ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nick Sears - Inventor
Working with his father, Ron Sears, Nick Sears is designing and building the Orb, a rotating LED display that uses persistence of vision to produce moving images in 3D space.

Why you should listen

Nick Sears is a classic tinkerer -- his resume  lists jobs that run the gamut from writing a mobile messaging framework to building a DC-DC switching voltage regulator. Along with his dad, Ron Sears, he's got a pretty neat father-son project going on: the Orb.

It's inspired by Buckminster Fuller's 1962 proposal for the Geoscope, which called for "a 200-foot-diameter sphere covered with 10 million computer-controlled light sources to be suspended over the East River in full view of the United Nations." But by making the sphere spin, the Sears realized, they could use persistence of vision and LEDs to create a bright display with a three-dimensional effect using far fewer light sources.

Sears is now a student in the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU. He and his father presented the Orb version 2 at Coachella in 2008 and continue to tinker with it.

More profile about the speaker
Nick Sears | Speaker | TED.com
TED2007

Nick Sears: Demo: The Orb

尼克‧席爾斯(Nick Sears)示範「Orb」展示器

Filmed:
533,035 views

「Orb」是一種利用視覺暫留來產生3D影像的展示器,發明家尼克席爾斯將在影片裡示範「Orb」的運作。影片雖短,卻非常酷炫。
- Inventor
Working with his father, Ron Sears, Nick Sears is designing and building the Orb, a rotating LED display that uses persistence of vision to produce moving images in 3D space. Full bio

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

00:19
In 1962, Buckminster巴克明斯特 Fuller富勒
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1952年,巴克敏斯特·富勒(譯註:美國發明家)
00:21
presented呈現 the particularly尤其 audacious膽大 proposal提案 for the GeoscopeGeoscope.
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提出了"虛擬地球"的大膽概念
00:25
It was a 200-foot-腳丫子 diameter直徑 geodesic sphere領域
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那是個直徑200呎的測地球體
00:28
to be suspended暫停 over the East River in New York紐約 City, in full充分 view視圖 of the United聯合的 Nations國家.
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並將其懸掛在紐約的東河上,能看到聯合國大廈的位置
00:33
It was a big idea理念, for sure, and it was one that he felt could truly inform通知
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這的確很大膽,他也深信
00:39
and deeply affect影響 the decision決定 making製造 of this body身體
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藉由這個球體所反映出的
00:43
through通過 animations動畫 of global全球 data數據, trends趨勢
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全球議題、趨勢以及數據
00:47
and other information信息 regarding關於 the globe地球, on this sphere領域.
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能對握有決定權的聯合國產生影響
00:51
And today今天, 45 years年份 later後來,
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在45年後的今日
00:54
we clearly明確地 have no less need for this kind of clarity明晰 and perspective透視,
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我們仍然需要這種清晰的觀點
00:57
but what we do have is improved改善 technology技術.
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然而,現代科技日新月異
01:00
Today今天 we don't need one million百萬 light bulbs燈泡 to create創建 a spherical球形 display顯示.
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我們已不需使用上百萬顆燈泡去創造一個球體
01:03
We can use LEDs發光二極管.
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我們可以用LED燈
01:05
LEDs發光二極管 are smaller, they're cheaper便宜, they're longer lasting持久, they're more efficient高效.
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LED燈有體積小、便宜、耐久、效率高的優點
01:10
Most importantly重要的 for this, they're faster更快.
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最重要的是,LED燈的轉速更快
01:12
And this speed速度, combined結合 with today's今天的 high-performance高性能 micro-controllers微控制器,
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以它的速度,搭配上今天的高性能微控制器
01:16
allows允許 us to actually其實 simulate模擬, in this piece,
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讓我們只用64顆LED燈
01:19
over 17,000 LEDs發光二極管 -- using運用 just 64.
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就能模擬出一萬七千顆LED燈的效果
01:24
And the way this happens發生 is through通過 the phenomenon現象 of persistence堅持 of vision視力.
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其原理是利用眼睛的視覺暫留現象來達到效果
01:28
But as this ring rotates旋轉 at about 1,700 rpm -- that's 28 times per second第二.
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它每分鐘轉動1700圈,即每秒28圈
01:33
The equator's赤道的 speed速度 is actually其實 about 60 miles英里 per hour小時.
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赤道那邊的速度會高達時速60英里
01:36
There are four on-board在船上 micro-controllers微控制器
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這裡面有四個微控制器
01:38
that, each time this ring rotates旋轉
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每當球體旋轉
01:41
it, as it passes通行證 the rear of the display顯示,
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通過後方的基座時
01:43
it picks精選 up a position位置 signal信號.
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它會接收到一個位置訊號
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And from that, the on-board在船上 micro-controllers微控制器
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藉由這個訊號,球體內的微控制器
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can extrapolate推斷 the position位置 of the ring at all points around the revolution革命
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就能推斷出整個球體在旋轉時的位置
01:52
and display顯示 arbitrary隨意 bitmap位圖 images圖片 and animations動畫.
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進而隨心所欲地產生各種圖像和影像
01:55
But this is really just the beginning開始.
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但這只是起始階段
01:58
In addition加成 to higher更高 resolution解析度 versions版本 of this display顯示,
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除了研發更高解析度的球體之外
02:01
my father父親 and I are working加工 on a new patent-pending專利申請中 design設計
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我的父親和我正在申請一項新設計的專利
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for a fully充分 volumetric容積 display顯示 using運用 the same相同 phenomenon現象.
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一個運用相同原理製造3D圖像的技術
02:07
It achieves實現 this by rotating旋轉 LEDs發光二極管 about two axes.
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只是它以兩個軌道來旋轉LED燈
02:10
So as you can see here, this is a, eleven-inch十一英寸 diameter直徑 circuit電路 board.
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如各位所見,這是個直徑11吋的電路板
02:13
These blocks represent代表 LEDs發光二極管.
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這些區塊代表LED燈
02:15
And so you could see that as this disc圓盤 rotates旋轉 about this axis,
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當這個圓盤跟著整個基座轉動時
02:19
it will create創建 a disc圓盤 of light that we can control控制.
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就會產生一個可自由操控的光圈
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That's nothing new: that's a propeller螺旋槳 clock時鐘;
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沒什麼特別,這只是個螺旋槳時鐘罷了
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that's the rims輪輞 that you can buy購買 for your car汽車.
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你也可以在車上裝一個
02:27
But what is new is that, when we rotate迴轉 this disc圓盤 about this axis,
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比較新奇的是,當這個圓盤本身也在旋轉時
02:32
this disc圓盤 of light actually其實 becomes a sphere領域 of light.
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這個光圈就會變成一顆"光球"
02:35
And so we can control控制 that with micro-controllers微控制器
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所以我們能夠利用微控制器
02:37
and create創建 a fully充分 volumetric容積, three-dimensional三維 display顯示 with just 256 LEDs發光二極管.
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再加上256顆LED燈,製造出3D球體
02:43
Now this piece is currently目前 in process處理 --
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這個裝置尚在研發中
02:45
due應有 out in May可能 -- but what we've我們已經 doneDONE is we've我們已經 put together一起 a small demo演示,
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預計五月問世,但我們作了一個簡單的示範
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just to show顯示 the geometric幾何 translation翻譯 of points into a sphere領域.
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讓大家看看LED燈如何變成一顆光球
02:54
I've got a little video視頻 to show顯示 you,
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現在我們就來看一下影片
02:56
but keep in mind心神 that this is with no electronic電子 control控制,
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但請記住,它還沒裝上控制器
03:00
and this is also with only four LEDs發光二極管.
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而且只用了4顆LED燈
03:02
This is actually其實 only about 1.5 percent百分 of what the final最後 display顯示 will be in May可能.
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大概是成品的百分之1.5而已
03:05
So, take a look.
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那麼就來看看吧
03:09
And here you can see it's rotating旋轉 about the vertical垂直 axis only, creating創建 circles.
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現在只有基座在旋轉,以產生光圈
03:17
And then, as the other axis kicks in,
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現在圓盤也開始旋轉了
03:19
those actually其實 blur模糊 into a volume.
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漸漸變成一顆光球
03:21
And the shutter快門 speed速度 of the camera相機
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這是利用相機曝光捕捉到的畫面
03:23
actually其實 makes品牌 it slightly less effective有效 in this case案件.
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但不是很有效
03:26
But this piece is due應有 out in May可能.
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這個裝置將在五月份與大家見面
03:28
It'll它會 be on display顯示 at the Interactive互動 Telecommunications電信 Spring彈簧 Show顯示
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並且在春季互動電信展上公開展出
03:31
in Greenwich格林威治 Village in New York紐約 City -- that's open打開 to the public上市,
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就在紐約的格林威治村
03:33
definitely無疑 invite邀請 you all to come and attend出席 -- it's a fantastic奇妙 show顯示.
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我強烈推薦各位去參加,因為那真的很棒
03:37
There are hundreds數以百計 of student學生 innovators創新 with fantastic奇妙 projects項目.
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會有上百名學生帶著他們的傑作到場展出
03:41
This piece, actually其實, will be on display顯示
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這個儀器當然也不會缺席
03:43
down in the Sierra內華達 Simulcast同時聯播 Lounge休息室
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它將在 Sierra Simulcast 大廳展出
03:45
in the breaks休息 between之間 now and the end結束 of the show顯示.
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直到展覽結束
03:47
So I'd love to talk to you all, and invite邀請 you
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所以,我誠摯地邀請大家
03:49
to come down and take a closer接近 look.
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有空過來走走看看
03:51
It's an honor榮譽 to be here. Thanks謝謝 very much.
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很榮幸能來這裡演講,謝謝各位
03:53
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Yung Hsiang Tseng
Reviewed by Dennis Lin

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nick Sears - Inventor
Working with his father, Ron Sears, Nick Sears is designing and building the Orb, a rotating LED display that uses persistence of vision to produce moving images in 3D space.

Why you should listen

Nick Sears is a classic tinkerer -- his resume  lists jobs that run the gamut from writing a mobile messaging framework to building a DC-DC switching voltage regulator. Along with his dad, Ron Sears, he's got a pretty neat father-son project going on: the Orb.

It's inspired by Buckminster Fuller's 1962 proposal for the Geoscope, which called for "a 200-foot-diameter sphere covered with 10 million computer-controlled light sources to be suspended over the East River in full view of the United Nations." But by making the sphere spin, the Sears realized, they could use persistence of vision and LEDs to create a bright display with a three-dimensional effect using far fewer light sources.

Sears is now a student in the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU. He and his father presented the Orb version 2 at Coachella in 2008 and continue to tinker with it.

More profile about the speaker
Nick Sears | Speaker | TED.com