ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Keith Kirkland - Haptic designer
Keith Kirkland is the cofounder of WearWorks, a company that builds products and experiences that communicate information through touch.

Why you should listen

Navigation is inherently visual, and nowhere is that more clear than for the 285 million people in the world living with a visual impairment. With WAYBAND, a wrist-wearable haptic navigation device for the blind and visually impaired, WearWorks has created and patented an intuitive way to guide a person to a destination using vibration, without the need for any visual or audio cues. In 2017, WAYBAND was used to help a person who is blind run the first 15 miles of the NYC marathon without sighted assistance.

Kirkland is a public speaker, mechanical engineer, accessories designer and industrial designer with experience developing innovation-based concepts and experiences. He has worked with organizations ranging from the MET Museum, The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Unilever, Futureworks, Mini Cooper, Discovery Channel, Dropbox, The Yokohama Government, Coach and the National Science Foundation.

More profile about the speaker
Keith Kirkland | Speaker | TED.com
TED Residency

Keith Kirkland: Wearable tech that helps you navigate by touch

基思·柯克兰: 可穿戴触摸导航技术

Filmed:
1,685,090 views

基思·柯克兰正在开发一种可穿戴的技术,这种技术只使用触觉来传递信息。他试图弄明白:什么手势和振动模式可以直观地传达 “停止” 或 “走” 之类的想法?看看他的团队的第一个产品,一个盲人和视障人士的导航设备,了解更多关于他正在创造全新的 “触觉语言” 来驱动这个产品。
- Haptic designer
Keith Kirkland is the cofounder of WearWorks, a company that builds products and experiences that communicate information through touch. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

你犹记当年的初吻吗?
00:12
Do you remember记得 your first kiss?
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或那次刚出炉的热披萨,
烫伤了你嘴巴的事吗?
00:15
Or that time you burned
the roof屋顶 of your mouth
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00:17
on a hot slice of pizza比萨?
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00:19
What about playing播放 tag标签
or duck, duck, goose as a child儿童?
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小时候玩 “贴膏药“或”鸭、鸭或鹅”
感觉怎么样?
这些都是用触摸来
理解某些东西的例子。
00:22
These are all instances实例 where
we're using运用 touch触摸 to understand理解 something.
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是建立触觉设计的基础。
00:26
And it's the basis基础 of haptic触觉 design设计.
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“触感” 是与触觉有关。
00:29
"Haptic触觉" means手段 of or relating有关 to
the sense of touch触摸.
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每天我们都在使用。
00:32
And we've我们已经 all been using运用 that
our entire整个 lives生活.
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00:35
I was working加工 on my computer电脑
when my friend朋友,
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当我的朋友注意到
我在电脑前工作时,
00:38
seeing眼看 me hunched驼背 over typing打字,
walked over behind背后 me.
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驼着背打字,就走到我身后。
00:41
She put her left thumb拇指
into the left side of my lower降低 back,
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她把左手大拇指放在我下背部的左边,
又把她的右手食指伸到我右肩的前面。
00:44
while reaching到达 her right index指数 finger手指
around to the front面前 of my right shoulder.
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我就本能地坐直了。
00:48
Instinctively本能, I satSAT up straight直行.
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00:50
In one quick and gentle温和 gesture手势,
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一个快速而温和的手势,
她就促使我改善自己的姿势。
00:52
she had communicated传达
how to improve提高 my posture姿势.
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00:55
The paper I was working加工 on
at that very moment时刻
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当时我正在写的一篇论文
00:57
centered中心 around developing发展 new ways方法
to teach movement运动 using运用 technology技术.
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是论述利用新技术来导引运动。
01:01
I wanted to create创建 a suit适合
that could teach a person kung功夫 fu.
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我想制造能教人功夫的套装。
(笑声)
01:05
(Laughter笑声)
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但我的疑问在于怎样指导运动,
01:07
But I had no idea理念 how
to communicate通信 movement运动
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01:09
without an instructor讲师 being存在 in the room房间.
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当没有老师在场的时候。
那一刻,我突然找到了答案:
触摸。
01:12
And in that moment时刻,
it became成为 crystal水晶 clear明确: touch触摸.
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如果将振动马达放在
她每只手指的位置上,
01:16
If I had vibrating振动 motors马达
where she had placed放置 each of her fingers手指,
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配对当前捕捉到的动作与
最佳姿势动作的数据差别,
01:20
paired配对 with motion-capture运动捕获 data数据
of my current当前 and optimal最佳 posture姿势,
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01:24
I could simulate模拟 the entire整个 experience经验
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我就可以模拟整个
没有教练在旁的环境。
01:26
without an instructor讲师
needing需要 to be in the room房间.
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01:28
But there was still one important重要 part部分
of the puzzle难题 that was missing失踪.
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但还有一个重要的疑难。
如果使用振动器要把你的手腕
从膝盖抬高两英寸时,
01:32
If I want you to raise提高 your wrist
two inches英寸 off of your lap膝部,
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01:35
using运用 vibration振动,
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我又怎能驱使你这么做?
01:37
how do I tell you to do that?
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就放一个马达在你的手腕上,
能让你知道要抬起手吗?
01:40
Do I put a motor发动机 at the top最佳 of your wrist,
so you know to lift电梯 up?
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或放在你手腕底部,
感觉像是被人推起来?
01:43
Or do I put one
at the bottom底部 of your wrist,
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01:45
so it feels感觉 like you're being存在 pushed up?
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这个没有现成技术可供参考,
01:47
There were no readily容易 available可得到 answers答案
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01:49
because there was no commonly常用
agreed-upon同意;打勾 haptic触觉 language语言
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因为没有公认的触觉语言
与…交流信息。
01:52
to communicate通信 information信息 with.
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01:54
So my cofounders共同创始人 and I
set out to create创建 that language语言.
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所以我和共同创始人
开始创造这种新语言。
我们制造的第一件设备
并不是功夫套装。
01:57
And the first device设备 we built内置
was not a kung功夫 fu suit适合.
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(笑声)
02:01
(Laughter笑声)
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02:02
But in a way, it was even more impressive有声有色
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但在某种程度上,
它更令人印象深刻,
因为它简单而实用。
02:04
because of its simplicity简单 and usefulness用处.
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首先从导航事例开始,
02:07
We started开始 with the use case案件
of navigation导航,
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02:09
which哪一个 is a simplified form形成 of movement运动.
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是一种简化的运动形式。
然后我们创造了 “引路手带” ,
02:12
We then created创建 Wayband韦带,
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一种腕部穿戴设备,
可引领用户到达目的地,
02:15
a wrist-wearable手腕可穿戴 device设备 that could
orient东方 a user用户 toward a destination目的地,
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用振动提示作导航。
02:19
using运用 vibrating振动 cues线索.
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我们会让人们转到
02:22
We would ask people to spin around
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他们认为正确的方向停下来。
02:25
and to stop in a way that they felt
was the right way to go.
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我们非正式给数百人试验过了,
02:29
Informally非正式, we tried试着 this
with hundreds数以百计 of people,
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02:31
and most could figure数字 it out
within about 15 seconds.
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大多数人可以在 15 秒内
找到正确方向。
02:34
It was that intuitive直观的.
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就是依据直觉。
02:36
Initially原来, we were just trying to get
people out of their phones手机
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起初,我们只想让人们
从沉醉于手机中回到现实世界。
02:39
and back into the real真实 world世界.
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02:41
But the more we experimented试验,
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但我们做越多的试验,
02:43
the more we realized实现 that those
who stood站在 to benefit效益 most from our work
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发觉最受益的人,
是盲人或视力受障碍人士。
02:47
were people who had little or no sight视力.
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当首次接触盲人组织时,
他们告诉我们,
02:51
When we first approached接近
a blind organization组织, they told us,
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“不要设计盲人专用的设备,
02:54
"Don't build建立 a blind device设备.
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02:56
Build建立 a device设备 that everyone大家 can use
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设计一个所有人都可用的设备
02:58
but that's optimized优化
for the blind experience经验."
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但可优化盲人的生活。”
我们用三个指导原则
创建了一家公司 “佩戴工艺” :
03:01
We created创建 our company公司 WearWorks磨损工作
with three guiding主导 principles原则:
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是做些很酷的东西,
03:06
make cool stuff东东,
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03:08
create创建 the greatest最大 impact碰撞 we can
in our lifetimes寿命
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用尽全力,创造最大的影响力,
重新构想以触摸为旨的世界。
03:11
and reimagine重新构想 an entire整个 world世界
designed设计 for touch触摸.
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03:15
And on November十一月 5, 2017,
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2017年11月5日,
佩戴工艺协助了一位盲人
03:19
Wayband韦带 helped帮助 a person who was blind
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03:22
run the first 15 miles英里
of the New York纽约 City Marathon马拉松
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在没有领跑员的帮助下,
跑完纽约市马拉松的前15英里。
03:25
without any sighted短视 assistance帮助.
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(掌声)
03:27
(Applause掌声)
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不巧的是由于大雨,
他未能跑毕全程,
03:35
It didn't get him through通过 the entire整个 race种族
due应有 to the heavy rain,
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但这点并不重要。
03:38
but that didn't matter.
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(笑声)
03:39
(Laughter笑声)
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03:41
We had proved证实 the point:
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我们已经证明了
03:42
that it was possible可能 to navigate导航
a complex复杂 route路线 using运用 only touch触摸.
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在复杂的路线上,
靠着触感也可以被导航。
03:45
So, why touch触摸?
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那么,为何是触感呢?
03:47
The skin皮肤 has an innate先天 sensitivity灵敏度
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因为皮肤天生敏感,
03:49
akin类似的 to the eyes'眼睛' ability能力
to recognize认识 millions百万 of colors颜色
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类似于眼睛有识别
数百万种颜色的能力,
03:53
or the ears'耳朵' ability能力 to recognize认识
complex复杂 pitch沥青 and tone.
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或者耳朵识别复杂音调
和音色的能力。
然而,作为沟通渠道,
03:56
Yet然而, as a communications通讯 channel渠道,
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它被归入摩尔斯电码,
比如手机通知之类。
03:58
it's been largely大部分 relegated降级 to
Morse莫尔斯 code-like代码类似 cell细胞 phone电话 notifications通知.
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如果你突然被吻或被打一拳,
04:01
If you were to suddenly突然 receive接收
a kiss or a punch冲床,
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04:04
your reaction反应 would be
instinctive直觉的 and immediate即时.
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你的反应会是本能而直接的。
同时,你的大脑会从后追赶。
04:08
Meanwhile与此同时, your brain would be playing播放
catch-up跟上来 on the back end结束
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04:11
to understand理解 the details细节
of what just occurred发生.
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想了解刚发生事情的细节。
04:13
And compared相比 to instincts本能,
conscious意识 thought is pretty漂亮 slow.
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与直觉相比,有意识的思考
是相当缓慢的。
像一瞬间的闪电,
04:17
But it's a lightning闪电 bolt螺栓
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04:18
compared相比 to the snail's蜗牛 pace步伐
of language语言 acquisition获得.
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与语言沟通的速度相比。
04:22
I spent花费 a considerable大量 amount of time
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我花了很多的时间
04:24
learning学习 Spanish西班牙语, Japanese日本,
German德语 and currently目前 Swedish瑞典,
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学习西班牙语、日语、
德语和目前的瑞典语,
04:30
with varying不同 degrees of failure失败.
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有不同程度的失败。
04:31
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
04:35
But within those failures故障 were kernels
of how different不同 languages语言 are organized有组织的.
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我失败的核心在于这些语言有
不同的组织方式。
使我们的团队得到启示,
04:39
That gave our team球队 insight眼光
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04:41
into how to use the linguistic语言 order订购
of well-established成熟 languages语言
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如何运用语序
04:45
as inspiration灵感 for
an entirely完全 new haptic触觉 language语言,
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引领我们发展一种
全新触觉语言,
纯粹基于触摸。
04:48
one based基于 purely纯粹 on touch触摸.
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04:50
It also showed显示 us when using运用 language语言
mechanics机械学 wasn't the best最好 way
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还有利用语言运用的方式
不是信息传递的最好方法。
04:54
to deliver交付 information信息.
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04:56
In the same相同 way a smile微笑 is a smile微笑
across横过 every一切 culture文化,
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微笑是不分文化的。
05:00
what if there was some
underlying底层 mechanism机制 of touch触摸
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如果有某种潜在的接触机制
能超越了语言和文化的界限?
05:02
that transcended超越 linguistic语言
and cultural文化 boundaries边界?
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05:06
A universal普遍 language语言, of sorts排序.
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某种通用语言。
05:08
You see, I could give you
buzz-buzz-buzz嗡嗡声-嗡嗡声, buzz-buzz嗡嗡声,
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可以给你二短一长,二短的振动,
05:13
and you would eventually终于 learn学习
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由此你最终会学到
05:14
that that particular特定
vibration振动 means手段 "stop."
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那种特殊振动意味着 “停止”。
05:17
But as haptic触觉 designers设计师,
we challenged挑战 ourselves我们自己.
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身为触觉设计师,我们自我挑战
如何来设计 “停止” 的讯号?
05:21
What would it be like to design设计 "stop?"
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05:24
Well, based基于 on context上下文,
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举个例子,
05:25
most of us have the experience经验
of being存在 in a vehicle车辆
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大多数人在车上都经历过,
05:28
and having that vehicle车辆 stop suddenly突然,
along沿 with our body's身体的 reaction反应 to it.
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那辆车突然停下来,
我们的身体会接着作出反应。。
05:32
So if I wanted you to stop,
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若果我要你停下来,
05:34
I could send发送 you
a vibration振动 pattern模式, sure.
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可以给你发一张振动图。
05:36
Or, I could design设计 a haptic触觉 experience经验
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或者可以设计一种触觉体验,
05:39
that just made制作 stopping停止
feel like it was the right thing to do.
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让人知道做出正确的停止动作。
不能只发出任意的触觉讯号,
05:43
And that takes more than an arbitrary随意
assignment分配 of haptic触觉 cues线索 to meanings含义.
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讯号要引发强烈的共鸣。
05:47
It takes a deep empathy同情.
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05:49
It also takes the ability能力 to distill蒸馏
human人的 experience经验 into meaningful富有意义的 insights见解
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那么还需要从人类的经验中
提炼出有意义的洞察力
05:54
and then into haptic触觉
gestures手势 and products制品.
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产生出以触觉为主的手势和产品。
触觉的设计将扩展我们人类
05:59
Haptic触觉 design设计 is going to expand扩大
the human人的 ability能力
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06:01
to sense and respond响应 to our environments环境,
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感知和应对环境的能力,
06:04
both physical物理 and virtual虚拟.
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在实际和虚拟环境中。
06:06
There's a new frontier边境: touch触摸.
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我们在构建一个新的领域:触觉。
驱动我们对周围环境有新的看法。
06:09
And it has the power功率 to change更改
how we all see the world世界 around us.
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06:13
Thank you.
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谢谢您。
(掌声)
06:14
(Applause掌声)
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Translated by Thomas Tam
Reviewed by Homer Li

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Keith Kirkland - Haptic designer
Keith Kirkland is the cofounder of WearWorks, a company that builds products and experiences that communicate information through touch.

Why you should listen

Navigation is inherently visual, and nowhere is that more clear than for the 285 million people in the world living with a visual impairment. With WAYBAND, a wrist-wearable haptic navigation device for the blind and visually impaired, WearWorks has created and patented an intuitive way to guide a person to a destination using vibration, without the need for any visual or audio cues. In 2017, WAYBAND was used to help a person who is blind run the first 15 miles of the NYC marathon without sighted assistance.

Kirkland is a public speaker, mechanical engineer, accessories designer and industrial designer with experience developing innovation-based concepts and experiences. He has worked with organizations ranging from the MET Museum, The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Unilever, Futureworks, Mini Cooper, Discovery Channel, Dropbox, The Yokohama Government, Coach and the National Science Foundation.

More profile about the speaker
Keith Kirkland | Speaker | TED.com