TED2009
John La Grou: A plug for smart power outlets
约翰拉格的智能电源插座
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约翰拉格展示了一项巧妙的新技术，这项技术运用微处理器和RFID标签让我们家里的电源插座变得更智能。这个发明，Safeplug（安全插头），有希望能避免很多像住宅火灾这样的致命事故，还能节约能源。
John La Grou - Inventor
John La Grou, a long-time electronics inventor, audio designer and entrepreneur, wants to save lives (and energy) with a new, smarter type of electrical outlet. Full bio
John La Grou, a long-time electronics inventor, audio designer and entrepreneur, wants to save lives (and energy) with a new, smarter type of electrical outlet. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:18
This is a world-changing invention.
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这是一项改变世界的发明。
00:21
The smoke alarm has saved perhaps hundreds of thousands
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烟雾警报器可能已经在全世界挽救了
00:24
of lives, worldwide.
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成千上万人的生命。
00:26
But smoke alarms don't prevent fires.
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但是，烟雾警报器不防止火灾。
00:30
Every year in the USA, over 20,000 are killed or injured
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在美国，每年有超过2万人
00:33
with 350,000 home fires.
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在35万起住宅火灾中丧生或受伤。
00:35
And one of the main causes of all these fires is electricity.
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引起这些火灾的一个主要原因就是电。
00:39
What if we could prevent electrical fires
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如果我们可以在电气火灾开始之前就避免它们发生，
00:42
before they start?
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结果会怎么样呢？
00:44
Well, a couple of friends and I figured out how to do this.
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呃，我和几个朋友琢磨出来了一个办法。
00:47
So how does electricity ignite residential fires?
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那么电是怎样引起住宅火灾的呢？
00:51
Well it turns out that the main causes
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事实表明，主要的原因是
00:53
are faulty and misused appliances and electrical wiring.
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有故障和被误用的电器和电线。
00:56
Our invention had to address all of these issues.
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我们的发明必须解决所有这些问题。
01:00
So what about circuit breakers?
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那，不是有断路器吗？
01:02
Well, Thomas Edison invented the circuit breaker in 1879.
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呃，1879年，爱迪生发明了断路器。
01:06
This is 130-year-old technology,
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这是一项有130年历史的技术了。
01:09
and this is a problem, because over 80 percent
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而这正是问题所在。因为超过80％的
01:12
of all home electrical fires
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住宅的电气火灾
01:14
start below the safety threshold of circuit breakers.
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是在低于断路器的安全要求的情况下发生的。
01:17
Hmmm ...
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嗯...
01:19
So we considered all of this. And we realized
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所以我们考虑了所有这些。然后，我们意识到
01:21
that electrical appliances
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电器设备
01:23
must be able to communicate directly
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必须要能自己和电源插座
01:25
with the power receptacle itself.
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直接通信。
01:27
Any electrical device -- an appliance, an extension cord, whatever --
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任何电子设备，一个电器，一根延长线，不管是什么，
01:31
must be able to tell the power outlet,
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必须要能告诉电源插座，
01:33
"Hey, power outlet,
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“嗨，插座，
01:35
I'm drawing too much current. Shut me off now, before I start a fire."
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电流太大。现在就给我断电，免得我引发火灾。”
01:39
And the power outlet needs to be smart enough to do it.
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然后电源插座需要足够智能地去做这件事。
01:43
So here is what we did. We put a 10-cent digital transponder,
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那这是我们做的。我们把一个值10美分的电子转发器，
01:48
a data tag, in the appliance plug.
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和一个数据标签，放在电器的插头里。
01:51
And we put an inexpensive, wireless data reader inside the receptacle
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然后我们把一个便宜的，无线数据读取器放在插座里
01:55
so they could communicate.
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这样它们就能通信了。
01:57
Now, every home electrical system
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现在，每个家庭电子系统
01:59
becomes an intelligent network.
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变成了一个智能的网络。
02:02
The appliance's safe operating parameters
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电器的安全操作参数
02:04
are embedded into its plug.
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被嵌入它的插头里。
02:07
If too much current is flowing,
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如果有太多电流通过，
02:09
the intelligent receptacle turns itself off,
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智能的插头就自行关闭，
02:11
and prevents another fire from starting.
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从而避免另一场火灾。
02:14
We call this technology EFCI,
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我们把这项技术成为EFCI，
02:16
Electrical Fault Circuit Interrupter.
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电气故障电路断流器
02:19
Okay, two more points. Every year in the USA,
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好了，再讲两点。在美国，每年
02:21
roughly 2,500 children
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大约有2500儿童
02:24
are admitted to emergency rooms for shock and burn injuries
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因为触电以及和插座有关的烧伤被送入急诊室。
02:27
related to electrical receptacles. And this is crazy.
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这让人不可思议。
02:31
An intelligent receptacle prevents injuries
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一个智能的插座能避免这些伤害。
02:34
because the power is always off,
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因为电源总是关闭的，
02:36
until an intelligent plug is detected. Simple.
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直到一个智能的插头被检测到。很简单。
02:40
Now, besides saving lives,
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除了拯救生命，
02:42
perhaps the greatest benefit of intelligent power
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也许智能电源最大的好处还在于
02:44
is in its energy savings.
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节约能源。
02:46
This invention will reduce global energy consumption
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这项发明会减少全球的能源消耗
02:49
by allowing remote control and automation
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因为它使得所有家庭和公司的每个插座
02:52
of every outlet in every home and business.
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都能被遥控和自动化。
02:55
Now you can choose to reduce your home energy bill
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现在你可以选择通过自动循环开关大耗电设备
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by automatically cycling heavy loads
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而削减你家的电费帐单
03:00
like air conditioners and heaters.
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比如空调和暖气。
03:03
Hotels and businesses can shut down unused rooms
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酒店等商业场所能从一个中心，或甚至一个手机
03:06
from a central location, or even a cell phone.
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来切断未入住房间的电力。
03:09
There are 10 billion electrical outlets
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光是在北美，
03:12
in North America alone.
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就有100亿个电源插座。
03:14
The potential energy savings is very, very significant.
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潜在的能源消耗是非常非常可观的。
03:18
So far we've applied for 414 patent claims.
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到现在，我们已经申请了414项专利。
03:22
Of those, 186 have been granted:
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其中，有186项被批准。
03:25
228 are in process.
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还有228项正在被处理。
03:27
And I'm pleased to announce that just three weeks ago
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而且我很高兴的宣布就在三个星期以前
03:30
we received our first international recognition,
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我们收到了第一份国际上的认可，
03:33
the 2009 CES Innovation Award.
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是2009年的CES创新奖。
03:37
So, to conclude,
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所以，作为总结，
03:39
intelligent power can, globally, save thousands of lives,
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全球范围内，智能电源可以拯救成千生命，
03:43
prevent tens of thousands of injuries,
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避免上万次受伤，
03:45
and eliminate tens of billions of dollars in property damage
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还能避免亿万美元的财产损失，
03:49
every single year,
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每一年，
03:51
while significantly reducing global energy consumption.
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而且还能相当可观地减少全球能源消耗。
03:54
In the spirit of this year's TED Conference,
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本着今年TED的会议精神来说，
03:56
we think this is a powerful, world-changing invention.
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我们认为这是一项强大的，改变世界的发明。
03:59
And I'd like to thank Chris for this opportunity
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我想谢谢克里斯给我这次机会
04:02
to unveil our technology with you, and soon the world.
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让我能在你们面前，而且即将在全世界面前，展示这项技术。
04:05
Thank you.
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谢谢你。
04:06
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
John La Grou - InventorJohn La Grou, a long-time electronics inventor, audio designer and entrepreneur, wants to save lives (and energy) with a new, smarter type of electrical outlet.
Why you should listen
John La Grou is a patent holder and research engineer on Safeplug, a new brand of electrical fault circuit interrupters. The Safeplug technology, which combines microprocessors in power outlets and RFID tags in electrical plugs, might just represent the next generation in residential and commercial electrical delivery. Besides conserving massive amounts of energy, Safeplug promises to save lives and prevent injuries by making the electrical systems in our homes "smart."
La Grou is also CEO of Millennia Group, an audio design and manufacturing company that produces audio components held as the gold standard among professional musicians and producers.
John La Grou | Speaker | TED.com