TEDIndia 2009
Pawan Sinha: How brains learn to see
帕旺辛哈 大脑如何学习辨识物体
Filmed:
Readability: 4.5
939,209 views
帕旺辛哈博士对大脑中视觉系统的发展进行了开创性的研究。辛哈与他的团队为先天失明的儿童提供免费的视力恢复治疗，并且学习他们的大脑如何处理视觉相关的数据。这项工作为神经学，工程学，甚至自闭症的研究提供了真知卓见。
Pawan Sinha - Visual neuroscientist
Pawan Sinha researches how our brains interpret what our eyes see -- and uses that research to give blind children the gift of sight. Full bio
Pawan Sinha researches how our brains interpret what our eyes see -- and uses that research to give blind children the gift of sight. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
If you are a blind child in India,
0
0
4000
在印度，如果你先天失明
00:19
you will very likely have to contend with
1
4000
3000
你必须为之奋斗的
00:22
at least two big pieces of bad news.
2
7000
3000
有两件事
00:25
The first bad news
3
10000
2000
第一
00:27
is that the chances of getting treatment
4
12000
3000
接受治疗的机会
00:30
are extremely slim to none,
5
15000
3000
极为微小，或者说近乎没有
00:33
and that's because most of the blindness
6
18000
2000
因为在这个国家
00:35
alleviation programs in the country
7
20000
2000
大部分的眼科治疗
00:37
are focused on adults,
8
22000
2000
都仅仅集中提供给成人
00:39
and there are very, very few hospitals
9
24000
3000
只有极少极少数的医院
00:42
that are actually equipped to treat children.
10
27000
3000
才有针对儿童的医疗设备
00:46
In fact, if you were to be treated,
11
31000
4000
其实，就算能够接受治疗
00:51
you might well end up being treated
12
36000
3000
也很有可能你的主治医生
00:54
by a person who has no medical credentials
13
39000
3000
根本没有医学证书
00:57
as this case from Rajasthan illustrates.
14
42000
3000
拉贾斯坦的这个例子就是这样
01:00
This is a three-year-old orphan girl
15
45000
2000
她是个孤儿，只有三岁
01:02
who had cataracts.
16
47000
2000
患有先天性白内障
01:04
So, her caretakers took her
17
49000
2000
于是她的看护人带她到
01:06
to the village medicine man,
18
51000
2000
乡村诊所看病
01:08
and instead of suggesting to the caretakers
19
53000
3000
赤脚医生没有向看护人建议
01:11
that the girl be taken to a hospital,
20
56000
3000
让这个女孩子去正规医院
01:14
the person decided to burn her abdomen
21
59000
2000
恰恰相反，他决定以烧红的铁条
01:16
with red-hot iron bars
22
61000
2000
灼烧她的小腹
01:18
to drive out the demons.
23
63000
2000
说是用来驱魔 :(
01:20
The second piece of bad news
24
65000
3000
另一则不幸的消息
01:23
will be delivered to you
25
68000
2000
你会了解到的是
01:25
by neuroscientists, who will tell you
26
70000
3000
神经学家说
01:28
that if you are older than four or five years of age,
27
73000
3000
如果你是四到五岁以上
01:31
that even if you have your eye corrected,
28
76000
3000
视力才得以恢复
01:34
the chances of your brain learning how to see
29
79000
3000
大脑学习去看东西的机会
01:37
are very, very slim --
30
82000
2000
已经微乎其微
01:39
again, slim or none.
31
84000
3000
像第一条一样，几近没有机会。。。
01:42
So when I heard these two things,
32
87000
2000
听到这两件事
01:44
it troubled me deeply,
33
89000
2000
我陷入了深深的烦恼
01:46
both because of personal reasons
34
91000
2000
有个人背景方面的原因
01:48
and scientific reasons.
35
93000
2000
也有科学原因
01:50
So let me first start with the personal reason.
36
95000
3000
先从个人方面说起吧
01:53
It'll sound corny, but it's sincere.
37
98000
3000
听起来稀松平常，但我是非常认真的
01:56
That's my son, Darius.
38
101000
2000
那就是我的儿子，Darius
01:58
As a new father,
39
103000
2000
作为一个刚刚晋升的父亲
02:00
I have a qualitatively different sense
40
105000
4000
我从内心深处有种奇妙的感觉
02:04
of just how delicate babies are,
41
109000
3000
小宝宝是多么的纤细微妙，
02:07
what our obligations are towards them
42
112000
3000
那些对他们应尽的责任
02:10
and how much love
43
115000
2000
以及深深的爱护
02:12
we can feel towards a child.
44
117000
3000
面对孩子时我会不由自主的有所感应
02:15
I would move heaven and earth
45
120000
2000
我愿意上天入地
02:17
in order to get treatment for Darius,
46
122000
3000
只为Darius的健康成长
02:20
and for me to be told
47
125000
2000
当我被告知
02:22
that there might be other Dariuses
48
127000
2000
有那么多其他的Darius
02:24
who are not getting treatment,
49
129000
2000
没得到任何治疗
02:26
that's just viscerally wrong.
50
131000
3000
这简直是大错特错！
02:29
So that's the personal reason.
51
134000
2000
这，就是我的个人原因
02:31
Scientific reason is that this notion
52
136000
3000
科学研究方面，
02:34
from neuroscience of critical periods --
53
139000
2000
神经学长久以来的这种说法
02:36
that if the brain is older
54
141000
3000
认为当大脑超过
02:39
than four or five years of age,
55
144000
2000
四到五岁时
02:41
it loses its ability to learn --
56
146000
2000
将会失去学习能力
02:43
that doesn't sit well with me,
57
148000
2000
我并不赞同
02:45
because I don't think that idea
58
150000
2000
因为我不觉得此理论
02:47
has been tested adequately.
59
152000
3000
有广泛的实践基础
02:50
The birth of the idea is from
60
155000
2000
这个理论来自于
02:52
David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel's work,
61
157000
2000
大卫胡伯和维塞尔的研究
02:54
two researchers who were at Harvard,
62
159000
2000
他们是哈佛大学的两位学者
02:56
and they got the Nobel Prize in 1981
63
161000
3000
于1981年赢得诺贝尔奖
02:59
for their studies of visual physiology,
64
164000
2000
其课题是视觉生理学
03:01
which are remarkably beautiful studies,
65
166000
2000
那是一项非比寻常的研究
03:03
but I believe some of their work
66
168000
2000
但我相信他们的一些工作
03:05
has been extrapolated
67
170000
2000
在推断的基础上
03:07
into the human domain prematurely.
68
172000
2000
过早的进入了人类范围
03:09
So, they did their work with kittens,
69
174000
2000
事实上，他们用猫咪做实验
03:11
with different kinds of deprivation regiments,
70
176000
2000
证实了不同残疾种类的行为
03:13
and those studies,
71
178000
2000
这些研究
03:15
which date back to the '60s,
72
180000
2000
已经是六十年代的产物
03:17
are now being applied to human children.
73
182000
3000
现在却还在被用于分析我们的孩子
03:20
So I felt that I needed to do two things.
74
185000
3000
就这样，我认定自己需要做两件事
03:23
One: provide care
75
188000
3000
第一: 为得不到
03:26
to children who are currently
76
191000
2000
治疗的儿童们
03:28
being deprived of treatment.
77
193000
2000
提供关照
03:30
That's the humanitarian mission.
78
195000
2000
这是人道主义职责所在
03:32
And the scientific mission would be
79
197000
2000
科学的职责在于
03:34
to test the limits
80
199000
2000
要去学习
03:36
of visual plasticity.
81
201000
2000
视觉系统延伸的极限
03:38
And these two missions, as you can tell,
82
203000
3000
很显然，这两项任务放在一起
03:41
thread together perfectly. One adds to the other;
83
206000
3000
会是多么的珠联璧合
03:44
in fact, one would be impossible without the other.
84
209000
3000
彼此密不可分
03:49
So, to implement
85
214000
2000
这般如此，为了实施
03:51
these twin missions,
86
216000
2000
此两个任务
03:53
a few years ago, I launched Project Prakash.
87
218000
3000
几年前我发起了普拉卡项目
03:56
Prakash, as many of you know,
88
221000
2000
普拉卡，你们也许知道
03:58
is the Sanskrit word for light,
89
223000
2000
在梵语中意为 光明
04:00
and the idea is that
90
225000
2000
我们希望能
04:02
in bringing light into the lives of children,
91
227000
3000
给孩子们的生命中带来光明
04:05
we also have a chance
92
230000
2000
同时有机会
04:07
of shedding light on some of the
93
232000
2000
搞定一些
04:09
deepest mysteries of neuroscience.
94
234000
3000
神经学上的迷思
04:12
And the logo -- even though it looks extremely Irish,
95
237000
3000
它的图标，尽管看起来特别像爱尔兰文字
04:15
it's actually derived from
96
240000
2000
其实是源自
04:17
the Indian symbol of Diya, an earthen lamp.
97
242000
4000
古印度代表大地之神的明灯
04:21
The Prakash, the overall effort
98
246000
3000
普拉卡 总的来说
04:24
has three components:
99
249000
2000
专注于三个方面
04:26
outreach, to identify children in need of care;
100
251000
4000
从长计议，去帮助需要关爱
04:30
medical treatment; and in subsequent study.
101
255000
3000
治疗和学习的孩子们
04:33
And I want to show you a short video clip
102
258000
3000
现在我要播放一段视频
04:36
that illustrates the first two components of this work.
103
261000
3000
来展示前两个方面
04:41
This is an outreach station
104
266000
2000
这个长远的安置
04:43
conducted at a school for the blind.
105
268000
3000
引导着盲童学校
04:46
(Text: Most of the children are profoundly and permanently blind ...)
106
271000
5000
画外音：大部分孩子都是重度永久性的失明
04:51
Pawan Sinha: So, because this is a school for the blind,
107
276000
5000
教授：由于这是所盲人学校
04:56
many children have permanent conditions.
108
281000
2000
很多孩子的情况一生都无法治愈
04:58
That's a case of microphthalmos,
109
283000
3000
这就是小眼症
05:01
which is malformed eyes,
110
286000
2000
也称眼部发育畸形
05:03
and that's a permanent condition;
111
288000
2000
一种永久性的损害
05:05
it cannot be treated.
112
290000
2000
无法治愈
05:07
That's an extreme of micropthalmos
113
292000
2000
这一例是极端小眼症
05:09
called enophthalmos.
114
294000
2000
叫做眼球内陷
05:11
But, every so often, we come across children
115
296000
2000
尽管情况如此糟糕，我们还是会遇到
05:13
who show some residual vision,
116
298000
3000
有些孩子留有少许视力
05:16
and that is a very good sign
117
301000
3000
这是非常好的迹象
05:19
that the condition might actually be treatable.
118
304000
2000
说明这种病例有治疗的希望
05:21
So, after that screening, we bring the children to the hospital.
119
306000
3000
我们把类似这样经过挑选的孩子送进医院观察
05:24
That's the hospital we're working with in Delhi,
120
309000
2000
我们与这家坐落在德里的医院合作
05:26
the Schroff Charity Eye Hospital.
121
311000
3000
斯沃夫慈善眼科医院
05:29
It has a very well-equipped
122
314000
2000
它有个设备精良的
05:31
pediatric ophthalmic center,
123
316000
3000
儿童眼科中心
05:35
which was made possible in part
124
320000
2000
多亏了罗兰 麦当劳的慷慨捐助
05:37
by a gift from the Ronald McDonald charity.
125
322000
4000
使其成为可能
05:41
So, eating burgers actually helps.
126
326000
3000
你看，多吃点儿汉堡包真的有用
05:45
(Text: Such examinations allow us to improve
127
330000
2000
文字：（这类的检测使我们提高了
05:47
eye-health in many children, and ...
128
332000
2000
许多孩子的眼部健康状况并且
05:54
... help us find children who can participate in Project Prakash.)
129
339000
3000
协助我们寻找那些可以参与普拉卡计划的孩子们）
05:57
PS: So, as I zoom in to the eyes of this child,
130
342000
2000
近距离观察这个孩子的眼睛
05:59
you will see the cause of his blindness.
131
344000
3000
你会看见是什么使他失明
06:03
The whites that you see in the middle of his pupils
132
348000
3000
你看瞳孔中间的这块白斑
06:06
are congenital cataracts,
133
351000
3000
是先天性白内障
06:09
so opacities of the lens.
134
354000
2000
挡住眼球水晶体
06:11
In our eyes, the lens is clear,
135
356000
3000
我们眼睛里的水晶体是透明的
06:14
but in this child, the lens has become opaque,
136
359000
2000
但是这个孩子，他的水晶体变得浑浊
06:16
and therefore he can't see the world.
137
361000
3000
就这样儿，他什么都看不见
06:19
So, the child is given treatment. You'll see shots of the eye.
138
364000
3000
于是这个孩子接受了治疗，注意看他眼部的照片
06:22
Here's the eye with the opaque lens,
139
367000
2000
这是那只盲眼
06:24
the opaque lens extracted
140
369000
2000
拿出浑浊的晶状体
06:26
and an acrylic lens inserted.
141
371000
3000
用树脂晶状体取代
06:29
And here's the same child
142
374000
2000
同样的孩子
06:31
three weeks post-operation,
143
376000
3000
手术3个星期后
06:34
with the right eye open.
144
379000
3000
右眼看得见了
06:40
(Applause)
145
385000
6000
（掌声）
06:46
Thank you.
146
391000
2000
谢谢
06:48
So, even from that little clip, you can begin to get the sense
147
393000
3000
从这段小影片中，你已经了解到
06:51
that recovery is possible,
148
396000
2000
康复是有可能的
06:53
and we have now
149
398000
2000
目前我们已经
06:55
provided treatment to over 200 children,
150
400000
3000
为超过200名儿童提供了治疗
06:58
and the story repeats itself.
151
403000
2000
故事在重复上演着
07:00
After treatment, the child
152
405000
2000
进过治疗，这些孩子们
07:02
gains significant functionality.
153
407000
3000
的视力得到极大的进步
07:05
In fact, the story holds true
154
410000
3000
其实，同样的示例
07:08
even if you have a person who got sight
155
413000
2000
发生在失明多年的
07:10
after several years of deprivation.
156
415000
2000
病患身上
07:12
We did a paper a few years ago
157
417000
2000
几年前我们有篇论文
07:14
about this woman that you see on the right, SRD,
158
419000
4000
就是关于右边这位妇女的故事
07:18
and she got her sight late in life,
159
423000
2000
她晚年才开始看见东西的
07:20
and her vision is remarkable at this age.
160
425000
4000
她的视力在这个年龄段是非常出色的
07:24
I should add a tragic postscript to this --
161
429000
3000
我得加个悲剧桥段
07:27
she died two years ago
162
432000
2000
两年前她去世了
07:29
in a bus accident.
163
434000
2000
死于巴士车祸
07:31
So, hers is just a truly inspiring story --
164
436000
4000
她是个真实而激动人心的示例
07:35
unknown, but inspiring story.
165
440000
3000
尽管无法得知未来会怎样，不过非常激励我们
07:38
So when we started finding these results,
166
443000
2000
当我们开始寻找这类示例时
07:40
as you might imagine, it created quite a bit of stir
167
445000
3000
能够想象，在科学界和流行出版行业
07:43
in the scientific and the popular press.
168
448000
3000
激起过一些浪潮
07:46
Here's an article in Nature
169
451000
2000
这是刊登在《自然》 上面的文章
07:48
that profiled this work,
170
453000
2000
描述这项工作
07:50
and another one in Time.
171
455000
2000
时代周刊也曾经报道
07:52
So, we were fairly convinced -- we are convinced --
172
457000
2000
我们十分信服
07:54
that recovery is feasible,
173
459000
2000
回复是很有可能的
07:56
despite extended visual deprivation.
174
461000
3000
即使是针对长期视力衰弱
07:59
The next obvious question to ask:
175
464000
2000
下一个问题显然就是
08:01
What is the process of recovery?
176
466000
3000
恢复的过程是怎样呢？
08:04
So, the way we study that is,
177
469000
3000
我们是这么进行研究的：
08:07
let's say we find a child who has light sensitivity.
178
472000
2000
先要寻找一个对光线敏感的孩子
08:09
The child is provided treatment,
179
474000
2000
给他进行治疗
08:11
and I want to stress that the treatment
180
476000
2000
我想要强调一点这类治疗
08:13
is completely unconditional;
181
478000
2000
是完全免费的
08:15
there is no quid pro quo.
182
480000
2000
无需置疑
08:17
We treat many more children then we actually work with.
183
482000
3000
我们治疗非常多的孩子们，通过他们开展工作
08:20
Every child who needs treatment is treated.
184
485000
3000
每个需要的孩子都会治疗
08:23
After treatment, about every week,
185
488000
2000
治疗过后的几乎每个星期♪
08:25
we run the child
186
490000
2000
我们给孩子进行
08:27
on a battery of simple visual tests
187
492000
3000
简单的视觉测试
08:30
in order to see how their visual skills
188
495000
2000
从而观察他们的进步
08:32
are coming on line.
189
497000
2000
是符合预期效果的
08:34
And we try to do this for as long as possible.
190
499000
3000
我们试着去做，越多越好
08:37
This arc of development
191
502000
2000
这条发展之路
08:39
gives us unprecedented
192
504000
2000
给了我们前所未有
08:41
and extremely valuable information
193
506000
2000
极为珍贵的信息
08:43
about how the scaffolding of vision
194
508000
2000
学习视力框架是
08:45
gets set up.
195
510000
2000
如何构建的
08:47
What might be the causal connections
196
512000
2000
其中
08:49
between the early developing skills
197
514000
2000
早期发展技巧
08:51
and the later developing ones?
198
516000
2000
与后期发展有什么因果联系吗？
08:53
And we've used this general approach to study
199
518000
2000
我们用类似的方式来学习
08:55
many different visual proficiencies,
200
520000
3000
很多不同的视觉能力
08:58
but I want to highlight one particular one,
201
523000
4000
但是我想要特别强调其中的一种
09:02
and that is image parsing into objects.
202
527000
3000
那就是怎样把图像解析为物体
09:05
So, any image of the kind that you see on the left,
203
530000
2000
看，你现在看到在左边任一种图像
09:07
be it a real image or a synthetic image,
204
532000
3000
不论是真的物体或者是人造的
09:10
it's made up of little regions
205
535000
2000
都以小的区域构成
09:12
that you see in the middle column,
206
537000
2000
就是中间的这些小东西
09:14
regions of different colors, different luminances.
207
539000
3000
这些区域有各式各样的颜色，光泽
09:17
The brain has this complex task
208
542000
3000
大脑用其复杂的结构
09:20
of putting together, integrating,
209
545000
3000
来吸取判断
09:23
subsets of these regions
210
548000
2000
小区域中更小的部分
09:25
into something that's more meaningful,
211
550000
2000
转化成有意义的信息
09:27
into what we would consider to be objects,
212
552000
2000
告诉我们哪些是真实的物体
09:29
as you see on the right.
213
554000
2000
像你在右侧看到的这样
09:31
And nobody knows how this integration happens,
214
556000
2000
没人知道这个过程是怎么发生的
09:33
and that's the question we asked with Project Prakash.
215
558000
4000
这就是我们在普拉卡课题上的挑战
09:37
So, here's what happens
216
562000
2000
其实是这样的
09:39
very soon after the onset of sight.
217
564000
3000
得到视觉不久
09:42
Here's a person who had gained sight just a couple of weeks ago,
218
567000
3000
这个人几周前刚刚复明
09:45
and you see Ethan Myers, a graduate student from MIT,
219
570000
3000
这位是伊坦迈尔，麻省理工大学的学生
09:48
running the experiment with him.
220
573000
3000
在与他做实验
09:51
His visual-motor coordination is quite poor,
221
576000
4000
他的视觉配合度还很差
09:55
but you get a general sense
222
580000
2000
你可以从中得到一种感觉
09:57
of what are the regions that he's trying to trace out.
223
582000
3000
他到底在忙着找一些什么区域
10:00
If you show him real world images,
224
585000
2000
如果给他看真实的图像
10:02
if you show others like him real world images,
225
587000
3000
或者跟他这样儿的初期康复者看这种图像
10:05
they are unable to recognize most of the objects
226
590000
2000
它们不能辨识大部分物体
10:07
because the world to them is over-fragmented;
227
592000
3000
因为这个世界分成了很多小块儿
10:10
it's made up of a collage, a patchwork,
228
595000
3000
抽象断裂的小块儿
10:13
of regions of different colors and luminances.
229
598000
2000
有着很多不同的颜色和光泽
10:15
And that's what's indicated in the green outlines.
230
600000
2000
类似那些绿色划线
10:17
When you ask them,
231
602000
2000
当你向他们问起
10:19
"Even if you can't name the objects, just point to where the objects are,"
232
604000
3000
不需要命名，只要指着物体就可以
10:22
these are the regions that they point to.
233
607000
2000
他们指出来这样一些区域
10:24
So the world is this complex
234
609000
2000
他的世界非常复杂
10:26
patchwork of regions.
235
611000
2000
有一块一块的很多区域
10:28
Even the shadow on the ball
236
613000
2000
甚至球上方的阴影
10:30
becomes its own object.
237
615000
3000
变成独体的物体
10:33
Interestingly enough,
238
618000
2000
有趣的是
10:35
you give them a few months,
239
620000
2000
几个月后
10:37
and this is what happens.
240
622000
3000
发生了一些事
10:43
Doctor: How many are these?
241
628000
2000
医生：看见几个东西？
10:45
Patient: These are two things.
242
630000
2000
病患：这有两件物体
10:47
Doctor: What are their shapes?
243
632000
2000
医生：它们什么形状？
10:49
Patient: Their shapes ...
244
634000
2000
病患：它们的形状。。
10:51
This one is a circle,
245
636000
3000
这个是圆形
10:54
and this
246
639000
2000
这个
10:56
is a square.
247
641000
2000
是正方形
10:58
PS: A very dramatic transformation has come about.
248
643000
3000
相当戏剧化的转变发生了
11:01
And the question is:
249
646000
2000
问题就是
11:03
What underlies this transformation?
250
648000
2000
这种转换说明什么？
11:05
It's a profound question,
251
650000
2000
这是个很深奥的问题
11:07
and what's even more amazing is how simple
252
652000
2000
更使人惊奇的是
11:09
the answer is.
253
654000
2000
答案竟然那么简单
11:11
The answer lies in motion
254
656000
2000
答案来自于运动
11:13
and that's what I want to show you in the next clip.
255
658000
3000
那就是下一段视频我想要给大家展示的
11:18
Doctor: What shape do you see here?
256
663000
2000
医生：你能看到什么形状？
11:20
Patient: I can't make it out.
257
665000
3000
病患：我不太清楚
11:28
Doctor: Now?
258
673000
2000
医生：现在呢？
11:31
Patient: Triangle.
259
676000
2000
病患：三角形
11:35
Doctor: How many things are these?
260
680000
3000
医生：这有几个物体？
11:48
Now, how many things are these?
261
693000
3000
现在，有几个呢？
11:51
Patient: Two.
262
696000
2000
病患：两个
11:53
Doctor: What are these things?
263
698000
2000
医生：这些是什么？
11:56
Patient: A square and a circle.
264
701000
2000
病患：一个正方形和一个圆形
11:58
PS: And we see this pattern over and over again.
265
703000
3000
这种行为会反复出现
12:01
The one thing the visual system needs
266
706000
3000
视觉系统解读世界
12:04
in order to begin parsing the world
267
709000
2000
需要的重点
12:06
is dynamic information.
268
711000
2000
是动感信息
12:08
So the inference we are deriving from this,
269
713000
2000
我们从这个实验还有很多其他实验中
12:10
and several such experiments,
270
715000
2000
提取的是
12:12
is that dynamic information processing,
271
717000
2000
动感信息进程
12:14
or motion processing,
272
719000
2000
又叫移动进程
12:16
serves as the bedrock for building
273
721000
2000
的作用是建构视觉
12:18
the rest of the complexity of visual processing;
274
723000
4000
进程的支架
12:22
it leads to visual integration
275
727000
2000
它带领了视觉合成
12:24
and eventually to recognition.
276
729000
3000
最终实现视觉感知
12:27
This simple idea has far reaching implications.
277
732000
3000
这个貌似简单的道理有深远的影响
12:30
And let me just quickly mention two,
278
735000
3000
让我大概来提两点
12:33
one, drawing from the domain of engineering,
279
738000
2000
一方面是科技工程学
12:35
and one from the clinic.
280
740000
2000
另一个是临床
12:37
So, from the perspective of engineering,
281
742000
2000
那么，从工程学的角度来看
12:39
we can ask: Goven that we know
282
744000
3000
我们可能会问，了解了
12:42
that motion is so important for the human visual system,
283
747000
2000
动态对人类视觉行程是如此的重要
12:44
can we use this as a recipe
284
749000
3000
能不能用这个配方
12:47
for constructing machine-based vision systems
285
752000
3000
来搭建机器人视觉系统？
12:50
that can learn on their own, that don't need to be programmed
286
755000
3000
使它自己学习，都不用程序操纵
12:53
by a human programmer?
287
758000
2000
和人的协助
12:55
And that's what we're trying to do.
288
760000
2000
这就是我们在
12:57
I'm at MIT, at MIT you need to apply
289
762000
3000
麻省理工大学正在研究的课题，这里
13:00
whatever basic knowledge you gain.
290
765000
2000
需要应用任何你学到的基础知识
13:02
So we are creating Dylan,
291
767000
2000
这样，我们制造了德兰
13:04
which is a computational system
292
769000
2000
一个机器人系统
13:06
with an ambitious goal
293
771000
2000
它有个雄心勃勃的目标
13:08
of taking in visual inputs
294
773000
2000
就是获取视觉输入
13:10
of the same kind that a human child would receive,
295
775000
3000
类似小孩接受的信息一样
13:13
and autonomously discovering:
296
778000
2000
然后自觉地去发掘
13:15
What are the objects in this visual input?
297
780000
3000
这个视觉输入的目的
13:18
So, don't worry about the internals of Dylan.
298
783000
3000
别担心德兰内部长什么样
13:21
Here, I'm just going to talk about
299
786000
3000
在这里，我只需要介绍
13:24
how we test Dylan.
300
789000
2000
我们怎么测试她
13:26
The way we test Dylan is by giving it
301
791000
2000
测试德兰的方法是通过
13:28
inputs, as I said, of the same kind
302
793000
3000
给它输入一些信息
13:31
that a baby, or a child in Project Prakash would get.
303
796000
3000
类似婴儿能看到或者其他普拉卡课题的孩子能看到的
13:34
But for a long time we couldn't quite figure out:
304
799000
3000
但是很长一段时间里我们找不出来
13:37
Wow can we get these kinds of video inputs?
305
802000
3000
到哪去弄这种视频输入
13:41
So, I thought,
306
806000
2000
所以，我想到的是。。。
13:43
could we have Darius
307
808000
2000
不如让我儿子
13:45
serve as our babycam carrier,
308
810000
3000
当个婴儿摄像头
13:48
and that way get the inputs that we feed into Dylan?
309
813000
3000
就这样拍到了德兰的输入视频
13:51
So that's what we did.
310
816000
2000
我们是这么做的
13:53
(Laughter)
311
818000
7000
笑声
14:00
I had to have long conversations with my wife.
312
825000
3000
为这，我必须跟老婆进行一次长谈
14:03
(Laughter)
313
828000
5000
笑声
14:08
In fact, Pam, if you're watching this,
314
833000
2000
潘米，如果你在看的话
14:10
please forgive me.
315
835000
2000
原谅我吧
14:13
So, we modified the optics of the camera
316
838000
4000
于是我们改装了摄像机镜头
14:17
in order to mimic the baby's visual acuity.
317
842000
3000
用于模仿小婴儿的视觉精度
14:20
As some of you might know,
318
845000
2000
大家可能知道了
14:22
babyies are born pretty much legally blind.
319
847000
4000
新生宝宝总的来说是看不见什么东西的
14:26
Their acuity -- our acuity is 20/20;
320
851000
3000
他们的视力如何- 我们成人是20/20
14:29
babies' acuity is like 20/800,
321
854000
3000
婴儿的精度大概只有20/800
14:32
so they are looking at the world
322
857000
2000
所以他们眼中的世界
14:34
in a very, very blurry fashion.
323
859000
3000
非常非常的模糊
14:37
Here's what a baby-cam video looks like.
324
862000
3000
这个就是婴儿摄像头看到的
14:41
(Laughter)
325
866000
9000
笑声
14:50
(Applause)
326
875000
3000
鼓掌
14:53
Thankfully, there isn't any audio
327
878000
2000
幸亏没有音频
14:55
to go with this.
328
880000
3000
跟着图像伴奏
14:58
What's amazing is that working with such
329
883000
2000
令人惊叹的是，
15:00
highly degraded input,
330
885000
2000
宝宝们看到的世界如此的高度模糊
15:02
the baby, very quickly, is able
331
887000
2000
他们还能很快的
15:04
to discover meaning in such input.
332
889000
3000
发现这种输入的意义
15:07
But then two or three days afterward,
333
892000
2000
只要两三天，
15:09
babies begin to pay attention
334
894000
2000
宝宝会开始注意到
15:11
to their mother's or their father's face.
335
896000
2000
他的爸爸妈妈的脸孔。
15:13
How does that happen? We want Dylan to be able to do that,
336
898000
3000
这是怎么回事？我们希望德兰也能做到
15:16
and using this mantra of motion,
337
901000
3000
利用动态原理
15:19
Dylan actually can do that.
338
904000
2000
德兰实际上真的做到了
15:21
So, given that kind of video input,
339
906000
3000
给它输入这种视频
15:24
with just about six or seven minutes worth of video,
340
909000
3000
才六七分钟的短片
15:27
Dylan can begin to extract patterns
341
912000
3000
德兰能开始提取模式
15:30
that include faces.
342
915000
3000
包括面孔。
15:33
So, it's an important demonstration
343
918000
2000
所以，这是个很重要的展示
15:35
of the power of motion.
344
920000
2000
说明了动态的重要性
15:37
The clinical implication, it comes from the domain of autism.
345
922000
3000
临床上，它的应用来源于自闭症的研究
15:40
Visual integration has been associated with autism
346
925000
2000
视觉合成疗法开始的结合是自闭症
15:42
by several researchers.
347
927000
2000
已经有些科学家在研究了
15:44
When we saw that, we asked:
348
929000
2000
我们看到这些，提出的问题是
15:46
Could the impairment in visual integration
349
931000
3000
视觉系统的合成缺陷
15:49
be the manifestation of something underneath,
350
934000
3000
会不会是某种表像
15:52
of dynamic information processing deficiencies in autism?
351
937000
3000
而是自闭症的动态信息处理缺陷
15:55
Because, if that hypothesis were to be true,
352
940000
3000
因为如果这个假说是真的
15:58
it would have massive repercussions in our understanding
353
943000
3000
会给我们的研究带来巨大影响
16:01
of what's causing the many different aspects
354
946000
2000
特别是不同的
16:03
of the autism phenotype.
355
948000
3000
自闭症的显现
16:06
What you're going to see are
356
951000
2000
你会看到的是
16:08
video clips of two children -- one neurotypical,
357
953000
3000
两个孩子的视频，一个正常
16:11
one with autism, playing Pong.
358
956000
2000
另一个自闭症的孩子，在玩撞球游戏
16:13
So, while the child is playing Pong, we are tracking where they're looking.
359
958000
3000
这样，当孩子在玩儿的时候，我们跟踪他们眼球的方向
16:16
In red are the eye movement traces.
360
961000
3000
红色是眼睛运动的路径
16:19
This is the neurotypical child, and what you see
361
964000
3000
这个是正常的孩子，你会看到
16:22
is that the child is able to make cues
362
967000
2000
这个孩子能推断出
16:24
of the dynamic information
363
969000
2000
球的动态信息
16:26
to predict where the ball is going to go.
364
971000
2000
然后预测出球要去哪里
16:28
Even before the ball gets to a place,
365
973000
3000
在球到达之前
16:31
the child is already looking there.
366
976000
3000
孩子已经能看向那边了
16:34
Contrast this with a child
367
979000
2000
相反的，另一个
16:36
with autism playing the same game.
368
981000
2000
自闭症的孩子在玩的时候
16:38
Instead of anticipating,
369
983000
2000
不能预测
16:40
the child always follows where the ball has been.
370
985000
3000
他只能追着球的运动
16:43
The efficiency of the use
371
988000
2000
使用动态信息
16:45
of dynamic information
372
990000
2000
的效率
16:47
seems to be significantly compromised in autism.
373
992000
3000
看来在自闭症人身上低多了
16:51
So we are pursuing this line of work
374
996000
3000
我们一直追随这方面的工作
16:54
and hopefully we'll have
375
999000
2000
希望有一天
16:56
more results to report soon.
376
1001000
2000
有更多的研究报告出炉
16:58
Looking ahead, if you think of this disk
377
1003000
3000
向前看去，如果你觉得这个圆形
17:01
as representing all of the children
378
1006000
2000
用以代表所有
17:03
we've treated so far,
379
1008000
2000
我们已经治疗过的儿童
17:05
this is the magnitude of the problem.
380
1010000
2000
这就是问题的总量
17:07
The red dots are the children we have not treated.
381
1012000
3000
红色的点是我们治疗过的孩子
17:10
So, there are many, many more children who need to be treated,
382
1015000
2000
所以，还有很多很多孩子，需要接受治疗
17:12
and in order to expand the scope of the project,
383
1017000
3000
为了能扩大课题的范围
17:15
we are planning on launching
384
1020000
2000
我们计划要发展
17:17
The Prakash Center for Children,
385
1022000
2000
普拉卡儿童中心
17:19
which will have a dedicated pediatric hospital,
386
1024000
3000
包括专业眼科医院
17:22
a school for the children we are treating
387
1027000
2000
为患病儿童开设的学校
17:24
and also a cutting-edge research facility.
388
1029000
2000
还有前沿科技研究机构
17:26
The Prakash Center will integrate health care,
389
1031000
3000
普拉卡中心将会结合医疗
17:29
education and research in a way
390
1034000
2000
教育和科研为一体
17:31
that truly creates the whole
391
1036000
2000
真正实现
17:33
to be greater than the sum of the parts.
392
1038000
3000
合众为一的伟大力量
17:36
So, to summarize: Prakash, in its five years of existence,
393
1041000
3000
总的来说，在普拉卡成立5年之际
17:39
it's had an impact in multiple areas,
394
1044000
3000
它已经影响到了很广的范围
17:42
ranging from basic neuroscience
395
1047000
2000
从基础神经学
17:44
plasticity and learning in the brain,
396
1049000
2000
和脑神经学
17:46
to clinically relevant hypotheses like in autism,
397
1051000
4000
到临床相关的设想，比如说自闭症
17:50
the development of autonomous machine vision systems,
398
1055000
3000
有半自动可视机器人
17:53
education of the undergraduate and graduate students,
399
1058000
3000
大学生，研究生的教育学习
17:56
and most importantly in the alleviation
400
1061000
2000
最重要的在于减轻
17:58
of childhood blindness.
401
1063000
2000
孩子们失明的痛苦
18:00
And for my students and I, it's been
402
1065000
2000
对于我的学生，还有我本人
18:02
just a phenomenal experience
403
1067000
2000
这是多么非凡的经历
18:04
because we have gotten to do interesting research,
404
1069000
4000
因为我们在做着特别有趣的研究
18:08
while at the same time
405
1073000
2000
同时
18:10
helping the many children that we have worked with.
406
1075000
2000
帮助了那么多与我们工作同在的孩子们
18:12
Thank you very much.
407
1077000
2000
非常感谢
18:14
(Applause)
408
1079000
2000
（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pawan Sinha - Visual neuroscientistPawan Sinha researches how our brains interpret what our eyes see -- and uses that research to give blind children the gift of sight.
Why you should listen
At Pawan Sinha's MIT lab, he and his team spend their days trying to understand how the brain learns to recognize and use the patterns and scenes we see around us. To do this, they often use computers to model the processes of the human brain, but they also study human subjects, some of whom are seeing the world for the very first time and can tell them about the experience as it happens. They find these unusual subjects through the humanitarian branch of their research, Project Prakash.
Project Prakash sets up eye-care camps in some of the most habitually underserved regions of India, and gives free eye-health screenings to, since 2003, more than 700 functionally blind children. The children are then treated without charge, even if they do not fit the profile that would make them eligible for Sinha's research.
Sinha's eventual goal is to help 500 children each year; plans are under way for a center for visual rehabilitation in new Delhi. The special relationship that Sinha has created between research and humanitarianism promises to deliver on both fronts.
Pawan Sinha | Speaker | TED.com