ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anirudh Sharma - Engineer, inventor
Inventor Anirudh Sharma is the founder of Graviky Labs, an MIT Media Labs spinoff.

Why you should listen

Anirudh Sharma's interest lies in deep-tech, science-based social entrepreneurship. He fuses cutting-edge sensor, wearable and man-machine interface technology. In 2010, Sharma invented a haptic shoe called "Lechal" to guide the blind. Lechal was the earliest wearable innovation designed for the visually challenged. During his tenure at Fluid Interfaces Group at the MIT Media Lab, Sharma worked on future fabrication and augmented reality with futuristic displays. After returning from MIT, he co-led the nonprofit consortium MIT Media Lab India Initiative with the goal of remodeling and perpetuating self-organized, design-led innovation into the grassroots in India.

Sharma also cofounded Graviky Labs to evolve his side project KAALINK, a retrofit technology which captures particulate carbon emissions from chimneys or diesel engines (without affecting the performance of the engine) before they enter the atmosphere. The captured pollutants are then recycled into inks, called AIR-INK. Forty-five minutes of automotive emissions is equivalent to produce 30 milliliters of black AIR-INK. The company has found its niche globally, replacing conventional black inks applied to arts, printing and fashion industry as a means to offset carbon. To date, Graviky has recycled roughly 250 kilograms of PM2.5 air pollution waste, which has produced 1,200 liters of AIR-INK. Sharma also loves folk, magic and indie artforms.

More profile about the speaker
Anirudh Sharma | Speaker | TED.com
TED@BCG Toronto

Anirudh Sharma: Ink made of air pollution

阿尼魯德 · 沙馬: 用空氣污染製成的墨水

Filmed:
474,007 views

能夠收集我們周圍的空氣污染物,將它轉變成有用的東西嗎?發明家阿尼魯德 · 沙馬分享他如何創造用PM 2.5 污染製成的黑墨水 AIR-INK。來進一步了解這種新的碳材料如何能夠打破時裝、印刷和包裝業界用了數世紀的傳統流程,讓世界變乾淨一點。
- Engineer, inventor
Inventor Anirudh Sharma is the founder of Graviky Labs, an MIT Media Labs spinoff. Full bio

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

00:12
Every一切 year, more than four
to five million百萬 people die
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每年,全世界有超過四、五百萬人
00:15
due應有 to exposure曝光 to outdoor戶外 air空氣 pollution污染
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是因為暴露在戶外空氣污染下而死。
00:18
around the world世界.
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00:20
This petri培養皿 dish that you are looking at
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你們現在看到的這個培養皿,
00:23
contains包含 approximately
20 minutes'分鐘' worth價值 of pollution污染
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收集大約二十分鐘的空氣污染
來自熱裂解工廠。
(以廢輪胎和塑料產生再生能源)
00:26
captured捕獲 off a pyrolysis熱解 plant.
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00:29
This is PM下午 2.5.
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這是細懸浮微粒(PM 2.5)。
00:31
These particles粒子 --
you can see it right now,
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這些粒子──你們現在看得到,
00:33
but when they're out there
in the air空氣, you won't慣於 see them.
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但當你們在外面在空氣中時
是無法看到它們的。
00:36
These are so tiny that our lungs --
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它們非常微小,
我們的肺、我們的身體無法濾掉。
00:38
our bodies身體 cannot不能 filter過濾 them,
and they end結束 up in our bodies身體 --
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它們最後會留在我們的身體中,
00:43
give us asthma哮喘 and lung cancer癌症
if not treated治療 in the right time.
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造成氣喘或肺癌,
如果沒有即時治療的話。
00:47
On a trip back to India印度,
when I was a student學生 in 2012,
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2012 年,我還是學生時,回到印度,
00:50
I took this picture圖片.
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拍下了這張照片。
00:51
This picture圖片 stuck卡住 in my head.
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這影像在我腦中揮之不去。
00:53
On one side, you see this exhaust排氣
of a diesel柴油機 generator發電機,
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一邊是柴油發電機的廢氣,
00:57
the same相同 generator發電機
which哪一個 is a sign標誌 of human人的 progress進展,
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設計發電機的目的
是為了人類的進步,
01:00
which哪一個 is a sign標誌 of rapid快速 industrialization工業化
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它象徵著快速工業化,
01:03
and what we have become成為
as a society社會 in the last 100 years年份,
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以及在過去一百年間我們
這個社會變成了什麼樣子,
01:06
generating發電 energy能源.
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以產生能源。
但在另一邊,你們可以看到
這個有趣的黑色三角形區塊,
01:08
But on the other side,
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01:09
you see this very interesting有趣
triangular三角形的, black-colored黑色 swatch樣本,
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01:12
that is produced生成 by the same相同
residual剩餘的 particulate顆粒 waste浪費
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是發電機排放氣體中的
01:16
created創建 by the emissions排放 of the generator發電機.
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殘留廢粒子造成的。
01:20
Now, this picture圖片 gave me an idea理念
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這張照片讓我靈機一動,
01:22
and got me thinking思維 about rethinking重新思考
both pollution污染 and inks油墨,
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或許應該要重新思考污染及墨水,
01:27
because it was making製造
that black-colored黑色 mark標記.
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因為它製造出了那塊黑色的記號。
01:29
Now, the reality現實 is that most of the black黑色
ink墨水 that we use conventionally傳統
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現實是,我們一般使用的黑墨水
傳統的做法是在工廠中
燃燒化石燃料來製造。
01:33
is traditionally傳統 produced生成
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01:34
by conventionally傳統 burning燃燒
fossil化石 fuels燃料 in factories工廠.
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01:38
There are factories工廠 around the world世界
that are burning燃燒 fossil化石 fuels燃料
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全世界都有工廠
專門在燃燒化石燃料,
01:41
to produce生產 carbon black黑色,
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來生成炭黑,製造我們
每天使用的黑墨水。
01:43
to make black黑色 inks油墨 that we use
on an everyday每天 basis基礎.
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01:46
But given特定 that millions百萬
of liters of fossil化石 fuels燃料
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但既然已經有
數百萬公升的化石燃料
01:49
are already已經 being存在 burned out there
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在外頭被我們的汽車、
01:51
by our cars汽車, our engines引擎
and our exhaust排氣 out there,
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我們的引擎給燃燒掉,
有那麼多廢氣在外頭,
01:54
what if you could capture捕獲 that pollution污染
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如果我們能收集那些污染,
01:57
and use it to recycle回收 and make those inks油墨?
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將它們回收來做墨水呢?
02:00
I decided決定 to give this experiment實驗 a shot射擊.
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我決定實驗看看。
02:03
I went back to my lab實驗室 back in Boston波士頓
and conducted進行 a small experiment實驗.
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我回到我在波士頓的實驗室,
進行了一項小實驗。
02:07
In Boston波士頓, I couldn't不能 find
much pollution污染 to play with,
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在波士頓沒有多少污染可以用,
02:10
so I resorted使出 to using運用 a candle蠟燭.
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所以我改為用蠟燭。
02:12
This was an experiment實驗.
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這就是我的實驗。
02:14
I burnt a candle蠟燭,
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我燃燒蠟燭,
02:15
built內置 this contraption玩意兒
that would suck吮吸 in that candle蠟燭 soot煤煙,
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建造了這個新玩意兒,
它會吸入蠟燭的煤煙,
02:19
mixed it with some
vegetable蔬菜 oil and vodka伏特加,
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和某種植物油和伏特加混合,
02:21
because to a DIYDIY hacker黑客,
these were really easily容易 available可得到.
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因為對 DIY 駭客而言,
這些東西都很容易取得。
(笑聲)在把它們混合之後,
02:25
(Laughter笑聲)
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02:26
And after mixing混合 them,
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02:27
you could churn攪動 out
a very rudimentary初步 form形成 of ink墨水
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就能大量產出非常初階的墨水,
02:30
that would go into a cartridge盒式磁帶,
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放到墨水匣中,
02:32
and now you could print打印 with it.
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就可以用來列印了。
02:34
This was my "Hello你好, World世界!"
of experimenting試驗
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這是我的「哈囉,世界!」,
用實驗墨水列印出來的。
02:37
with printing印花 with pollution污染.
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02:41
This is the same相同 pollution污染
that I showed顯示 you in the petri培養皿 dish,
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這和各位剛才在培養皿中
看到的是同一種污染,
02:44
which哪一個 is the result結果 of any fossil化石 fuel汽油
that is being存在 burned out there.
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外頭燃燒的任何一種化石燃料
都會產生這種污染。
02:49
In 2015, I decided決定 to take
this experimentation實驗 forward前鋒
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2015 年,我決定進一步實驗,
02:52
and set up a lab實驗室 in India印度
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在印度設立了一間實驗室,
02:54
to work on the capture捕獲 and recycling回收
of air空氣 pollution污染.
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致力於收集和回收空氣污染。
02:57
In the good times, the lab實驗室
used to look something like this.
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在好日子,實驗室看起來這樣。
03:00
But experimentations性實驗
were not always controlled受控,
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但,實驗不見得都能受到控制,
03:02
and disasters災害 happened發生.
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災難會發生。
03:04
And while experimentation實驗 would happen發生,
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雖然實驗是進行了,
03:06
the lab實驗室 would end結束 up
looking something like this.
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但實驗室最後會變成像這個樣子。
03:09
Well, we knew知道 where we wanted to go,
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嗯,我們知道我們的目標,
03:11
but we were not sure
how exactly究竟 to reach達到 there.
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但我們還不知道要如何到達那裡。
03:14
The passersby路人 who used to go
by that lab實驗室 through通過 that building建造
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以前,這棟大樓裡
經過這間實驗室的路人
03:17
used to, at times, think,
"These guys are making製造 bombs炸彈 in there,"
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有時會心想:
「這些人是在做炸彈吧!」
03:20
because there was too much fire,
wires電線 and smoke抽煙 in the same相同 vicinity附近.
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因為在同一塊區域中
有太多火、電線,和煙了。
03:25
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
03:27
We decided決定, let's move移動 to a garage車庫
and take experiments實驗 forward前鋒.
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我們決定搬到車庫進一步實驗。
03:30
We took a garage車庫,
and during the early stages階段,
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我們找了一間車庫,在初期,
我們會開車載著這些新玩意兒
在班加羅爾各地跑。
03:32
we were driving主動 around Bangalore班加羅爾
with contraptions玩意兒 like these.
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03:35
This is an early-stage早期 prototype原型.
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這是早期的原型。
想像大家看我們的表情:
「這些車跑來跑去是在幹嘛?」
03:37
Imagine想像 the looks容貌 people gave us,
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03:38
"What are these cars汽車
driving主動 around doing?"
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這個早期的原型
03:41
This is an early-stage早期 prototype原型
of our system系統 that would capture捕獲 pollution污染
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是我們用來收集污染的系統,
03:44
that is being存在 released發布 from
a conventional常規 diesel-based基於柴油的 car汽車.
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收集從一般柴油車排放的污染。
03:48
This is an early stage階段 of the technology技術.
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這是這項技術的早期。
03:50
We advanced高級 the technology技術
and created創建 this into this version
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我們進一步發展,創造出這個版本,
03:55
that would capture捕獲 pollution污染
from static靜態的 sources來源 of pollution污染,
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它能夠收集來自靜態污染源的污染,
像是柴油發電機。
03:58
like a diesel柴油機 generator發電機.
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03:59
If you see, all the fumes油煙 disappear消失
as soon不久 as you turn this machine on.
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可以看到,一啟動這台機器,
所有的煙都不見了。
04:04
Without沒有 affecting影響
the performance性能 of the engine發動機,
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在不會影響引擎效能的前提下,
04:08
we are able能夠 to capture捕獲
95 percent百分 worth價值 of pollution污染
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95% 柴油發電機所產生的污染
能被我們收集起來。
04:11
released發布 from the diesel柴油機 generator發電機.
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04:13
This is the particulate顆粒 matter
that we are talking about that we capture捕獲,
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這就是我們收集到的懸浮微粒,
04:17
in this case案件, within three to four hours小時
of operation手術 of a generator發電機.
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在這個例子中,發電機運轉
三到四小時就能收集這些。
04:22
And while our experiments實驗
and our research研究 was advancing前進,
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在我們的實驗和研究進展當中,
04:26
a very big company公司, a very big brand,
approached接近 us and said,
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一間很大的公司,
很大的品牌來找我們,說:
04:29
"We want to take this idea理念
further進一步 with you guys,
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「我們想和你們合作,
把這個點子再進一步發揮,
04:32
and take this further進一步
in a very big celebrated著名 form形成."
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而且要玩很大。」
04:36
They said, "Let's do a global全球 art藝術 campaign運動
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他們說:「讓我們辦一場
全球的藝術活動,
04:38
with the inks油墨 that you are making製造
off this pollution污染."
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使用你們從污染物製出的墨水。」
04:41
I'll show顯示 you what the ink墨水 looks容貌 like.
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各位看看這墨水是什麼樣子。
04:43
So, this pen鋼筆 is made製作 by recycling回收
40 to 50 minutes分鐘 of that car汽車 pollution污染
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這支筆是用回收四、五十分鐘的
汽車污染所製成的,
04:49
that we are talking about,
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我們剛談過的,
04:51
the same相同 pollution污染
that is in the petri培養皿 dish.
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和培養皿中的污染相同。
它是種非常鮮明的黑色,
可以用來寫字。
04:53
And it's a very sharp尖銳 black黑色
that you can write with.
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04:55
So I'm going to write ...
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所以我要寫……
05:00
PM下午 2.5, that's incorrect不正確.
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「PM 2.5」是不妥的。
05:03
So this is a very sharp尖銳 black黑色
that is generated產生 by the same相同 pollution污染.
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這鮮明的黑色
是用同樣的污染做出來的。
05:08
After much work on the lab-level實驗室級 research研究,
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在實驗室裡的很多研究努力之後,
05:10
we got an offer提供 from a big corporation公司
to do a very big trial審訊 of this idea理念.
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有一間大企業提議和我們合作,
為這個點子做一場大型試驗。
05:14
And it happened發生 to be a brand,
and we didn't think twice兩次.
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恰好是我們完全不假思索的品牌,
05:17
We said, "Let's go ahead."
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我們說:「就做吧。」
05:19
Inventing發明 in the lab實驗室 is one thing
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在實驗室中發明是一回事,
05:21
and taking服用 ideas思路 and deploying部署 them
in the real真實 world世界 is completely全然 another另一個.
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把點子部署到現實世界中
完全是另一回事。
05:26
During early stages階段,
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在初期,
05:27
we had to resort採取 to using運用
our own擁有 houses房屋 and own擁有 kitchens廚房
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我們得要用我們自己的房子和廚房
05:31
as our ink-making制墨 factories工廠,
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來當作墨水製造工廠,
05:33
and our own擁有 bedrooms臥室 and living活的 rooms客房
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我們的臥室和客廳
05:35
as the first assembly部件 line
for making製造 these inks油墨.
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則是最初製作這些墨水的裝配線。
05:38
This is my cofounder聯合創始人 Nikhil's尼基勒的 own擁有 bedroom臥室,
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這是我的共同創辦人
尼基爾自己的臥室,
05:41
that is being存在 used to supply供應 inks油墨
to artists藝術家 all around the world世界,
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我們用這間臥室來供應墨水
給全世界願意用 AIR-INK
05:45
who would paint塗料 with AIR-INK空氣墨水.
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來畫畫的藝術家。
05:46
And that's him, delivering交付
AIR-INKs空氣-控制 to the ports港口
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那是他把 AIR-INK 遞送到港口,
05:49
so that the artists藝術家
around the world世界 can use it.
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讓全世界的藝術家能夠使用它。
05:52
Soon不久, we started開始 seeing眼看
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我們很快就看到
05:53
that thousands數千 of artists藝術家 around the world世界
started開始 using運用 AIR-INK空氣墨水,
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全世界數千名藝術家
開始使用 AIR-INK,
05:56
and artworks藝術品 started開始 emerging新興 like this.
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像這樣的藝術作品也開始出現。
05:59
Soon不久, thousands數千 of black-and-white黑與白,
pollution-made污染製造 artworks藝術品
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很快的,數千件
用污染繪製的黑白作品
06:02
started開始 emerging新興 on a global全球 scale規模.
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開始在全球出現。
06:04
And believe me, for a group
of scientists科學家們 and engineers工程師 and inventors發明家,
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相信我,對一群科學家、
工程師,和投資者來說,
06:08
there was nothing more satisfying滿意的
than that the product產品 of their work
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最讓人滿足的就是
他們努力做出的產品
06:11
is now being存在 used by some
of the finest最好的 artists藝術家 around the world世界.
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現在正在被全世界
一些最棒的藝術家使用。
06:14
This is the cover of "Contagious傳染性的"
magazine雜誌 last year,
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這是《Contagious》雜誌去年的封面,
06:17
that was doneDONE by using運用 the same相同 ink墨水
that we made製作 back in our labs實驗室.
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它所使用的墨水就是
我們實驗室生產的墨水。
06:22
This is a famous著名 painting繪畫
by the British英國的 artist藝術家, Christian基督教 Furr富爾,
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這是英國藝術家
克里斯汀 · 佛爾的知名畫作,
06:25
who painted it for the song歌曲
"Paint塗料 It Black黑色" by The Rolling滾動 Stones石頭.
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為滾石樂團的歌曲
《Paint It Black》所畫。
06:30
Now, there's more to this pen鋼筆 and this ink墨水
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這支筆和這種墨水不只是
06:33
than just the popular流行
and pop-culture流行文化 artworks藝術品.
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用來創作流行文化藝術作品而已。
06:36
And now our goal目標 is to create創建 a company公司
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現在,我們的目標
是要創立一間公司,
06:38
that can actually其實 make some black黑色 money --
I mean, just money --
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能夠真的賺一些黑錢——
我是說,賺一些錢——
06:42
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
06:43
and high-quality高質量 printing印花
processes流程 and inks油墨
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製造高品質的印刷流程和墨水,
06:45
that can replace更換
the conventional常規 black黑色 inks油墨
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來取代全世界過去數千年來
06:48
that have been produced生成 for the last
thousands數千 of years年份 around the world世界.
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用慣行法製造的黑墨水。
06:52
Soon不久 after our growing生長 popularity聲望
and artworks藝術品 around the world世界,
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在我們的知名度打開,
藝術作品紅起來之後,
06:56
we started開始 facing面對 a very different不同
kind of a problem問題.
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我們開始面臨不同類的問題。
06:59
We started開始 getting得到 spammed垃圾郵件 by polluters污染者,
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我們開始收到污染者的垃圾郵件,
07:02
who would send發送 us bags包裝袋 full充分 of pollution污染
to our office辦公室 address地址,
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他們會寄一袋一袋滿滿的污染物
到我們的辦公室地址。
07:05
asking us, "What can we do
with this pollution污染?"
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問我們:「要如何處理這些污染?」
07:08
Our lab實驗室 back in Bombay孟買 right now
has pollution污染 samples樣本
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我們在孟買的實驗室
現在已經有各地的樣本,
07:11
that have come from London倫敦,
from India印度, from China中國, you name名稱 it.
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來自倫敦、印度、中國,
任何你能想到的地方。
07:15
And this is just the beginning開始.
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且這只是開端。
07:17
This polluter污染 sent發送 us
this specific具體 image圖片, asking us
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這位污染者寄來明確的影像,問──
07:21
that these are all bags包裝袋
filled填充 with PM下午 2.5,
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這些袋子都裝滿細懸浮微粒──
07:24
and can we recycle回收 it for him
if we paid支付 him some money.
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問我們能不能回收,且付錢給他。
07:28
Well, what would he have doneDONE
if we did not take that pollution污染?
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如果我們不收下這些污染,
他會怎麼處理?
07:32
He would probably大概 find a nearby附近 river
or a landfill垃圾填埋場 and dump傾倒 it over there.
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他很可能會直接丟棄在
鄰近的河流或垃圾場裡。
07:36
But now, because we had the economics經濟學
of AIR-INK空氣墨水 figured想通 out on the other side,
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但現在因為 AIR-INK
另一端的經濟問題已經有解,
07:39
we could incentivize激勵 him to give us
this pollution污染 and make inks油墨 from it,
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我們能鼓勵他把污染交給我們,
用來製造墨水,
07:45
and turn it into even
more valuable有價值 products製品.
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甚至將之轉變成更有價值的產品。
07:49
Now, pollution污染, as we all know,
is a global全球 killer兇手.
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我們都知道污染是全球性的殺手。
07:52
We can't claim要求 that our ink墨水
will solve解決 the world's世界 pollution污染 problem問題.
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我們無法宣稱我們的墨水
能夠解決全世界的污染問題。
07:56
But it does show顯示 what can be doneDONE
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但它確實顯示
若用稍微不同的角度看這個問題,
我們能夠做什麼。
07:57
if you look at this problem問題
slightly differently不同.
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08:00
Look at this T-shirtT恤衫
I'm holding保持 right now.
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看看我手上的這件 T 恤。
08:04
This is made製作 from the same相同
AIR-INK空氣墨水 I'm talking about.
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它同樣也是用我說的 AIR-INK 印製的,
08:08
It's made製作 from the same相同 pollution污染
that is inside this petri培養皿 dish.
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和這培養皿中的同樣的污染,
08:11
And the same相同 pollution污染 we are all
breathing呼吸 in when we are walking步行 outdoors在戶外.
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也是當我們在戶外散步時
吸入的那種污染。
08:15
And we are on our way
to do better than this.
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我們正努力做得更好。
08:17
Thank you very much.
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非常謝謝。
08:19
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Lilian Chiu
Reviewed by Helen Chang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anirudh Sharma - Engineer, inventor
Inventor Anirudh Sharma is the founder of Graviky Labs, an MIT Media Labs spinoff.

Why you should listen

Anirudh Sharma's interest lies in deep-tech, science-based social entrepreneurship. He fuses cutting-edge sensor, wearable and man-machine interface technology. In 2010, Sharma invented a haptic shoe called "Lechal" to guide the blind. Lechal was the earliest wearable innovation designed for the visually challenged. During his tenure at Fluid Interfaces Group at the MIT Media Lab, Sharma worked on future fabrication and augmented reality with futuristic displays. After returning from MIT, he co-led the nonprofit consortium MIT Media Lab India Initiative with the goal of remodeling and perpetuating self-organized, design-led innovation into the grassroots in India.

Sharma also cofounded Graviky Labs to evolve his side project KAALINK, a retrofit technology which captures particulate carbon emissions from chimneys or diesel engines (without affecting the performance of the engine) before they enter the atmosphere. The captured pollutants are then recycled into inks, called AIR-INK. Forty-five minutes of automotive emissions is equivalent to produce 30 milliliters of black AIR-INK. The company has found its niche globally, replacing conventional black inks applied to arts, printing and fashion industry as a means to offset carbon. To date, Graviky has recycled roughly 250 kilograms of PM2.5 air pollution waste, which has produced 1,200 liters of AIR-INK. Sharma also loves folk, magic and indie artforms.

More profile about the speaker
Anirudh Sharma | Speaker | TED.com

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