competed to build robots for disaster response

2015 年，全世界的二十五個團隊

that could perform a number of tasks,

比賽建造災害應變機器人，

such as using a power tool,

機器人必須要能做幾項工作，

working on uneven terrain

比如，使用電動工具、

and driving a car.

在不平坦的地形上工作，

That all sounds impressive, and it is,

以及開車。

but look at the body of the winning robot, HUBO.

這些聽起來都很讓人欽佩，的確，

Here, HUBO is trying to get out of a car,

但，看看得獎機器人 HUBO 的身體。

and keep in mind,

這裡，HUBO 在試圖下車，

the video is sped up three times.

別忘了，

(Laughter)

影片已經是用三倍速播放。

HUBO, from team KAIST out of Korea, is a state-of-the-art robot

（笑聲）

with impressive capabilities,

HUBO 是韓國團隊 KAIST 打造的最先進機器人，

but this body doesn't look all that different

它的能力讓人印象深刻，

from robots we've seen a few decades ago.

但它的身體看起來仍很像

If you look at the other robots in the competition,

我們幾十年前看到的機器人。

their movements also still look, well, very robotic.

如果你們去看看 比賽中的其他機器人，

Their bodies are complex mechanical structures

它們的動作看起來仍然， 嗯，非常像機器人。

using rigid materials

它們的身體是複雜的機械結構，

such as metal and traditional rigid electric motors.

用的是堅硬的材料，

They certainly weren't designed

比如金屬及傳統的剛性電動馬達。

to be low-cost, safe near people

它們的設計理念肯定不是低成本，

and adaptable to unpredictable challenges.

不是為了在人類身邊很安全， 或適應不可預測的困難。

We've made good progress with the brains of robots,

我們對機器人的大腦有很好的進展，

but their bodies are still primitive.

但它們的身體仍然很原始。

This is my daughter Nadia.

這位是我女兒娜迪雅。

She's only five years old

她才五歲，

and she can get out of the car way faster than HUBO.

她下車的速度都比 HUBO 快。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

She can also swing around on monkey bars with ease,

她還可以輕鬆在兒童 攀爬的猴架上盪來盪去，

much better than any current human-like robot could do.

任何人形機器人都沒她做得好。

In contrast to HUBO,

相對於 HUBO，

the human body makes extensive use of soft and deformable materials

人類的身體大量使用 軟性且可變形的材料，

such as muscle and skin.

像是肌肉和皮膚。

We need a new generation of robot bodies

我們需要一種 新世代的機器人身體，

that is inspired by the elegance, efficiency and by the soft materials

採用自然界中優雅、有效率， 以及使用軟性材料的設計。

of the designs found in nature.

這個想法已經成了一個 新研究領域的核心概念，

And indeed, this has become the key idea of a new field of research

這領域叫做「軟性機器人學」。

called soft robotics.

我的研究團隊和全世界的合作夥伴

My research group and collaborators around the world

採用的軟性元件， 靈感來自肌肉和皮膚，

are using soft components inspired by muscle and skin

用這些元件打造的機器人， 在敏捷度和靈巧度上，

to build robots with agility and dexterity

會越來越接近

that comes closer and closer

大自然中的有機體 所擁有的驚人能力。

to the astonishing capabilities of the organisms found in nature.

生物肌肉總是特別讓我有靈感。

I've always been particularly inspired by biological muscle.

那並不讓人意外。

Now, that's not surprising.

我也是奧地利人，我知道我的口音 有點像阿諾，魔鬼終結者。

I'm also Austrian, and I know that I sound a bit like Arnie, the Terminator.

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

生物肌肉是演化中的真正傑作。

Biological muscle is a true masterpiece of evolution.

在受傷之後它會復元，

It can heal after damage

且它和感官神經元密切整合，

and it's tightly integrated with sensory neurons

以便得到動作 和環境的回饋資訊。

for feedback on motion and the environment.

肌肉可以快速收縮，

It can contract fast enough to power the high-speed wings

讓蜂鳥的翅膀以高速拍打；

of a hummingbird;

它可以成長到非常強壯， 讓大象能夠移動；

it can grow strong enough to move an elephant;

它的適應力好到可以被用在

and it's adaptable enough to be used in the extremely versatile arms

非常多變化的章魚觸手上，

of an octopus,

章魚可以讓它的身體 擠壓穿過小小的洞。

an animal that can squeeze its entire body through tiny holes.

機器人的促動器 就像是動物的肌肉：

Actuators are for robots what muscles are for animals:

是組成身體的關鍵元件，

key components of the body

讓身體可以移動， 和世界進行互動。

that enable movement and interaction with the world.

所以，如果我們能 打造出軟性促動器，

So if we could build soft actuators,

或人造肌肉，

or artificial muscles,

且多變化、適應力強，

that are as versatile, adaptable

能和真實的肌肉有同樣的表現，

and could have the same performance as the real thing,

那麼就能打造幾乎 任何種類的機器人 ，

we could build almost any type of robot

應用在幾乎任何用途上。

for almost any type of use.

不意外，數十年來人們都在嘗試

Not surprisingly, people have tried for many decades

複製肌肉的驚人能力，

to replicate the astonishing capabilities of muscle,

但這非常困難。

but it's been really hard.

大約十年前，

About 10 years ago,

當我在奧地利攻讀博士學位時，

when I did my PhD back in Austria,

我和我的同事重新發現了

my colleagues and I rediscovered

一篇人造肌肉的文章， 可能是最早刊出的這類文章，

what is likely one of the very first publications on artificial muscle,

出版年是 1880 年。

published in 1880.

「電力如何造成誘電性身體的 形狀和大小改變」，

\"On the shape and volume changes of dielectric bodies

作者是德國物理學家威廉倫琴。

caused by electricity,\"

大部分的人聽過他， 是因為他發現了 X 光。

published by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen.

我們遵循他的指示， 用了一對針頭。

Most of you know him as the discoverer of the X-ray.

將針頭連結到高電壓的電源，

Following his instructions, we used a pair of needles.

把它放置在透明橡膠的旁邊，

We connected it to a high-voltage source,

它已先被拉伸並固定在塑膠框上。

and we placed it near a transparent piece of rubber

當我們打開電源，

that was prestretched onto a plastic frame.

橡膠就變形了，

When we switched on the voltage,

就像我們手臂上的 二頭肌收縮屈曲，

the rubber deformed,

橡膠會讓塑膠框收縮。

and just like our biceps flexes our arm,

很像魔術。針頭甚至 還沒有接觸到橡膠。

the rubber flexed the plastic frame.

用兩根這種針頭來操作人造肌肉，

It looks like magic.

並不是很實際的方法，

The needles don't even touch the rubber.

但這次很不可思議的實驗， 讓我迷上了這個主題。

Now, having two such needles is not a practical way

我想要創造出新的方法， 來打造人造肌肉，

of operating artificial muscles,

且能夠應用到真實世界上。

but this amazing experiment got me hooked on the topic.

接下來的數年間， 我嘗試了數種不同的技術，

I wanted to create new ways to build artificial muscles

全都看來有希望，

that would work well for real-world applications.

但也都有一些難以克服的困難。

For the next years, I worked on a number of different technologies

2015 年，

that all showed promise,

我在科羅拉多大學波德分校 有了自己的實驗室，

but they all had remaining challenges that are hard to overcome.

我想要嘗試一個全新的點子。

In 2015,

我想要把電力驅動促動器的

when I started my own lab at CU Boulder,

高速度和高效率

I wanted to try an entirely new idea.

和軟性流體促動器的 多功能性結合。

I wanted to combine the high speed and efficiency

因此，我心想，

of electrically driven actuators

也許我可以嘗試用新的方法 來使用非常舊的科學。

with the versatility of soft, fluidic actuators.

這張圖上所呈現的

Therefore, I thought,

是所謂的馬克士威應力張量。

maybe I can try using really old science in a new way.

拿兩片金屬板，

The diagram you see here

把它們放在一個裝滿油的容器中，

shows an effect called Maxwell stress.

接著開啟電壓，

When you take two metal plates

馬克士威應力張量就會迫使油 向上跑到兩片板子中間，

and place them in a container filled with oil,

像圖上這樣子。

and then switch on a voltage,

關鍵的想法是，

the Maxwell stress forces the oil up in between the two plates,

我們能否在軟性、 可伸縮的結構中，

and that's what you see here.

利用這種效應來推動油？

So the key idea was,

的確可以，結果非常成功，

can we use this effect to push around oil

老實說，比我預期的還要好很多。

contained in soft stretchy structures?

我和我一群出色的學生

And indeed, this worked surprisingly well,

用這個想法當作起始點，

quite honestly, much better than I expected.

來開發一種新技術， 叫做 HASEL 人造肌肉。

Together with my outstanding team of students,

HASEL 很溫柔， 可以完好地拿起覆盆子，

we used this idea as a starting point

不會損傷它。

to develop a new technology called HASEL artificial muscles.

它們可以像真實肌肉 一樣延展和收縮。

HASELs are gentle enough to pick up a raspberry

且它們動作的速度 會比真實肌肉快。

without damaging it.

也可以把它們再強化， 來發出很大的力量。

They can expand and contract like real muscle.

在這裡可以看見 它們舉起一加侖的水。

And they can be operated faster than the real thing.

它們可以用來驅動機械手臂，

They can also be scaled up to deliver large forces.

它們甚至可以感覺到自己的位置。

Here you see them lifting a gallon filled with water.

HASEL 可以用來 做非常精準的動作，

They can be used to drive a robotic arm,

但它們也能做出非常流暢、 類似肌肉的動作，

and they can even self-sense their position.

還能爆發出力量，將球丟向空中。

HASELs can be used for very precise movement,

浸入油裡面之後，

but they can also deliver very fluidic, muscle-like movement

就看不見 HASEL 人造肌肉了。

and bursts of power to shoot up a ball into the air.

所以，HASEL 人造肌肉怎麼運作？

When submerged in oil,

你們可能會很驚訝。

HASEL artificial muscles can be made invisible.

它們所使用的材料 一點也不貴，且很容易取得。

So how do HASEL artificial muscles work?

我建議你們可以在家 試試主要的原理。

You might be surprised.

拿幾個密封塑膠袋，裝滿橄欖油。

They're based on very inexpensive, easily available materials.

盡可能把氣泡擠出去。

You can even try, and I recommend it,

拿一個玻璃盤子， 放在袋子的一側。

the main principle at home.

向下壓時，你會看到袋子收縮。

Take a few Ziploc bags and fill them with olive oil.

收縮的大小很容易控制。

Try to push out air bubbles as much as you can.

用輕的重量去壓， 就會產生些微的收縮。

Now take a glass plate and place it on one side of the bag.

用中等的重量去壓， 就會產生中等的收縮。

When you press down, you see the bag contract.

用重的重量去壓， 就會產生極大的收縮。

Now the amount of contraction is easy to control.

HASEL 唯一的差別 就是用電力來取代

When you take a small weight, you get a small contraction.

手的力量或是重量。

With a medium weight, we get a medium contraction.

HASEL 是「透過水壓來擴大的 自我治癒靜電促動器」的縮寫。

And with a large weight, you get a large contraction.

各位看到的這個幾何形狀叫做 皮亞諾－HASEL 促動器，

Now for HASELs, the only change is to replace the force of your hand

是許多可能的設計之一。

or the weight with an electrical force.

同樣的，可以用柔韌的聚合物， 比如密封塑膠袋，

HASEL stands for \"hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators.\"

裝滿絕緣的液體，比如橄欖油，

Here you see a geometry called Peano-HASEL actuators,

這次，不用玻璃盤，

one of many possible designs.

改用電導體，放在袋子的一側。

Again, you take a flexible polymer such as our Ziploc bag,

創造出看起來像是 肌肉纖維的東西，

you fill it with an insulating liquid, such as olive oil,

可以把幾個袋子連接在一起，

and now, instead of the glass plate,

在一端加上重量。

you place an electrical conductor on one side of the pouch.

接著，加上電壓。

To create something that looks more like a muscle fiber,

電場現在開始影響到液體。

you can connect a few pouches together

它會移開液體，

and attached a weight on one side.

並會強迫肌肉收縮。

Next, we apply voltage.

各位在這裡看到的是完成的 皮亞諾－HASEL 促動器，

Now, the electric field starts acting on the liquid.

以及在加上電壓之後 它會如何延展和收縮。

It displaces the liquid,

從側面看，

and it forces the muscle to contract.

可以看到這些袋子的形狀 變成比較像是圓柱狀，

Here you see a completed Peano-HASEL actuator

像剛才看到的密封塑膠袋一樣。

and how it expands and contracts when voltage is applied.

我們也可以把幾條 肌肉纖維排在一起，

Viewed from the side,

創造出更像肌肉的東西，

you can really see those pouches take a more cylindrical shape,

能夠在橫斷面上收縮和延展。

such as we saw with the Ziploc bags.

這些 HASEL 所舉起的重量，

We can also place a few such muscle fibers next to each other

比它們自身的重量還要重兩百倍。

to create something that looks even more like a muscle

這是我們的最新設計之一， 叫做四分之一甜甜圈 HASEL，

that also contracts and expands in cross section.

它們在延展和收縮。

These HASELs here are lifting a weight that's about 200 times heavier

它們可以動得非常快速， 達到超人的速度。

than their own weight.

它們甚至強到可以跳離地面。

Here you see one of our newest designs, called quadrant donut HASELs

（笑聲）

and how they expand and contract.

總的來說，HASEL 的前景看好， 很可能成為第一種能夠

They can be operated incredibly fast, reaching superhuman speeds.

匹敵或超越生物肌肉表現的技術，

They are even powerful enough to jump off the ground.

且它還可以大規模生產。

(Laughter)

這種技術還很新，我們才剛起步。

Overall, HASELs show promise to become the first technology

我們有很多如何 大幅改善性能的點子，

that matches or exceeds the performance of biological muscle

包括用新材料以及新設計， 來達到更高的性能，

while being compatible with large-scale manufacturing.

超越生物肌肉，也超越 傳統的剛性電動馬達。

This is also a very young technology. We are just getting started.

接著是更複雜的設計，靈感來自 生物的機器人學所用的 HASEL，

We have many ideas how to drastically improve performance,

這個是我們的人造蝎子，

using new materials and new designs to reach a level of performance

能用尾巴來捕食獵物，

beyond biological muscle and also beyond traditional rigid electric motors.

這裡的獵物是橡皮氣球。

Moving towards more complex designs of HASEL for bio-inspired robotics,

（笑聲）

here you see our artificial scorpion

回到我們初始的靈感，

that can use its tail to hunt prey,

章魚手臂的變化性 以及大象的鼻子，

in this case, a rubber balloon.

現在，我們能夠打造出 軟性連續促動器，

(Laughter)

越來越接近真實肌肉的能力。

Going back to our initial inspiration,

最讓我感到興奮的是

the versatility of octopus arms and elephant trunks,

HASEL 人造肌肉的實際應用。

we are now able to build soft continuum actuators

有了它，就可以做出

that come closer and closer to the capabilities of the real thing.

能夠改善生活品質的 軟性機器人裝置。

I am most excited about the practical applications

軟性機器人學讓更逼真的 新世代義肢成為可能，

of HASEL artificial muscles.

能用來協助失去某些身體部位的人。

They'll enable soft robotic devices

這是我實驗室中的 HASEL，

that can improve the quality of life.

早期的測試，驅動的是義肢手指。

Soft robotics will enable a new generation of more lifelike prosthetics

將來，我們甚至可以 將我們的身體和機器部位結合。

for people who have lost parts of their bodies.

我知道一開始聽起來是挺可怕的。

Here you see some HASELs in my lab,

但，當我想到我的祖父母，

early testing, driving a prosthetic finger.

想到他們變得越來越依賴其他人，

One day, we may even merge our bodies with robotic parts.

即使簡單的日常小事也要別人幫忙， 比如他們無法獨自上廁所，

I know that sounds very scary at first.

他們總覺得自己成為別人的負擔。

But when I think about my grandparents

有了軟性機器人學，

and the way they become more dependent on others

我們將可以強化和恢復 敏捷度和靈巧度，

to perform simple everyday tasks such as using the restroom alone,

這麼一來，就可以協助老人

they often feel like they're becoming a burden.

在人生中保有更長時間的自主能力。

With soft robotics, we will be able to enhance and restore

也許我們可以稱之為 「抗老化機器人學」，

agility and dexterity,

或甚至人類演化的下一階段。

and thereby help older people maintain autonomy

和傳統僵硬的機器人不同，

for longer parts of their lives.

軟性逼真的機器人能夠 在人類周圍安全地運作，

Maybe we can call that \"robotics for antiaging\"

並在家中協助人類。

or even a next stage of human evolution.

軟性機器人學還是個很新的領域。

Unlike their traditional rigid counterparts,

我們才剛起步。

soft life-like robots will safely operate near people and help us at home.

我希望許多不同背景的年輕人 能加入這趟讓人興奮的旅程，

Soft robotics is a very young field. We're just getting started.

利用來自大自然的靈感，

I hope that many young people from many different backgrounds

帶入新觀念，協助塑造 機器人學的未來。

join us on this exciting journey

如果我們能把這件事做對，

and help shape the future of robotics

就能改善生活的品質，造福眾人。

by introducing new concepts inspired by nature.

謝謝。

If we do this right,

（掌聲）

we can improve the quality of life

for all of us.

Thank you.

(Applause)