2021年经济学人 上海交大出世新型义肢（2）（在线收听）

The hand uses similar signal-processing algorithms to other prosthetics on the market.

该假手的信号处理算法与市场上其他义肢相似。

The big advance is that it does not require invasive surgery or electronic implants into the residual limb to communicate with the user's brain.

它最大的进步在于无需实施侵入性手术或在残肢上植入电子设备便能与使用者的大脑通信。

Sensors on the skin record electrical activity from the remaining arm muscles.

皮肤上的传感器会记录残肢上肌肉的电活动。

In an intact arm, this activity would tell those muscles how to operate the hand.

在一支健全的手臂上，这些电活动会告诉手臂肌肉要如何操纵手部。

Instead, they are interpreted by pattern-recognition software that sends appropriate commands to the pump to move the artificial hand in the same way.

而在假手上，模式识别软件会解读这些电活动，并向气泵发送适当的命令来以同样的方式移动假手。

Meanwhile, other signals travel in the opposite direction from sensors in the hand's fingertips to nerves in the arm, whence they are relayed to the brain and provide a sensation of touch.

与此同时，其他信号则以相反的方向从手部指尖的传感器传递到手臂的神经，再从那里传递到大脑并产生触觉。

The upshot is something which responds like a hand and feels like one to the user.

其结果是，它的反应就像一只真手，给用户的感觉也像一只手。

Dr Gu and his colleagues compared the efficacy of their invention with that of existing models using tests borrowed from research into strokes and spinalcord injuries.

谷博士他的同事借用中风和脊髓损伤的研究成果，将他们的发明与现有模型的有效性进行了比较。

These included writing, grasping and lifting objects, lifting food to the mouth, and stacking draughtsmen.

这些测试包括书写、抓取并举起物品、把食物送到嘴里和堆叠棋子。

Normally, they found, it worked better—particularly for delicate tasks like handling fragile objects, petting a cat and shaking hands.

他们发现，通常情况下他们这款假手表现更好，尤其是在抓取易碎物品、抚摸猫和握手等精细动作方面。

The other advantage of Dr Gu's invention is that it is cheap.

谷博士这项发明的另一个优点是造价低廉。

The components it is made from cost about $500.

它的部件制造成本约为500美元。

Existing models may sell for $10,000 or more.

现有假手的售价可能在一万美元以上。

If it, or something similar, goes into production, that will permit the transformation of many more of the lives of the 5m people who have lost a hand, or were born without one, than is possible at the moment.

如今有500万人存在先天或后天的手部残疾，现有的假手无法极大改善他们的生活。而如果这款假手或类似发明投产，他们中很多人的生活将有可能发生重大改变。