when my grandfather first described to me the horrors he witnessed six years earlier

我只有九歲的時候，

when human stampedes killed 39 people

祖母第一次向我描述了 她在六年前目擊的恐怖情景，

in our hometown of Nashik, India.

蜂擁的人群造成了 39 人被踩死，

It was during the 2003 Nashik Kumbh Mela,

地點在我們的家鄉，印度的納西克。

one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

那是 2003 年納西克大壺節期間，

Every 12 years, over 30 million Hindu worshippers

世界上最大的宗教集會之一。

descend upon our city --

每 12 年，就有超過 三千萬印度教參拜者

which is built only for 1.5 million people --

突然造訪我們的城市──

and stay for 45 days.

城市設計的容量為一百五十萬人──

The main purpose is to wash away all their sins

他們會停留 45 天。

by bathing in the river Godavari.

主要的目的，是要洗淨他們的罪惡，

And stampedes may easily happen

方式是在哥達瓦里河中洗澡。

because a high-density crowd moves at a slow pace.

踩死人的事件很容易發生，

Apart from Nashik, this event happens in three other places in India,

因為高密度的人群以低速度在移動。

with varying frequency,

除了納西克，印度還有 其他三個地方也有這項節慶，

and between 2001 and 2014,

舉辦頻率不同，

over 2,400 lives have been lost in stampedes at these events.

在 2001 年到 2014 年間，

What saddened me the most

在這些活動中就有 超過 2400 人被踩死。

is seeing people around me resigning to the city's fate

最讓我感傷的是，

in witnessing the seemingly inevitable deaths of dozens

看到我身邊的人 聽任這個城市的命運，

at every Kumbh Mela.

在每次大壺節都要目擊 似乎無法避免的

I sought to change this,

數十起死亡。

and I thought, why can't I try to find a solution to this?

我想要改變這狀況，

Because I knew it is wrong.

我心想，我為什麼不找個解決方案？

Having learned coding at an early age and being a maker,

因為我知道這是錯的。

I considered the wild idea --

我早期曾經學過程式， 加上身為製造者，

(Laughter)

我有個很狂妄的點子──

[Makers always find a way]

（笑聲）

I considered the wild idea of building a system

〔製造者總會找到出路〕

that would help regulate the flow of people

我的狂野點子就是要建立一個系統，

and use it in the next Kumbh Mela in 2015,

可以協助控管人的流量，

to have fewer stampedes and, hopefully, fewer deaths.

並用在下一次的 2015 年大壺節中，

It seemed like a mission impossible,

減少蜂湧的情況， 希望也能減少死亡人數。

a dream too big,

這似乎是個不可能的任務，

especially for a 15-year-old,

這個夢想太大了，

yet that dream came true in 2015,

特別是對一個 15 歲男孩而言，

when not only did we succeed

然而，這個夢想在 2015 年實現了，

in reducing the stampedes and their intensity,

我們不僅成功減少了

but we marked 2015

蜂湧的情況以及人潮的密度，

as the first Nashik Kumbh Mela to have zero stampedes.

我們還讓 2015 年成為

(Applause)

第一個沒有人被踩死的 納西克大壺節。

It was the first time in recorded history

（掌聲）

that this event passed without any casualties.

那是歷史記錄中第一次，

How did we do it?

這個活動到結束都沒有傷亡。

It all started when I joined an innovation workshop

我們怎麼做到的？

by MIT Media Lab in 2014

一切始於我加入一個創新研討會，

called the Kumbhathon

是麻省理工學院媒體實驗室 在 2014 年辦的，

that aimed at solving challenges faced at the grand scale of Kumbh Mela.

叫做大壺馬拉松 (Kumbhathon)。

Now, we figured out to solve the stampede problem,

目標是要解決在大壺節這麼 大規模的節慶所面臨的難題。

we wanted to know only three things:

我們想出了要如何 解決踩死人的問題，

the number of people, the location,

我們只想知道三樣資訊：

and the rate of the flow of people per minute.

人數、地點，

So we started to look for technologies that would help us get these three things.

以及每分鐘的人流量。

Can we distribute radio-frequency tokens to identify people?

我們就開始尋找有什麼技術 能協助我們取得這三項資訊。

We figured out that it would be too expensive and impractical

我們能不能分發無線電頻率的 憑證來識別每個人？

to distribute 30 million tags.

我們覺得這樣成本太高且不實際，

Can you use CCTV cameras with image-processing techniques?

很難去分發三千萬個吊牌。

Again, too expensive for that scale,

我們能不能用閉路電視攝影機 搭配影像處理技術？

along with the disadvantages of being non-portable

一樣，用在這麼大規模也太貴了，

and being completely useless in the case of rain,

還有個缺點就是無法帶著走，

which is a common thing to happen in Kumbh Mela.

在下雨時就完全沒用了，

Can we use cell phone tower data?

而在大壺節常常會下雨。

It sounds like the perfect solution,

我們能用手機信號塔的資料嗎？

but the funny part is,

聽起來是完美的解決方案，

most of the people do not carry cell phones

但好笑的部分是，

in events like Kumbh Mela.

大部分的人不會帶手機

Also, the data wouldn't have been granular enough for us.

到大壺節這類活動中。

So we wanted something that was real-time,

此外，資料對我們來說也不夠精細。

low-cost, sturdy and waterproof,

所以我們想要的必須要即時、

and it was easy to get the data for processing.

低成本、耐用、防水，

So we built Ashioto,

且要很容易取得資料來做處理。

meaning "footstep" in Japanese,

所以我們建造了 Ashioto，

as it consists of a portable mat which has pressure sensors

在日文的意思是「腳步」，

which can count the number of people walking on it,

它是由可攜式的墊子所構成， 墊子有壓力感測器，

and sends the data over the internet

能夠計算走在上面的人數，

to the advanced data analysis software we created.

透過網路把這資料傳輸

The possible errors, like overcounting or double-stepping,

到我們建造的進階資料分析軟體。

were overcome using design interventions.

我們設計了干預方式，

The optimum breadth of the mat was determined to be 18 inches,

來克服過高估計 或反覆踩踏這類的可能錯誤。

after we tested many different versions

我們決定最理想的 墊子寬度是 18 英吋，

and observed the average stride length of a person.

這是在我們測試了許多不同版本

Otherwise, people might step over the sensor.

並觀察人的平均步距之後決定的。

We started with a proof of concept built in three days,

不然，人們可能會踩超過感測器。

made out of cardboard and aluminum foil.

我們一開始先要證明 這個概念，在三天內

(Laughter)

用厚紙板和鋁箔紙 打造出測試用的樣品。

It worked, for real.

（笑聲）

We built another one with aluminum composite panels

它有用，是真的。

and piezoelectric plates,

我們又用鋁複合板以及壓電板

which are plates that generate a small pulse of electricity under pressure.

再打造了一個樣品，

We tested this at 30 different pilots in public,

壓電板在受到壓力時 會產生出小的電脈衝。

in crowded restaurants, in malls, in temples, etc.,

我們在三十個地點測試了 這個設計，包括公開場所、

to see how people reacted.

擁擠的餐廳、購物中心、廟宇等等，

And people let us run these pilots

看看人們的反應如何。

because they were excited to see localites work on problems for the city.

大家都讓我們做這些測試，

I was 15 and my team members were in their early 20s.

因為他們很興奮能夠看到 當地有人要為城市解決問題。

When the sensors were colored,

我那時十五歲，我的 團隊成員都二十歲出頭。

people would get scared and would ask us questions like,

當感測器加上了顏色，

"Will I get electrocuted if I step on this?"

人們會緊張，問我們像這樣的問題：

(Laughter)

「如果我踩上去會被電擊嗎？」

Or, if it was very obvious that it was an electronic sensor on the ground,

（笑聲）

they would just jump over it.

或者，如果很明顯 地上有個電子感測器，

(Laughter)

他們就會跳過它。

So we decided to design a cover for the sensor

（笑聲）

so that people don't have to worry what it is on the ground.

所以我們決定要為感測器做個罩子，

So after some experimentation,

這樣人們就不用擔心 地上的那個東西是什麼。

we decided to use an industrial sensor,

經過一些實驗之後，

used as a safety trigger in hazardous areas

我們決定使用工業用感測器，

as the sensor,

在危險區域用的安全觸發器

and a black neoprene rubber sheet

來當感測器，

as the cover.

用黑色合成橡膠片

Now, another added benefit of using black rubber

來當外罩。

was that dust naturally accumulates over the surface,

用黑色橡膠的額外好處是

eventually camouflaging it with the ground.

塵土會自然在表面上堆積，

We also had to make sure that the sensor is no higher than 12 millimeters.

最終會成為它的保護色， 看來就像地板。

Otherwise, people might trip over it,

我們也得要確保感測器 不能高過 12 公釐。

which in itself would cause stampedes.

不然可能會絆倒人，

(Laughter)

結果是它造成人被踩死。

We don't want that.

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

我們不希望這樣。

So we were able to design a sensor which was only 10 millimeters thick.

（笑聲）

Now the data is sent to the server in real time,

所以，我們設計了一個 感測器，厚度只有 10 公釐。

and a heat map is plotted,

資料會被即時傳送到伺服器，

taking into account all the active devices on the ground.

畫出熱區圖，

The authorities could be alerted if the crowd movement slowed down

考量所有在地上的已啟動裝置。

or if the crowd density moved beyond a desired threshold.

如果群眾的移動速度慢下來， 或是群眾密度超過希望的標準，

We installed five of these mats in the Nashik Kumbh Mela 2015,

當權機關就會收到警訊。

and counted over half a million people

我們在 2015 年的納西克 大壺節安裝了五個墊子，

in 18 hours,

計算到的人數

ensuring that the data was available in real time at various checkpoints,

在十八小時內就有五十萬人，

ensuring a safe flow of people.

確保可以從各檢查站即時取得資料，

Now, this system, eventually, with other innovations,

確保人流的安全。

is what helped prevent stampedes altogether at that festival.

最終，就是這個系統和其他的創新

The code used by Ashioto during Kumbh Mela

一起協助避免了在 該節慶中踩死人的意外。

will soon be made publicly available, free to use for anyone.

在大壺節中所使用的 Ashioto 程式碼，

I would be glad if someone used this code

很快就會被公開， 提供大家免費使用。

to make many more gatherings safer.

我很希望看到有人能用這程式碼

Having succeeded at Kumbh Mela

來讓更多聚會變得更安全。

has inspired me to help others who may also suffer from stampedes.

在大壺節的成功鼓舞了我，

The design of the system makes it adaptable

讓我想要協助其他可能 受到蜂湧群眾所苦的人。

to pretty much any event

這個系統的設計，

that involves an organized gathering of people.

幾乎可以適用在任何活動上，

And my new dream is to improve, adapt and deploy the system

有組織的人類聚會相關活動都可以。

all over the world to prevent loss of life and ensure a safe flow of people,

而我的新夢想是要改善、 改造，並部署這個系統，

because every human soul is precious,

推行到全世界，來預防 人命損失，確保人流安全，

whether at concerts or sporting events,

因為每個人的生命都是可貴的，

the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad,

不論是在演唱會或運動比賽、

the Hajj in Mecca,

安拉阿巴德的大壺節、

the Shia procession to Karbala

麥加的朝聖、

or at the Vatican City.

前往卡爾巴拉的什葉遊行，

So what do you all think, can we do it?

或梵蒂岡。

(Audience) Yes!

你們怎麼想？我們能辦得到嗎？

Thank you.

（觀眾）能！

(Cheers)

謝謝。

(Applause)

（歡呼）