TED2004
Woody Norris: Hypersonic sound and other inventions
Woody Norris 的新奇發明
Filmed:
Readability: 3.2
1,368,299 views
Woody Norris 展示了他的兩項處理聲音的新發明，並談論他不同於一般人接觸發明與教育的過程。他說："幾乎什麼都還沒被發明出來。" 那麼 -- 下一個發明會是什麼呢?
Woody Norris - Inventor
Woody Norris is a serial inventor of electronics, tools and cutting-edge sonic equipment -- such as the LRAD acoustic cannon. Full bio
Woody Norris is a serial inventor of electronics, tools and cutting-edge sonic equipment -- such as the LRAD acoustic cannon. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:18
I became an inventor by accident.
0
0
2000
我在偶然的情況下變成了發明家。
00:20
I was out of the air force in 1956. No, no, that's not true:
1
2000
5000
1956年我從空軍退伍。不對，我記錯了：
00:25
I went in in 1956, came out in 1959,
2
7000
3000
我在1956年進去，1959年離開的，
00:28
was working at the University of Washington,
3
10000
2000
之後在華盛頓大學工作，
00:30
and I came up with an idea, from reading a magazine article,
4
12000
2000
當我看雜誌文章時，想到了一個點子，
00:32
for a new kind of a phonograph tone arm.
5
14000
3000
用於留聲機的新型唱臂上。
00:35
Now, that was before cassette tapes, C.D.s, DVDs --
6
17000
3000
那是在卡式錄音帶，CD，DVD --
00:38
any of the cool stuff we've got now.
7
20000
2000
任何現在很酷的新玩意出來之前的事。
00:40
And it was an arm that,
8
22000
2000
那是一種當它在唱片上移動時
00:42
instead of hinging and pivoting as it went across the record,
9
24000
4000
不靠鏈條移動, 不繞著中樞軸旋轉的唱臂，
00:46
went straight: a radial, linear tracking tone arm.
10
28000
4000
講明白一點，就是一種在半徑上作線性循跡的唱臂。
00:50
And it was the hardest invention I ever made, but it got me started,
11
32000
4000
這是我做過最困難的發明，但也是它讓我走上了這條路，
00:54
and I got really lucky after that.
12
36000
2000
這之後我就一直滿順利的。
00:56
And without giving you too much of a tirade,
13
38000
2000
長篇大論就不多說了，
00:58
I want to talk to you about an invention I brought with me today:
14
40000
3000
我們直接來談我今天帶來的發明：
01:01
my 44th invention. No, that's not true either.
15
43000
4000
這是我第44項發明。不對，又錯了。
01:05
Golly, I'm just totally losing it.
16
47000
2000
天啊，我已經搞混了。
01:07
My 44th patent; about the 15th invention.
17
49000
3000
這是我第44項專利，大概是第15項發明吧。
01:10
I call this hypersonic sound.
18
52000
3000
我稱它為超級超音波。(超越超音波)
01:13
I'm going to play it for you in a couple minutes,
19
55000
2000
我會用它來播放幾分鐘給各位聽，
01:15
but I want to make an analogy before I do
20
57000
2000
不過在這之前要先跟各位
01:17
to this.
21
59000
3000
說聲抱歉。
01:20
I usually show this hypersonic sound and people will say,
22
62000
3000
我常常秀這個超級超音波，可是大家都會問，
01:23
That's really cool, but what's it good for?
23
65000
2000
那東西真酷，不過有什麼用啊?
01:26
And I say, What is the light bulb good for?
24
68000
3000
我說，燈泡有什麼用處呢？
01:29
Sound, light: I'm going to draw the analogy.
25
71000
3000
我們來比較一下聲音和光線。
01:32
When Edison invented the light bulb, pretty much looked like this.
26
74000
3000
當愛迪生發明燈泡，看起來大概就像這樣。
01:35
Hasn't changed that much.
27
77000
2000
這並沒有改變太多。
01:37
Light came out of it in every direction.
28
79000
3000
光線從各個角度散放出來。
01:40
Before the light bulb was invented,
29
82000
2000
在燈泡發明之前，
01:42
people had figured out how to put a reflector behind it,
30
84000
3000
人們就知道它後面放個反射鏡，
01:45
focus it a little bit;
31
87000
2000
讓光線更集中；
01:47
put lenses in front of it,
32
89000
2000
在前面放個透鏡，
01:49
focus it a little bit better.
33
91000
2000
讓它更加集中。
01:51
Ultimately we figured out how to make things like lasers
34
93000
3000
最終我們發現怎麼去做出雷射
01:54
that were totally focused.
35
96000
3000
這種完全聚集的光線。
01:57
Now, think about where the world would be today
36
99000
2000
現在想想，如果我們有燈泡，
01:59
if we had the light bulb,
37
101000
4000
但是無法集中光線時，
02:03
but you couldn't focus light;
38
105000
2000
世界會變成怎麼樣；
02:05
if when you turned one on it just went wherever it wanted to.
39
107000
5000
當你點亮燈泡，光線四散的時候。
02:10
That's the way loudspeakers pretty much are.
40
112000
3000
那和喇叭差不多。
02:13
You turn on the loudspeaker,
41
115000
2000
當你打開喇叭時，
02:15
and after almost 80 years of having those gadgets,
42
117000
3000
即使在它們已經發明了將近80年之後，
02:18
the sound just kind of goes where it wants.
43
120000
3000
聲音仍然會隨便亂跑。
02:21
Even when you're standing in front of a megaphone,
44
123000
2000
即使你在站擴音器前面，
02:23
it's pretty much every direction.
45
125000
2000
它還是幾乎往各個方向跑。
02:25
A little bit of differential, but not much.
46
127000
3000
會有些許不同，但差不多。
02:28
If the light bulb was the way the speaker is,
47
130000
3000
如果燈泡和喇叭一樣，
02:31
and you couldn't focus or sharpen the edges or define it,
48
133000
3000
你沒辦法把光線聚集，讓邊界變小或是限制它，
02:34
we wouldn't have that, or movies in general,
49
136000
5000
我們就不可能擁有，比如說電影，
02:39
or computers, or T.V. sets,
50
141000
3000
或是電腦，或是電視機，
02:42
or C.D.s, or DVDs -- and just go down the list
51
144000
3000
或是 CD, DVD -- 想想看
02:45
of what the importance is
52
147000
2000
把光線聚集起來
02:47
of being able to focus light.
53
149000
3000
有多麼重要。
02:50
Now, after almost 80 years of having sound,
54
152000
4000
在擁有聲音將近80年後的今日，
02:54
I thought it was about time that we figure out
55
156000
2000
我想差不多是時候去發覺
02:56
a way to put sound where you want to.
56
158000
4000
如何將聲音導向你希望的位置。
03:00
I have a couple of units.
57
162000
2000
我這兒有一些設備。
03:02
That guy there was made for a demo I did yesterday early in the day
58
164000
2000
那是我昨天在底特律的一家汽車工廠做示範用的，
03:04
for a big car maker in Detroit who wants to put them in a car --
59
166000
3000
他們想把這個裝在車子裡 --
03:07
small version, over your head --
60
169000
2000
用小的型號，裝在你的頭頂上方 --
03:09
so that you can actually get binaural sound in a car.
61
171000
4000
這樣你就可以在車上聽見雙聲道。
03:13
What if I could aim sound the way I aim light?
62
175000
4000
如果我能夠將聲音像是光線一樣的去瞄準呢?
03:18
I got this waterfall I recorded in my back yard.
63
180000
3000
我在我的後院錄了這段瀑布的聲音。
03:21
Now, you're not going to hear a thing unless it hits you.
64
183000
4000
除非它朝向你，否則你不會聽見這個聲音。
03:25
Maybe if I hit the side wall it will bounce around the room.
65
187000
3000
如果我讓它傳到邊牆上，也許它會產生一點回音。
03:28
(Applause)
66
190000
3000
(掌聲)
03:31
The sound is being made right next to your ears. Is that cool?
67
193000
4000
聲音就在你的耳朵旁邊。很酷吧?
03:35
(Applause)
68
197000
8000
(掌聲)
03:43
Because I have some limited time, I'll cut it off for a second,
69
205000
2000
因為我的時間有限，所以暫時先展示到這裡，
03:45
and tell you about how it works and what it's good for.
70
207000
3000
接下來要跟大家說明它的原理和用途。
03:48
Course, like light, it's great to be able to put sound
71
210000
3000
當然, 如果可以把聲音像光一樣
03:51
to highlight a clothing rack, or the cornflakes, or the toothpaste,
72
213000
3000
用來突顯衣架, 或是玉米片, 或是牙膏,
03:54
or a talking plaque in a movie theater lobby.
73
216000
3000
或是在戲院大廳的看板, 那就太好了。
03:57
Sony's got an idea -- Sony's our biggest customers right now.
74
219000
4000
Sony 有一個點子 -- Sony 現在是我們最大的客戶。
04:01
They tried this back in the '60s
75
223000
2000
早在1960年代他們就在嘗試這個，
04:03
and were too smart, and so they gave up.
76
225000
2000
不過當時人們的接受度不高，所以放棄了。
04:05
But they want to use it -- seriously.
77
227000
3000
但是他們很認真的想要去使用它。
04:08
There's a mix an inventor has to have.
78
230000
2000
對一個發明家而言，必須要有多元性。
04:10
You have to be kind of smart,
79
232000
2000
你必須要有點小聰明，
04:12
and though I did not graduate from college doesn't mean I'm stupid,
80
234000
4000
雖然我大學沒畢業，但不表示我很笨，
04:16
because you cannot be stupid and do very much in the world today.
81
238000
3000
因為如果你很笨，你就沒辦法做太多事。
04:19
Too many other smart people out there. So.
82
241000
2000
外頭有一大堆聰明的傢伙。
04:21
I just happened to get my education in a little different way.
83
243000
2000
所以我用了不同的方式來進行我的學習。
04:23
I'm not at all against education.
84
245000
3000
我不反對接受教育。
04:26
I think it's wonderful; I think sometimes people,
85
248000
2000
我覺得這很棒。只是我覺得有些人，
04:28
when they get educated, lose it:
86
250000
3000
當他們畢業之後就忘光了。
04:31
they get so smart they're unwilling to look at things that they know better than.
87
253000
4000
因為他們太聰明了，所以不願意去看他們已經知道的東西。
04:35
And we're living in a great time right now,
88
257000
3000
我們生活在一個很棒的時代，
04:38
because almost everything's being explored anew.
89
260000
3000
因為幾乎所有東西都是全新設計的。
04:41
I have this little slogan that I use a lot, which is:
90
263000
3000
我有一個座右銘，
04:44
virtually nothing --
91
266000
2000
事實上大部分的東西 --
04:46
and I mean this honestly --
92
268000
2000
都還沒有被發明出來 --
04:48
has been invented yet.
93
270000
2000
我很認真的這麼想。
04:50
We're just starting.
94
272000
2000
我們才剛剛開始而已。
04:52
We're just starting to really discover the laws of nature and science and physics.
95
274000
4000
我們才剛開始發現自然, 科學和物理的法則。
04:56
And this is, I hope, a little piece of it.
96
278000
2000
而這只是，我希望，其中的一小部份而已。
04:58
Sony's got this vision back -- to get myself on track --
97
280000
4000
Sony 找回了這個想法 -- 讓我步上這條路 --
05:02
that when you stand in the checkout line in the supermarket,
98
284000
3000
當你在超級市場結帳處排隊時，
05:05
you're going to watch a new T.V. channel.
99
287000
2000
你將會看見一個全新的電視頻道。
05:07
They know that when you watch T.V. at home,
100
289000
2000
他們知道你在家看電視時，
05:09
because there are so many choices
101
291000
2000
因為有太多選擇，
05:11
you can change channels, miss their commercials.
102
293000
4000
你會轉台而跳過他們的廣告了。
05:15
A hundred and fifty-one million people every day stand in the line at the supermarket.
103
297000
5000
全球每天有一億五千萬人在超級市場中排隊。
05:20
Now, they've tried this a couple years ago and it failed,
104
302000
2000
他們幾年前曾經試過這個方法但失敗了，
05:22
because the checker gets tired of hearing the same message
105
304000
2000
因為結帳人員會厭倦於每隔20分鐘就聽見同樣的東西，
05:24
every 20 minutes, and reaches out, turns off the sound.
106
306000
4000
結果就會去把聲音給關掉。
05:28
And, you know, if the sound isn't there, the sale typically isn't made.
107
310000
3000
你知道，如果沒聲音，生意通常就做不成了。
05:31
For instance, like, when you're on an airplane, they show the movie,
108
313000
3000
例如，當你坐飛機時，他們會放電影，
05:34
you get to watch it for free;
109
316000
2000
你可以看免費的電影，
05:36
when you want to hear the sound, you pay.
110
318000
2000
當你想聽音樂時，你卻必須付錢。
05:38
And so ABC and Sony have devised this new thing
111
320000
4000
於是 ABC 和 Sony 想到這個新點子，
05:42
where when you step in the line in the supermarket --
112
324000
3000
當你在超級市場排隊時 --
05:45
initially it'll be Safeways. It is Safeways;
113
327000
3000
頭一家將會是在 Safeways，
05:48
they're trying this in three parts of the country right now --
114
330000
2000
他們正在國內三個分店試用 --
05:50
you'll be watching TV.
115
332000
2000
你會在那兒看他們的電視廣告。
05:52
And hopefully they'll be sensitive
116
334000
2000
所幸他們很細心，
05:54
that they don't want to offend you with just one more outlet.
117
336000
2000
聲音只會在你站的那條結帳隊伍中出現。
05:56
But what's great about it, from the tests that have been done, is,
118
338000
3000
而在這個測試裡最棒的事情是，
05:59
if you don't want to hear it,
119
341000
2000
如果你不想聽的話，
06:01
you take about one step to the side and you don't hear it.
120
343000
3000
你只要往旁邊站一步，你就不會聽見了。
06:04
So, we create silence as much as we create sound.
121
346000
4000
於是，如同我們創造聲音一般，我們也創造出寧靜。
06:08
ATMs that talk to you; nobody else hears it.
122
350000
3000
提款機對你說的事情，旁邊的人不會聽見。
06:11
Sit in bed, two in the morning, watch TV;
123
353000
2000
半夜兩點做在床上看電視時，
06:13
your spouse, or someone, is next to you, asleep;
124
355000
4000
你的另一半或其他睡在你旁邊的人，
06:17
doesn't hear it, doesn't wake up.
125
359000
2000
不會聽見聲音，更不會被吵醒。
06:19
We're also working on noise canceling things like snoring, noise from automobiles.
126
361000
6000
我們同時也在努力進行噪音消除，例如打鼾或手機的雜音。
06:25
I have been really lucky with this technology:
127
367000
4000
關於這項技術，我的運氣挺好的，
06:29
all of a sudden as it is ready, the world is ready to accept it.
128
371000
5000
當它完成的同時，這個世界已經準備好去使用它了。
06:34
They have literally beat a path to our door.
129
376000
2000
人們爭相找上門來。
06:36
We've been selling it since about last September, October,
130
378000
3000
我們從去年九月十月左右就開始賣了，
06:39
and it's been immensely gratifying.
131
381000
3000
大家的反應都很滿意。
06:42
If you're interested in what it costs -- I'm not selling them today --
132
384000
2000
如果你想知道價格的話 -- 我今天不是來賣這東西的 --
06:44
but this unit, with the electronics and everything,
133
386000
2000
這一台附帶這些電子配備和其他東西，
06:46
if you buy one, is around a thousand bucks.
134
388000
2000
如果你想買的話，大概要一千美元左右。
06:48
We expect by this time next year,
135
390000
2000
我們希望到明天此時，
06:50
it'll be hundreds, a few hundred bucks, to buy it.
136
392000
2000
價格能降到幾百塊美元。
06:52
It's not any more pricey than regular electronics.
137
394000
4000
它將不會再比一般家用電器貴很多。
06:56
Now, when I played it for you, you didn't hear the thunderous bass.
138
398000
4000
當我播放給大家聽時，你不會聽見吵雜的低音。
07:00
This unit that I played goes from about 200 hertz to above the range of hearing.
139
402000
5000
我播放的這個設備可以從200Hz到超音波。
07:05
It's actually emitting ultrasound -- low-level ultrasound --
140
407000
4000
它可以發出超音波 --低頻的超音波 --
07:09
that's about 100,000 vibrations per second.
141
411000
3000
振動頻率大約每秒 10 萬次。
07:12
And the sound that you're hearing,
142
414000
2000
你所聽見的聲音，
07:14
unlike a regular speaker on which all the sound is made on the face,
143
416000
4000
不會像一般喇叭直接對著你的臉來，
07:18
is made out in front of it, in the air.
144
420000
3000
而是在你面前的空氣中產生。
07:21
The air is not linear, as we've always been taught.
145
423000
4000
我們所了解的空氣是非線性的。
07:25
You turn up the volume just a little bit --
146
427000
2000
當你把音量提高一點時 --
07:27
I'm talking about a little over 80 decibels --
147
429000
3000
我指的是高過80分貝 --
07:30
and all of a sudden the air begins to corrupt signals you propagate.
148
432000
4000
空氣會導致聲音被扭曲。
07:34
Here's why: the speed of sound is not a constant. It's fairly slow.
149
436000
5000
因為，聲音並不是固定速度。它相當緩慢。
07:39
It changes with temperature and with barometric pressure.
150
441000
4000
它的速度會因為溫度和壓力而改變。
07:43
Now, imagine, if you will, without getting too technical,
151
445000
3000
想像一下，如果用簡單的技術原理來說明，
07:46
I'm making a little sine wave here in the air.
152
448000
3000
當我在空氣中製造一個正弦波，
07:49
Well, if I turn up the amplitude too much,
153
451000
3000
如果我把擴大器開太大，
07:52
I'm having an effect on the pressure,
154
454000
3000
會因為壓力而產生干擾，
07:55
which means during the making of that sine wave,
155
457000
3000
就是說，當製造正弦波時，
07:58
the speed at which it is propagating is shifting.
156
460000
3000
剛生成的波，移動速度會產生變化。
08:01
All of audio as we know it
157
463000
3000
我們所知道的聲波
08:04
is an attempt to be more and more perfectly linear.
158
466000
4000
全都會趨向於形成線性。
08:08
Linearity means higher quality sound.
159
470000
4000
線性代表高品質的聲音。
08:12
Hypersonic sound is exactly the opposite:
160
474000
4000
超級超音波則完全相反，
08:16
it's 100 percent based on non-linearity.
161
478000
4000
它是100%非線性的。
08:20
An effect happens in the air, it's a corrupting effect of the sound --
162
482000
5000
空氣造成的干擾，會將聲音扭曲 --
08:25
the ultrasound in this case -- that's emitted,
163
487000
3000
這裡的超音波會因此四散，
08:28
but it's so predictable
164
490000
2000
但這是可預期的，
08:30
that you can produce very precise audio out of that effect.
165
492000
4000
所以你可以造出正確的聲音來導正這個干擾結果。
08:34
Now, the question is, where's the sound made?
166
496000
3000
現在的問題是，聲音在哪裡形成的呢?
08:37
Instead of being made on the face of the cone,
167
499000
2000
不同於原本由喇叭前面的振動膜發聲，
08:39
it's made at literally billions of little independent points
168
501000
4000
它是在狹長的空氣柱中
08:43
along this narrow column in the air,
169
505000
4000
幾十億個獨立的小點所產生，
08:47
and so when I aim it towards you,
170
509000
2000
所以當我將它瞄準你時，
08:49
what you hear is made right next to your ears.
171
511000
3000
你所聽見的是在你耳邊所發出的聲音。
08:52
I said we can shorten the column,
172
514000
3000
我們可以將這個空氣柱變小，
08:55
we can spread it out to cover the couch.
173
517000
2000
也可以將它擴大到覆蓋整張沙發。
08:57
I can put it so that one ear hears one speaker,
174
519000
3000
我可以讓你一隻耳朵聽見一個喇叭的聲音，
09:00
the other ear hears the other. That's true binaural sound.
175
522000
4000
另一隻耳朵聽到另一個喇叭的聲音。這才是真正的立體聲。
09:04
When you listen to stereo on your home system,
176
526000
3000
當你在家裡聽立體音效時，
09:07
your both ears hear both speakers.
177
529000
3000
你的兩隻耳朵都能聽見兩個喇叭的聲音。
09:10
Turn on the left speaker sometime
178
532000
2000
有時只開左邊的喇叭時，
09:12
and notice you're hearing it also in your right ear.
179
534000
2000
你的右耳還是會聽見聲音。
09:14
So, the stage is more restricted --
180
536000
3000
在舞台上的話限制就更多了 --
09:17
the sound stage that's supposed to spread out in front of you.
181
539000
3000
因為聲音必須要傳到你的面前。
09:20
Because the sound is made in the air along this column,
182
542000
3000
正因為聲音是在空氣柱中產生的，
09:23
it does not follow the inverse square law,
183
545000
2000
它不會遵循反平方定理，
09:25
which says it drops off about two thirds
184
547000
3000
那是指當距離變成兩倍時，
09:28
every time you double the distance:
185
550000
2000
音量會減少二分之三：
09:30
6dB every time you go from one meter, for instance, to two meters.
186
552000
5000
舉例來說，每移動一到兩公尺就會少 6 分貝。
09:35
That means you go to a rock concert or a symphony,
187
557000
3000
也就是說，當你聽搖滾演唱會或交響樂時，
09:38
and the guy in the front row gets the same level
188
560000
2000
在後排的人所聽見的聲音，
09:40
as the guy in the back row, now, all of a sudden.
189
562000
2000
現在突然之間就和前排的人一樣了。
09:42
Isn't that terrific?
190
564000
3000
這不是很棒嗎?
09:45
So, we've been, as I say, very successful, very lucky,
191
567000
3000
因此，我們相當成功，也相當幸運，
09:48
in having companies catch the vision of this,
192
570000
3000
能有許多公司願意採用這種概念，
09:51
from cars -- car makers who want to put a stereo system in the front for the kids,
193
573000
4000
在車上 -- 汽車製造商想在前面替小孩們放一套立體聲系統，
09:55
and a separate system in the back --
194
577000
2000
以及後面放置不同的立體聲系統 --
09:57
oh, no, the kids aren't driving today.
195
579000
2000
喔，不對，小孩子不能開車。
09:59
(Laughter)
196
581000
1000
(笑聲)
10:00
I was seeing if you were listening.
197
582000
2000
我只是在試看看你有沒有注意聽。
10:02
Actually, I haven't had breakfast yet.
198
584000
2000
事實上，我還沒吃早餐。
10:04
A stereo system in the front for mom and dad,
199
586000
4000
在前面替爸爸媽媽放一套立體聲系統，
10:08
and maybe there's a little DVD player in the back for the kids,
200
590000
3000
後面也許有個DVD播放器讓小孩子看，
10:11
and the parents don't want to be bothered with that,
201
593000
2000
而父母們不想被這個
10:13
or their rap music or whatever.
202
595000
2000
或是rap音樂或其他的吵到。
10:15
So, again, this idea of being able to put sound anywhere you want to
203
597000
3000
於是，可以讓你在任何想要的地方放音樂的概念
10:18
is really starting to catch on.
204
600000
2000
逐漸趕上需求了。
10:20
It also works for transmitting and communicating data.
205
602000
4000
這也可以用來傳輸或溝通資料。
10:24
It also works five times better underwater.
206
606000
3000
在水底的運作效果好上5倍。
10:27
We've got the military -- have just deployed some of these into Iraq,
207
609000
4000
國軍採購了這些 -- 用在伊拉克戰爭時，
10:31
where you can put fake troop movements
208
613000
3000
你可以在山腰的1/4英里外
10:34
quarter of a mile away on a hillside.
209
616000
2000
播放偽造的士兵走動聲音。
10:36
(Laughter)
210
618000
3000
(笑聲)
10:39
Or you can whisper in the ear of a supposed terrorist some Biblical verse.
211
621000
4000
或者你可以在疑似恐怖份子的耳邊小聲的說一些聖經的詩句。
10:43
(Laughter)
212
625000
2000
(笑聲)
10:45
I'm serious. And they have these infrared devices
213
627000
6000
我是認真的。它們還有這些紅外線裝置，
10:51
that can look at their countenance,
214
633000
3000
可以在一百碼外，
10:54
and see a fraction of a degree Kelvin in temperature shift
215
636000
4000
看見他們的表情，
10:58
from 100 yards away when they play this thing.
216
640000
3000
以及每一度絕對溫度的變化量。
11:01
And so, another way of hopefully determining who's friendly and who isn't.
217
643000
4000
希望這個能成為另一種判別敵我的方式。
11:05
We make a version with this which puts out 155 decibels.
218
647000
5000
我們還製造了一種可以造出155分貝的機器。
11:10
Pain is 120.
219
652000
2000
120分貝就能讓人感到痛苦。
11:12
So it allows you to go nearly a mile away and communicate with people,
220
654000
4000
它可以讓你和距離一英里左右的人交談，
11:16
and there can be a public beach just off to the side,
221
658000
2000
那可以是在公共海灘旁邊，
11:18
and they don't even know it's turned on.
222
660000
2000
旁人甚至不會發現它已經被打開了。
11:20
We sell those to the military presently for about 70,000 dollars,
223
662000
4000
我們最近把這東西以7萬美金賣給軍方，
11:24
and they're buying them as fast as we can make them.
224
666000
2000
我們才剛做好立刻就被他們買走了。
11:26
We put it on a turret with a camera, so that when they shoot at you,
225
668000
5000
我們將它裝置在砲塔上，並裝置了攝影機，當他們朝你射擊時，
11:31
you're over there, and it's there.
226
673000
3000
你並不在他們瞄準的地方。
11:34
I have a bunch of other inventions.
227
676000
2000
我還有許多其它發明。
11:36
I invented a plasma antenna, to shift gears.
228
678000
2000
我發明了一個用來變速的電漿天線。
11:38
Looked up at the ceiling of my office one day --
229
680000
3000
有天我看著天花板想事情時 --
11:41
I was working on a ground-penetrating radar project --
230
683000
4000
我正在進行一個地底探測雷達的案子 --
11:45
and my physicist CEO came in and said, "We have a real problem.
231
687000
4000
我的物理學CEO跑來跟我說，"我們遇到麻煩了。
11:49
We're using very short wavelengths.
232
691000
3000
我們用的是極短波長。
11:52
We've got a problem with the antenna ringing.
233
694000
2000
這會產生天線鳴叫的問題。
11:54
When you run very short wavelengths,
234
696000
2000
當使用極短波長時，
11:56
like a tuning fork the antenna resonates,
235
698000
2000
就像是用音叉讓天線產生共鳴，
11:58
and there's more energy coming out of the antenna
236
700000
2000
這會讓天線產生出
12:00
than there is the backscatter from the ground
237
702000
2000
比起地底反射獲得的還要更高的能量，
12:02
that we're trying to analyze, taking too much processing."
238
704000
3000
這樣會造成分析上更多的困難。"
12:05
I says, "Why don't we make an antenna that only exists when you want it?
239
707000
5000
我說，"為什麼不做一個只有在需要時存在的天線?
12:10
Turn it on; turn it off.
240
712000
3000
可以隨時打開或關閉。
12:13
That's a fluorescent tube refined."
241
715000
5000
一種改良的螢光燈管。"
12:18
I just sold that for a million and a half dollars, cash.
242
720000
3000
我剛將它以150萬現金價賣出。
12:21
I took it back to the Pentagon after it got declassified,
243
723000
3000
在它被解除機密等級後，我將它帶回五角大廈，
12:24
when the patent issued, and told the people back there about it,
244
726000
4000
在註冊專利以後，我告訴那些人關於它的故事，
12:28
and they laughed, and then I took them back a demo and they bought.
245
730000
2000
他們笑了，並且在我進行一些示範後，他們就買了。
12:30
(Laughter)
246
732000
2000
(笑聲)
12:32
Any of you ever wore a Jabber headphone -- the little cell headphones?
247
734000
5000
你們有用過 Jabber 的耳機嗎? 那種小型手機耳機?
12:37
That's my invention. I sold that for seven million dollars.
248
739000
2000
那是我發明的。我將它以七百萬美金賣出。
12:39
Big mistake: it just sold for 80 million dollars two years ago.
249
741000
4000
那是一個大錯，兩年前它被人以八千萬美金轉賣了。
12:43
I actually drew that up on a little crummy Mac computer
250
745000
3000
我當時在家中閣樓裡
12:46
in my attic at my house,
251
748000
3000
用我那台破舊的麥金塔設計出來的，
12:49
and one of the many designs which they have now
252
751000
3000
而許多其他的設計
12:52
is still the same design I drew way back when.
253
754000
2000
也都是在當時同樣情況下設計出來的。
12:54
So, I've been really lucky as an inventor.
254
756000
3000
所以，我在發明這部份還挺幸運的。
12:57
I'm the happiest guy you're ever going to meet.
255
759000
4000
我應該是你們所遇過最快樂的人。
13:01
And my dad died before he realized anybody in the family
256
763000
5000
我的父親在能夠知道，也許家裡每個人，
13:06
would maybe, hopefully, make something out of themselves.
257
768000
3000
都能幸運地靠自己創出一片天地之前就過世了。
13:09
You've been a great audience. I know I've jumped all over the place.
258
771000
2000
你們是很棒的聽眾。我知道我扯太遠了。
13:11
I usually figure out what my talk is when I get up in front of a group.
259
773000
3000
我通常在上台以後才知道我想說的是什麼。
13:14
Let me give you, in the last minute,
260
776000
2000
最後幾分鐘讓我再次
13:16
one more quick demo of this guy,
261
778000
3000
替那些還沒聽見的人們
13:19
for those of you that haven't heard it.
262
781000
3000
示範一下它的功能。
13:22
Can never tell if it's on.
263
784000
2000
不過我沒辦法知道它是不是已經啟動了。
13:24
If you haven't heard it, raise your hand.
264
786000
3000
還沒聽見的人麻煩舉個手。
13:29
Getting it over there?
265
791000
3000
那邊聽見了嗎?
13:32
Get the cameraman.
266
794000
3000
攝影師也來一下吧。
13:35
Yeah, there you go.
267
797000
2000
好，來嚕。
13:37
I've got a Coke can opening that's right in your head; that's really cool.
268
799000
3000
在腦中打開可樂罐的聲音，很酷吧。
13:40
Thank you once again.
269
802000
2000
再次感謝大家。
13:42
Appreciate it very much.
270
804000
2000
非常謝謝各位。
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Woody Norris - InventorWoody Norris is a serial inventor of electronics, tools and cutting-edge sonic equipment -- such as the LRAD acoustic cannon.
Why you should listen
When Woody Norris won the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2005, his official prize bio called him "a classic independent inventor ... self-educated, self-funded and self-motivated." His mind seems to race toward things the world needs, though we don't know it yet: a nonlethal acoustic weapon that has been used to ward off pirates, a bone-induction headset, radar that can scan the human body, a tapeless tape recorder ...
Norris' educational background is a key to his restless mind. He is not quite "self-educated" -- he's taken many classes, but always at his own speed and in his own style, studying the things he knew he wanted to know and working closely with professors. Ironically, it's a model that cutting-edge colleges are now embracing.
His inventions have seeded several public companies. Recently he has been working on the AirScooter -- a sort of propeller-powered counterpart to the Moller SkyCar.
Woody Norris | Speaker | TED.com