is poised to become a multibillion-dollar industry.

我們從一個愛好者平台開始，

Inspection, environmental monitoring, photography and film and journalism:

有望發展成一個數十億元的產業。

these are some of the potential applications for commercial drones,

偵查、環境監控、攝影、 電影和新聞業──

and their enablers are the capabilities being developed

這些都是商用無人飛行器的潛在機會，

at research facilities around the world.

而它們的實現

For example, before aerial package delivery

得仰賴全球許多研究機構 所研發的各種功能。

entered our social consciousness,

舉個例，在空中包裹運送

an autonomous fleet of flying machines built a six-meter-tall tower

進入我們的社會認知之前，

composed of 1,500 bricks

一組自動化飛行機隊 就曾將一個6公尺高、

in front of a live audience at the FRAC Centre in France,

由1500個磚塊構成的塔，

and several years ago, they started to fly with ropes.

就在法國當代藝術中心的 現場觀眾面前蓋了起來。

By tethering flying machines,

而在那幾年之前， 它們從帶著繩索飛行開始。

they can achieve high speeds and accelerations in very tight spaces.

透過繩索連結飛行器，

They can also autonomously build tensile structures.

它們可以在非常狹小的空間內 用很高的速度及加速度飛行。

Skills learned include how to carry loads,

它們還能自動建造高張力的結構。

how to cope with disturbances,

它們學會的技能包含如何裝載貨物、

and in general, how to interact with the physical world.

如何應付亂流、

Today we want to show you some new projects that we've been working on.

以及概括而言， 如何和實體世界互動。

Their aim is to push the boundary of what can be achieved

今天我們想讓各位看一些 我們正在進行的新專案。

with autonomous flight.

它們的目標是擴展自主飛行 所能達成的境界。

Now, for a system to function autonomously,

那麼，要讓系統能自動運作，

it must collectively know the location of its mobile objects in space.

它必須知道所有移動物體 在空間上的位置。

Back at our lab at ETH Zurich,

在我們蘇黎世聯邦工學院的實驗室裡，

we often use external cameras to locate objects,

我們常用外部的攝影機來定位物體，

which then allows us to focus our efforts

這讓我們能全神貫注，

on the rapid development of highly dynamic tasks.

將精力用在快速開發高度動態的任務。

For the demos you will see today, however,

然而，今天各位看到的展示，

we will use new localization technology developed by Verity Studios,

我們將使用Verity Studios 所開發的新定位技術，

a spin-off from our lab.

他們是我們實驗室的一個分支機構。

There are no external cameras.

不用任何的外部攝影機，

Each flying machine uses onboard sensors to determine its location in space

每一個飛行器都用內建的感應器 判斷自己的位置，

and onboard computation to determine what its actions should be.

並用內建的電腦判斷該採取的動作。

The only external commands are high-level ones

只有高階的指令來自外部，

such as "take off" and "land."

例如「起飛」和「降落」。

This is a so-called tail-sitter.

這是一個所謂的立式起落機。

It's an aircraft that tries to have its cake and eat it.

它就像一台什麼都想做到的飛機。

Like other fixed-wing aircraft, it is efficient in forward flight,

如同其他固定機翼的飛機， 它可以很有效率地向前飛行，

much more so than helicopters and variations thereof.

效果比直升機或之類的飛行器好得多。

Unlike most other fixed-wing aircraft, however,

但它又和固定機翼的飛機不一樣，

it is capable of hovering,

它可以在空中盤旋，

which has huge advantages for takeoff, landing

這讓它在起飛、降落 和一些通用動作上有很大的優勢。

and general versatility.

很不幸地，天下沒有白吃的午餐。

There is no free lunch, unfortunately.

立式起落機一個很大的限制

One of the limitations with tail-sitters

就是它們對於陣風之類的干擾很敏感。

is that they're susceptible to disturbances such as wind gusts.

我們正在開發新的控制架構和演算法

We're developing new control architectures and algorithms

試著突破這個限制。

that address this limitation.

我們的想法是讓這個飛行器

The idea is for the aircraft to recover

無論遭遇什麼情況都能復原。

no matter what state it finds itself in,

而且透過練習，還能逐漸提高效能。

and through practice, improve its performance over time.

(掌聲)

(Applause)

好的。

OK.

進行研究時，

When doing research,

我們經常問自己一些基本的抽象問題，

we often ask ourselves fundamental abstract questions

讓我們能直搗問題核心。

that try to get at the heart of a matter.

比方說，其中一個問題是，

For example, one such question would be,

要控制飛行， 最少要有幾個會動的零件？

what is the minimum number of moving parts needed for controlled flight?

我們有很實際的理由

Now, there are practical reasons

探索這個問題的答案。

why you may want to know the answer to such a question.

以直升機為例，

Helicopters, for example,

大家都認為這是一種 由上千個活動零件組成的機器，

are affectionately known as machines with a thousand moving parts

每個零件都可能會導致你受傷。

all conspiring to do you bodily harm.

事實是在數十年前，

It turns out that decades ago,

技巧高超的駕駛就已能 遙控駕駛這種飛行器了，

skilled pilots were able to fly remote-controlled aircraft

而這個飛行器只有兩個會動的東西：

that had only two moving parts:

螺旋槳和尾翼。

a propeller and a tail rudder.

我們最近發現，其實只需要一個。

We recently discovered that it could be done with just one.

這是「單軸機」，

This is the monospinner,

世上結構最簡單的可控式飛行機器，

the world's mechanically simplest controllable flying machine,

幾個月前才發明的。

invented just a few months ago.

它只有一個會動的零件，就是螺旋槳。

It has only one moving part, a propeller.

沒有襟翼，沒有絞鍊，沒有副翼，

It has no flaps, no hinges, no ailerons,

沒有其他的驅動器和控制面板，

no other actuators, no other control surfaces,

就只有一個簡單的螺旋槳。

just a simple propeller.

即使在結構上非常簡單，

Even though it's mechanically simple,

它小小的電腦裡卻裝了很多東西，

there's a lot going on in its little electronic brain

讓它可以穩定飛行 並移動到任何想去的位置。

to allow it to fly in a stable fashion and to move anywhere it wants in space.

儘管如此，它還沒有

Even so, it doesn't yet have

像立式起落機那種複雜的演算法，

the sophisticated algorithms of the tail-sitter,

也就是說如果要讓它飛起來，

which means that in order to get it to fly,

我得用很精確的方式把它丟出去。

I have to throw it just right.

但考量到我成功丟出它的機率非常低，

And because the probability of me throwing it just right is very low,

因為這麼有多人在盯著我，

given everybody watching me,

所以我打算還是讓你們 看看昨晚錄的影片就好。

what we're going to do instead

(笑聲)

is show you a video that we shot last night.

(掌聲)

(Laughter)

如果單軸機是一種簡潔的應用，

(Applause)

那這台有8個螺旋槳的「全向直升機」

If the monospinner is an exercise in frugality,

就是一種「超額」的應用。

this machine here, the omnicopter, with its eight propellers,

這些額外的配備可以做什麼？

is an exercise in excess.

值得注意的是，它的結構高度對稱，

What can you do with all this surplus?

因此它沒有一定的方向性。

The thing to notice is that it is highly symmetric.

這讓它擁有不同凡響的能力，

As a result, it is ambivalent to orientation.

可以移動到空間中的任何位置，

This gives it an extraordinary capability.

不用考慮它面對哪個方向，

It can move anywhere it wants in space

甚至不用管它如何旋轉。

irrespective of where it is facing

它有其複雜性，

and even of how it is rotating.

主要和它的8個螺旋槳 之間的互動有關。

It has its own complexities,

這些互動有一部分可透過程式達成， 其他的則可從飛行中自行學習。

mainly having to do with the interacting flows

我們來看看吧。

from its eight propellers.

(掌聲)

Some of this can be modeled, while the rest can be learned on the fly.

如果飛行機器要成為 我們日常生活的一部份，

Let's take a look.

它們就得變得非常安全可靠。

(Applause)

那邊那台機器

If flying machines are going to enter part of our daily lives,

實際上由兩個分開的雙軸飛行器構成。

they will need to become extremely safe and reliable.

其中一個試圖順時針旋轉，

This machine over here

另一個則試圖逆時針旋轉。

is actually two separate two-propeller flying machines.

當你將它們結合，

This one wants to spin clockwise.

就會變成一個高效能的四軸飛行器。

This other one wants to spin counterclockwise.

然而，如果有東西出錯，

When you put them together,

像是馬達故障、螺旋槳故障， 電子零件，甚至電池組件故障，

they behave like one high-performance quadrocopter.

它還是可以用效能較低的方式飛行。

If anything goes wrong, however --

我們來示範一下 關掉它其中一個飛行器會怎樣。

a motor fails, a propeller fails, electronics, even a battery pack --

(掌聲)

the machine can still fly, albeit in a degraded fashion.

最後要展示的

We're going to demonstrate this to you now by disabling one of its halves.

是人造螢火蟲群的研究成果。

(Applause)

為數眾多自動化且互相配合的機群

This last demonstration

為美的展現帶來一種全新型態。

is an exploration of synthetic swarms.

我們利用商品化的微型四軸飛行器，

The large number of autonomous, coordinated entities

順道一提，每個都比一片麵包還輕，

offers a new palette for aesthetic expression.

我們為它們裝上自己的定位科技

We've taken commercially available micro quadcopters,

和客製化的演算法。

each weighing less than a slice of bread, by the way,

因為每個飛行器都知道自己的位置，

and outfitted them with our localization technology

又都可以自我控制，

and custom algorithms.

所以它們的數量完全沒有限制。

Because each unit knows where it is in space

(掌聲)

and is self-controlled,

(掌聲)

there is really no limit to their number.

(掌聲)

(Applause)

希望這些展示讓各位能夠想像

(Applause)

飛行機器能在未來扮演的革命性角色，

(Applause)

例如我們那個超安全的飛行器，

Hopefully, these demonstrations will motivate you to dream up

它想必很渴望成為百老匯的飛行燈罩。

new revolutionary roles for flying machines.

(笑聲)

That ultrasafe one over there for example

事實上，要預測新興科技 帶來的影響是很困難的。

has aspirations to become a flying lampshade on Broadway.

而對我們這樣的人來說，

(Laughter)

創造新事物的旅程和行動， 才是真正的回報。

The reality is that it is difficult to predict

它不斷提醒我們，

the impact of nascent technology.

我們生活的這個宇宙 有多精彩和神奇。

And for folks like us, the real reward is the journey and the act of creation.

它讓有創造力、聰明的生物

It's a continual reminder

將其雕塑成如此壯闊的面貌。

of how wonderful and magical the universe we live in is,

而這個科技

that it allows creative, clever creatures

所擁有的龐大經濟和商業潛力，

to sculpt it in such spectacular ways.

不過是錦上添花罷了。

The fact that this technology

謝謝各位。

has such huge commercial and economic potential

(掌聲)

is just icing on the cake.

Thank you.

(Applause)