VOA慢速英语:Brain-Computer Interfaces Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled

Since the nineteen seventies, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface, or BCI, technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
自上世纪七十年代开始，科学家们一直在寻找一种将人脑与计算机连接的办法。“脑机接口”技术能够帮助残疾人向机器发送指令。

Recently, scientists demonstrated a small robotic vehicle directed by a person's thoughts. The demonstration took place at the Swiss embassy in Washington. Jose Millan and Michele Tavella developed the system. Mr. Tavella can even talk as he watches the vehicle and guides it with his thoughts.
最近，科学家展示了一种由人类思想指挥的小型机器人装置，这次展示在驻华盛顿的瑞士大使馆举行。Jose Millan和Michele Tavella开发了该系统。特维拉在用思想控制这台机器人装置的同时，甚至还可以一边与人交谈。

MICHELE TAVELLA: "That's very, very easy. That's the simplest part we could say because moving one hand or the other is a very, very common task. There is no workload. It's very, very simple."
特维拉：“这非常的简单。我们可以说，这是最简单的部分。因为动动手是非常普通的任务。这没什么工作量，非常简单。”

Mr. Tavella is a researcher at the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland. In the laboratory, he can operate a wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand.
特维拉是瑞士洛桑联邦理工学校的一名研究人员。在实验室里，他可以通过想着移动左手或右手来操纵轮椅。

Professor Millan is the team leader. He says systems like those being developed in Lausanne and other places may be available in less than ten years.
Millan教授是该团队的负责人。他说在洛桑或其他地方开发的类似系统可能会在十年内投入使用。

JOSE MILLAN: "The brain-machine interface is a system that allows disabled people, people suffering from physical disabilities to communicate with external world and also to control devices."

JOSE MILLAN：“脑机接口是一种允许残疾人士与外部世界沟通交流并控制相关设备的系统。”

Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.
我们的大脑具有数十亿神经细胞。这些神经细胞通过脊髓向肌肉发送信号，从而使我们具备了运动的能力。但脊髓损伤或其他疾病会阻断这些微电信号传输到肌肉。

The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover captures the signals from the scalp and redirects them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
研究人员为用户设计了一个特殊头罩，这种头罩从大脑皮层捕获信号，并重定向到计算机。计算机会编译信号和指令来控制电动轮椅。该轮椅还安装了两个能识别道路中物体的摄像头，他们帮助计算机对大脑发出的命令做出反应。

Professor Millan says scientists keep improving the computer software that identifies brain signals and turns them into simple commands.
Millan教授称科学家们在不断改进用于确认大脑信号并将其转换为简单指令的计算件软件。

JOSE MILLAN: "The practical possibilities that brain-machine interfaces offer to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: Communication, and controlling physical devices and virtual devices. One example is this wheelchair."
JOSE MILLAN：“脑机接口对残疾人的实用性可以分为两大类：交流，控制物理设备和虚拟设备。这个轮椅就是一个很好的例子。”
He says his team has set two goals.
他表示他团队已设立了两个目标。

JOSE MILLAN: "What we want is to bring this technology out of the lab and this has two components. First is testing with real patients, so as to demonstrate that this is a feasible technology they can benefit from. And the second aspect of that is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time."
JOSE MILLAN：“我们想要做的是将这种技术带出实验室（投入实用）,这又两部分组成。首先是让真是的病人来测试，从而证实他们确实可以从该技术中受益。其次是确保他们能长期使用该技术。”