and I make robots.

嗨，我是工程師，

Now, of course you all know what a robot is, right?

我製造機器人。

If you don't, you'd probably go to Google,

當然你們都知道機器人，對吧？

and you'd ask Google what a robot is.

如果你不知道， 你大概會用谷歌 (Google)，

So let's do that.

查一下什麼是機器人。

We'll go to Google and this is what we get.

我們也來試一下。

Now, you can see here there are lots of different types of robots,

我們用谷歌得到這些。

but they're predominantly humanoid in structure.

你可以看到這裡 有很多種不同的機器人，

And they look pretty conventional

但是它們很明顯在結構上都很像人。

because they've got plastic, they've got metal,

而且它們有傳統的外型，

they've got motors and gears and so on.

因為它們有塑膠、金屬，

Some of them look quite friendly,

還有馬達、傳動裝置等等。

and you could go up and you could hug them.

有些看起來很友善，

Some of them not so friendly,

你可以過去抱一下。

they look like they're straight out of "Terminator,"

有一些就不那麼友善，

in fact they may well be straight out of "Terminator."

它們看起來好像從 《魔鬼終結者》裡直接走出來，

You can do lots of really cool things with these robots --

事實上它們的確很可能是從 《魔鬼終結者》裡出來的。

you can do really exciting stuff.

你可以用這些機器人 做很多很酷的事，

But I'd like to look at different kinds of robots --

很令人興奮的事。

I want to make different kinds of robots.

但是我想研究不同種類的機器人。

And I take inspiration from the things that don't look like us,

我想製造不同種的機器人。

but look like these.

我的靈感來自跟我們不太像的東西，

So these are natural biological organisms

反而像這樣的東西。

and they do some really cool things that we can't,

這些都是天然的生物體，

and current robots can't either.

它們會做很酷的事，我們做不到的，

They do all sorts of great things like moving around on the floor;

而且目前的機器人也做不到。

they go into our gardens and they eat our crops;

它們會做各種很厲害的事， 像在地板上移動；

they climb trees;

它們會去花園，吃我們的作物；

they go in water, they come out of water;

它們會爬樹；

they trap insects and digest them.

它們會入水出水；

So they do really interesting things.

它們捕捉並消化昆蟲。

They live, they breathe, they die,

它們會做很有意思的事情。

they eat things from the environment.

它們生存、呼吸、死亡，

Our current robots don't really do that.

它們會吃環境裡的東西。

Now, wouldn't it be great

我們現有的機器人不會做這件事。

if you could use some of those characteristics in future robots

那麼，這不是很棒嗎？

so that you could solve some really interesting problems?

如果你可以在未來的機器人上 應用這些特點，

I'm going to look at a couple of problems now in the environment

不就可以解決某些非常 有意思的難題？

where we can use the skills and the technologies

我要讓大家看目前 在環境中的幾個難題。

derived from these animals

我們可以運用

and from the plants,

從這些動植物得到的技巧及科技，

and we can use them to solve those problems.

我們可以用來解決這些問題。

Let's have a look at two environmental problems.

我們來看兩個環境問題。

They're both of our making --

兩者都是人搞出來的──

this is man interacting with the environment

這是人跟環境互動

and doing some rather unpleasant things.

所做出的一些很討厭的事。

The first one is to do with the pressure of population.

第一個問題跟人口壓力有關。

Such is the pressure of population around the world

全世界的人口壓力

that agriculture and farming is required to produce more and more crops.

讓農業必須生產更多的作物。

Now, to do that,

那麼，要做到這點，

farmers put more and more chemicals onto the land.

農夫得施更多化學製品到田裡。

They put on fertilizers, nitrates, pesticides --

他們得施肥料、硝酸鹽、殺蟲劑──

all sorts of things that encourage the growth of the crops,

各式各樣的東西促進作物成長，

but there are some negative impacts.

但是這有負面影響。

One of the negative impacts is if you put lots of fertilizer on the land,

其中一個負面影響就是， 如果你在田裡施很多肥料，

not all of it goes into the crops.

不是所有的肥料都會被作物吸收。

Lots of it stays in the soil,

很多會留在土裡，

and then when it rains,

然後下雨時，

these chemicals go into the water table.

這些化學品就會流進地下水裡。

And in the water table,

順著地下水，

then they go into streams, into lakes, into rivers

它們會流進小溪、湖泊、河流，

and into the sea.

然後進入海洋。

Now, if you put all of these chemicals, these nitrates,

如果你把這些化學品，這些硝酸鹽，

into those kinds of environments,

放進像這樣的環境中，

there are organisms in those environments that will be affected by that --

生活在這些環境內的生物 就會受到影響──

algae, for example.

譬如藻類。

Algae loves nitrates, it loves fertilizer,

藻類很愛硝酸鹽，它喜歡肥料，

so it will take in all these chemicals,

所以它會吸收這些化學製品，

and if the conditions are right, it will mass produce.

在適宜的條件下，它會大量繁殖。

It will produce masses and masses of new algae.

它會繁殖出一大團又一大團的新藻類，

That's called a bloom.

稱為藻華。

The trouble is that when algae reproduces like this,

麻煩的是當藻類像這樣繁殖，

it starves the water of oxygen.

它會耗盡水中的氧。

As soon as you do that,

一旦如此，

the other organisms in the water can't survive.

其它水中生物就無法生存。

So, what do we do?

那，我們要怎麼辦？

We try to produce a robot that will eat the algae,

我們試著做出一種 會吃水藻的機器人，

consume it and make it safe.

吃光水藻又很安全。

So that's the first problem.

所以這是第一個問題。

The second problem is also of our making,

第二個問題也是我們的傑作，

and it's to do with oil pollution.

它跟油的汙染有關。

Now, oil comes out of the engines that we use,

油從我們使用的引擎、

the boats that we use.

船隻中釋放出來。

Sometimes tankers flush their oil tanks into the sea,

有時候油輪會把油排放到海洋，

so oil is released into the sea that way.

所以油就這樣流到海裡。

Wouldn't it be nice if we could treat that in some way

這樣不是很好？ 如果我們可以想辦法用機器人

using robots that could eat the pollution the oil fields have produced?

吃掉油田產生的汙染物？

So that's what we do.

所以那就是我們做的。

We make robots that will eat pollution.

我們製造能吃汙染物的機器人。

To actually make the robot,

要實際製造出機器人，

we take inspiration from two organisms.

我們從兩種生物取得靈感。

On the right there you see the basking shark.

你看到右邊的那張是姥鯊。

The basking shark is a massive shark.

姥鯊是一種大型鯊魚。

It's noncarnivorous, so you can swim with it,

牠並非肉食性， 所以你可以跟牠一起游泳，

as you can see.

就像你在這裡看到的。

And the basking shark opens its mouth,

姥鯊張開嘴巴，

and it swims through the water, collecting plankton.

游過水裡，收集浮游生物。

As it does that, it digests the food,

這麼做的同時，牠消化食物，

and then it uses that energy in its body to keep moving.

然後利用在體內 產生的能量繼續活動。

So, could we make a robot like that --

所以，我們能不能做 像那樣的機器人──

like the basking shark that chugs through the water

像姥鯊一樣可以在水中徐徐前進，

and eats up pollution?

然後吃掉汙染物？

Well, let's see if we can do that.

嗯，我們來看看能不能做到。

But also, we take the inspiration from other organisms.

我們也從其它生物獲取靈感。

I've got a picture here of a water boatman,

我這裡有一張水椿的照片，

and the water boatman is really cute.

水椿真的很可愛。

When it's swimming in the water,

當它游水時，

it uses its paddle-like legs to push itself forward.

就用船槳般的腿將自己推向前。

So we take those two organisms

所以我們取兩者所長

and we combine them together to make a new kind of robot.

結合在一起，做成一種新型機器人。

In fact, because we're using the water boatman as inspiration,

事實上，因為我們從水椿得到靈感，

and our robot sits on top of the water,

而且我們的機器人坐在水上，

and it rows,

它會划行，

we call it the "Row-bot."

我們就叫它「划水機器人」。

So a Row-bot is a robot that rows.

所以划水機器人是會划水的機器人。

OK. So what does it look like?

好，那它長什麼樣子？

Here's some pictures of the Row-bot,

這裡有一些划水機器人的照片，

and you'll see,

你們看，

it doesn't look anything like the robots we saw right at the beginning.

它一點都不像我們 一開始看到的機器人。

Google is wrong; robots don't look like that,

所以谷歌錯了， 機器人不像那樣，

they look like this.

它們像這樣。

So I've got the Row-bot here.

我這裡有一隻划水機器人。

I'll just hold it up for you.

我拿起來給你們看。

It gives you a sense of the scale,

讓你們了解一下它的大小，

and it doesn't look anything like the others.

而且它跟其它的都不像。

OK, so it's made out of plastic,

好，它是塑膠做的，

and we'll have a look now at the components

現在我們來看一下

that make up the Row-bot --

划水機器人的組件──

what makes it really special.

使它特別的地方。

The Row-bot is made up of three parts,

划水機器人由三個部分組成，

and those three parts are really like the parts of any organism.

這三個部分真的很像任何生物的部分。

It's got a brain,

它有個頭腦，

it's got a body

它有身體，

and it's got a stomach.

而且它有胃。

It needs the stomach to create the energy.

它需要胃以產生能量。

Any Row-bot will have those three components,

任何划水機器人都有這三個組件，

and any organism will have those three components,

就像任何生物都有這三個部分一樣。

so let's go through them one at a time.

我們就一個個來看。

It has a body,

它有身體，

and its body is made out of plastic,

它的身體由塑膠製成，

and it sits on top of the water.

而且它可以坐在水面上。

And it's got flippers on the side here --

它的蹼在旁邊這裡──

paddles that help it move,

幫助它移動，

just like the water boatman.

就像水椿一樣。

It's got a plastic body,

它有個塑膠的身體，

but it's got a soft rubber mouth here,

而這裡有一張軟橡膠做的嘴，

and a mouth here -- it's got two mouths.

這裡還有另一張嘴── 它有兩張嘴。

Why does it have two mouths?

會什麼要兩張嘴？

One is to let the food go in

一張讓食物進來，

and the other is to let the food go out.

另一張讓食物出去。

So you can see really it's got a mouth and a derriere,

所以你們可以看到它有嘴有臀，

or a --

或是說 ──

(Laughter)

東西排出去的地方，

something where the stuff comes out,

就像真的生物一樣。

which is just like a real organism.

所以它開始看起來像那個姥鯊了。

So it's starting to look like that basking shark.

這是身體。

So that's the body.

第二個部分可能是胃。

The second component might be the stomach.

我們必須讓要處理污染的 機器人得到能量，

We need to get the energy into the robot and we need to treat the pollution,

所以汙染從這裡進，

so the pollution goes in,

它會搞一下。

and it will do something.

中間這裡有個電池， 稱作微生物燃料電池。

It's got a cell in the middle here called a microbial fuel cell.

我把這個放下來， 把這個燃料電池拿起來。

I'll put this down, and I'll lift up the fuel cell.

這裡沒有電池，

Here. So instead of having batteries,

也不用是傳統的電力系統，

instead of having a conventional power system,

它有一個這個。

it's got one of these.

這是它的胃。

This is its stomach.

它真的是一個胃，

And it really is a stomach

因為你可以把能量放在這邊， 以汙染物的形式，

because you can put energy in this side in the form of pollution,

它產生電力。

and it creates electricity.

所以這是什麼？

So what is it?

這稱為微生物燃料電池。

It's called a microbial fuel cell.

這跟化學燃料電池有點像。

It's a little bit like a chemical fuel cell,

你大概在學校看過，

which you might have come across in school,

或者在新聞裡看過。

or you might've seen in the news.

化學燃料電池利用氫及氧，

Chemical fuel cells take hydrogen and oxygen,

把兩者結合你就得到電力。

and they can combine them together and you get electricity.

這是成熟的技術； 在阿波羅太空計畫裡就有了。

That's well-established technology; it was in the Apollo space missions.

那是四、五十年前。

That's from 40, 50 years ago.

這個比較新。

This is slightly newer.

這是微生物燃料電池。

This is a microbial fuel cell.

運用同樣的原理：

It's the same principle:

氧氣在一邊，

it's got oxygen on one side,

但是另一邊不是氫氣，

but instead of having hydrogen on the other,

而是一種混和液，

it's got some soup,

在這種混和液中有活的微生物。

and inside that soup there are living microbes.

如果你拿一些有機材料──

Now, if you take some organic material --

可以是某種廢料，食物，

could be some waste products, some food,

或許拿一點你的三明治 ──

maybe a bit of your sandwich --

你把它放在這裡面， 微生物會吃這個食物，

you put it in there, the microbes will eat that food,

然後把食物轉化成電力。

and they will turn it into electricity.

不僅如此，如果你選對微生物的種類，

Not only that, but if you select the right kind of microbes,

你還可以用微生物燃料電池 處理一些污染。

you can use the microbial fuel cell to treat some of the pollution.

如果你選對微生物，

If you choose the right microbes,

微生物會吃藻類。

the microbes will eat the algae.

如果你用其它種微生物，

If you use other kinds of microbes,

它們能吃石油醚及原油。

they will eat petroleum spirits and crude oil.

所以你們可以看到怎麼使用這個胃，

So you can see how this stomach could be used

不只處理污染，

to not only treat the pollution

還能從污染產生電力。

but also to generate electricity from the pollution.

所以這個機器人會在環境中移動，

So the robot will move through the environment,

把食物吃進胃裡，

taking food into its stomach,

消化吃進的食物，產生電力，

digest the food, create electricity,

再用產生的電在環境中移動，

use that electricity to move through the environment

如此週而復始。

and keep doing this.

好，那我們來看看 划水機器人工作的樣子 ──

OK, so let's see what happens when we run the Row-bot --

當它划的時候。

when it does some rowing.

這裡我們有幾段影片，

Here we've got a couple of videos,

你們看到的第一件事， 希望大家都看得到，

the first thing you'll see -- hopefully you can see here

是張開嘴巴。

is the mouth open.

前嘴和後嘴都張開，

The front mouth and the bottom mouth open,

它會一直張大嘴，

and it will stay opened enough,

然後機器人會開始向前划。

then the robot will start to row forward.

它在水中移動，

It moves through the water

所以食物進去，廢物出來。

so that food goes in as the waste products go out.

當它移動夠了，

Once it's moved enough,

就會停止，然後閉上嘴巴──

it stops and then it closes the mouth --

慢慢閉上嘴──

slowly closes the mouths --

然後坐在那裡，

and then it will sit there,

開始消化食物。

and it will digest the food.

當然這些微生物燃料電池

Of course these microbial fuel cells,

裡面有微生物。

they contain microbes.

你真的想要的是很多能量

What you really want is lots of energy

從這些微生物得到，愈快愈好。

coming out of those microbes as quickly as possible.

但是我們不能強迫微生物，

But we can't force the microbes

而且它們每秒產生很少量的電力。

and they generate a small amount of electricity per second.

它們生產毫瓦或微瓦電力。

They generate milliwatts, or microwatts.

我們多解釋一下。

Let's put that into context.

譬如說你的手機，

Your mobile phone for example,

像這種現代一點的，

one of these modern ones,

如果你使用它，它需要一瓦。

if you use it, it takes about one watt.

所以手機使用的能量

So that's a thousand or a million times as much energy that that uses

是微生物燃料電池的 一千或一百萬倍。

compared to the microbial fuel cell.

我們怎麼應付這個情況？

How can we cope with that?

嗯，划水機器人消化完食物後，

Well, when the Row-bot has done its digestion,

當它吃了食物，

when it's taken the food in,

它會坐在那裡， 直到食物都消化完為止。

it will sit there and it will wait until it has consumed all that food.