15. The Wheel that Gives Bikers a Boost

為騎車人提供助力的輪子

We know that biking is good for us and good for the environment. But getting around on a bicycle can seem daunting, especially in a large city with a hilly terrain. To lessen that burden, Cambridge, Mass.–based Superpedestrian has developed the Copenhagen Wheel, a standard-size wheel—it can be attached to the back of most bicycles—that boasts a rechargeable, battery-powered motor. Depending on rider preferences, entered through a smartphone app, the motor can kick in power throughout the ride or just on hills. Sensors also track road conditions, air temperature and potholes, so cyclists can share real-time information about best routes.

我們知道騎自行車對身體和環(huán)境都有好處。但騎著車到處奔波似乎是件苦差事，尤其在擁有丘陵地形的大城市。為減輕這種負擔，美國馬薩諸塞州的超級步行者公司開發(fā)了可加裝到大多數(shù)自行車后輪上的“哥本哈根輪”，它帶有可重復(fù)充電的電動馬達。根據(jù)由智能手機應(yīng)用輸入的騎車人偏好，馬達可在整個騎行過程或僅在上坡時提供助力。傳感器對道路狀況、氣溫和坑洼進行監(jiān)測，以便與騎車的人分享有關(guān)最佳線路的實時信息。

16. The Seamless Sign-Language Translator

天衣無縫的手語翻譯器

For the millions of deaf people who cannot speak, everyday communication often requires costly human translators and tedious note writing. Enter the Uni, a tablet and attachment that leverages motion-sensing cameras and voice recognition to translate American Sign Language into spoken words—and spoken words into text—in real time.

對千百萬聾啞人來說，日常交流通常需要昂貴的人工手語翻譯和冗長的書寫。Uni裝置是一臺帶專用附件的平板電腦，它利用運動感應(yīng)攝像頭和語音識別技術(shù)，把美式手語實時翻譯成口語，并把口語轉(zhuǎn)換成文字。