
with a magnetic field running perpendicular,
和导线的磁场
or at right angles,
垂直也就是成直角时
to the one created around the wire,
导线就会运动
the wire would move.
但是运动会阻断电路
But the movement would break the circuit,
导线就无法持续运动
so he couldn't really get continuous movement.
直到他想起了水银
Until he remembered mercury.
但在我们把水银拿出来之前
But before we get this mercury out,
我们还是先把这个脆弱的古董拿走吧
I think we should get the real fragile one out of the way.
非常感谢 夏洛特
So, thank you very much, Charlotte.
现在
Now...
安迪要把水银倒在磁铁周围
So Andy's going to pour the mercury around the magnet.
然后 我们可以把安迪放在这的
Then, we can dip this metal needle
金属针头
that Andy has here
浸入水银
into the mercury
然后接通电流
and we can pass an electric current through it.
我们只要给它通上
So we can just use a normal power supply
普通电源的电流
to pass the electric current through it.
我们就可以看见转动
And then what we should see is rotation.
金属水银能够导电
So the mercury metal conducts electricity,
并且在室温下
but it also allows the liquid -
水银呈液态
which at room temperature, the mercury is a liquid -
物体可以在水银中自♥由♥转动
so the objects can move freely through that.
看 转起来了
And there we are. We have rotation.
它一直不停地转动
And it just keeps moving round and round,
因为这里有液体
because there is liquid in there
使转动可以持续
which allows that continuous movement.
当然 现代的电动机里
But of course, in modern motors,
我们用碳刷代替了水银
we use brushes instead of that mercury.
非常感谢你的帮助 安迪
But thank you very much for your help there, Andy.
现在 电动机依然按照这个原理工作
Now, motors still work on this principle,
你甚至可以自己尝试制♥作♥一个
and you can even try building one yourself.
你只需要
You can make one, actually,
一节电池 一块磁铁和一个线圈
out of a battery, a magnet and a coil of wire.
我来坐到你旁边
And I'm going to come and sit next to you,
如果可以的话 我们一起做
if that's all right, to come and do this,
大家往旁边挪一个位子
so shift you along, everybody.
足够了 我还没那么胖
That's enough, I'm not that big!
好了 这非常简单
OK. Now, this is a really simple one
你来帮我一下 可以吗
that you've got to help me with, OK?
-你叫什么名字 -露西
- So what's your name? - Lucy.
露西 好的
Lucy, OK.
露西 我们这里有
So what we have here, Lucy,
一节电池 一块磁铁和一个线圈
is a battery, a magnet and a coil.
简单明了
Nice and simple.