【聯合報╱By NICK BILTON╱王麗娟譯】
A Wearable Technology That Fits Just Like Skin
It is almost certain that the next era of computing will be wearables. But it is commensurately uncertain what these wearables will be and where on your body they will be worn.
Apple and Samsung, for example, are betting on the wrist; Google, the face. Some tech companies believe clothing will simply become electronic. Yet there’s a whole new segment of start-ups that believes we humans will become the actual computers, or at least the place where the technology will reside.
我們幾可確定，電算的下一個年代會屬於穿戴型產品。至於這些產品會是什麼，又會穿戴在人體何處，卻同樣無法確定。
例如，蘋果和三星押注手腕，谷歌則是臉部。有些科技公司認為衣服會電子化。但有全新一批新創公司認為，人類會變成實體電腦，至少會成為穿戴科技的居所。
These start-ups are working on a class of wearable computers that adhere to the skin like temporary tattoos, or attach to the body like an adhesive bandage.
Many of these technologies are stretchable, bendable and incredibly thin. They can also be given unique designs, to stand out like a bold tattoo, or to blend in to the color of your skin.
Attachable computers will be less expensive to make and provide greater accuracy because sensors will be closer to a person’s body (or even inside us) .
這些新創公司正研發可像假刺青般附著於皮膚，或像黏性貼布般附著於身體的一系列穿戴型電腦。
這些科技產品許多可延展、可彎曲，或薄到不可思議。他們也可能有獨特設計，如大膽刺青般醒目，或和膚色融合為一。
附著式電腦較不昂貴，也比較準確，因為感應器更貼身（甚至就在體內）。
MC10, a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is testing attachable computers about the size of a piece of gum that can include wireless antennas, temperature and heartrate sensors and a tiny battery.
Scott Pomerantz, head of MC10, said: “Ours are always on you. We have the smallest, most flexible, stretchable, wearable computer, and you can collect all sorts of biometric data tied to your motion.”
MC10 recently teamed up with John A. Rogers, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who has been working for nearly a decade to perfect flexible devices that can be worn on the skin or implanted .
麻州劍橋的MC10公司正在實驗一種附著式電腦。約口香糖大小，內有無線天線、體溫和心律感應器，以及一個極小的電池。
MC10負責人波梅蘭茲說：「我們的產品永遠是穿戴在你身上。我們擁有最小、最具可撓性與延展性的穿戴式電腦。你可蒐集與你的動作有關的各種生理數據。」
MC10最近與厄巴納－香檳伊利諾大學教授羅傑斯合作。羅傑斯已投入近10年時間，讓穿戴於皮膚或植入體內的彈性裝置更為完美。
How would these gadgets work? Maybe you want to figure out which deodorant would be best for you. A sticker that tracks your sweat level would email you a few recommendations. Or if you want to monitor your baby’s breathing, a little sensor on the baby’s chest would alert you to any problems.
“We’ll eventually see a more intimate integration of electronics and biological systems,” Mr. Rogers said . “Without that kind of intimate physical contact, it’s going to be difficult, or maybe even impossible, to extract meaningful data.”
The health applications are enormous. Over the past year, Mr. Rogers and his team of scientists have been working with patients with Parkinson’s disease to monitor their motions, with dermatologists to treat skin diseases, and with beauty companies like L’Oréal to develop digital stickers that track skin hydration.
這些小裝置將如何運作？或許你想知道哪種止汗劑最適合你使用。可追蹤汗量的一張貼紙，會以電子郵件提供你一些建議。或許你想監測寶寶的呼吸，貼在寶寶胸前的一個小感應器會在出狀況時發出警示。
羅傑斯說：「我們最終會看到電子產品和生理系統更親密的結合。不靠這種與身體的親密接觸，蒐集到有用的數據會變得很困難，甚至不可能。」
在健康方面的應用可以無所不包。過去一年，羅傑斯和他的科學家團隊一直在與巴金森氏病人共事，監測他們的運動，也與皮膚科醫生合作，治療皮膚疾病，也和美妝公司如歐萊雅公司共同開發數位貼紙，追蹤肌膚水分。
Anke Loh of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been experimenting with making the attachable computers look like body art. “You see these patches and you really want to put them on your skin, even without knowing what the function is,” Ms. Loh said . “There’s a lot of potential to combine fashion and technology.”
Scientists at the University of Tokyo have been working on an “e-skin,” which is an electronic skin that sits on top of real skin. It looks like a stretchable sheet of plastic wrap, yet contains lots of health-related sensors.
芝加哥藝術學院的羅安克正從事一項實驗，讓附著式電腦看來宛如人體藝術。羅女士說：「看著這些貼布時，你會真的很想把它往身上貼，即使不知道它有什麼功能。時尚與科技結合，潛力無窮。」
東京大學的科學家一直在研究「電子皮膚」，它是放在真皮膚上的一種電子皮膚。外表類似一片具伸縮性的保鮮膜，但內含許多與健康相關的感應器。
In another iteration of e-skin, scientists are working to add a layer of LEDs, turning it into a screen that sits on the body.
Digital skins offer numerous applications, not only in monitoring a user’s health, but also as a visual user interface. They may even replace smartphones one day.
But don’t throw aside your smartwatch or Google Glass just yet. It will be a while before our wearable future becomes known.
在另一個電子皮膚的反覆研究中，科學家正設法為電子皮膚添加一層LED燈，讓它變成人體上的一個螢幕。
數位皮膚應用範圍十分廣泛，不僅可監測使用者的健康狀況，還可作為使用者的視覺介面。有朝一日，甚至可取代智慧手機。
不過，暫時還別把你的智慧手表或是谷歌眼鏡扔到一邊。我們的穿戴未來還要一段時間才會明朗。
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