1 00:00:01,538 --> 00:00:03,938 ♪ ♪ 2 00:00:05,671 --> 00:00:10,005 NARRATOR: We live in a built world; 3 00:00:10,005 --> 00:00:11,838 engineering and technology, 4 00:00:11,838 --> 00:00:15,105 built upon innovations and inventions, 5 00:00:15,105 --> 00:00:17,438 stretching back thousands of years. 6 00:00:17,438 --> 00:00:20,138 Some of our creations, like machines, 7 00:00:20,138 --> 00:00:22,038 boost our bodies' abilities. 8 00:00:22,038 --> 00:00:25,571 Others help us reach outside our comfort zones. 9 00:00:25,571 --> 00:00:29,205 We have left an indelible mark on the planet 10 00:00:29,205 --> 00:00:31,705 and now the time has come 11 00:00:31,705 --> 00:00:35,405 to use our skills to make a better world. 12 00:00:35,405 --> 00:00:38,271 Like turbo-charging the ancient sling. 13 00:00:38,271 --> 00:00:41,605 JONATHAN YANEY: The idea is 50,000 years old. 14 00:00:41,605 --> 00:00:43,771 NARRATOR: To launch satellites in a way 15 00:00:43,771 --> 00:00:46,205 we've never done before. 16 00:00:46,205 --> 00:00:48,705 A device that boosts our sense of touch 17 00:00:48,705 --> 00:00:50,538 to share a dance. 18 00:00:50,538 --> 00:00:52,605 PAUL GALANDO: I felt I was moving along with you. 19 00:00:52,605 --> 00:00:53,938 PATRICK PARISEAU: Begin. 20 00:00:53,938 --> 00:00:56,138 NARRATOR: Or aid in movement. 21 00:00:56,138 --> 00:01:00,438 A machine to boost a human experience 22 00:01:00,438 --> 00:01:03,038 and inspire a new generation. 23 00:01:03,038 --> 00:01:04,871 Oh my gosh, so good. 24 00:01:04,871 --> 00:01:07,438 NARRATOR: Or even recreating a sense... 25 00:01:07,438 --> 00:01:09,671 Good to go. 26 00:01:09,671 --> 00:01:10,938 NARRATOR: ...to replace something that was lost. 27 00:01:10,938 --> 00:01:12,071 BRIAN BUSSARD: That was the first time in years 28 00:01:12,071 --> 00:01:13,538 that I had a sensation of vision. 29 00:01:13,538 --> 00:01:16,205 (whirring) 30 00:01:16,205 --> 00:01:19,605 NARRATOR: "Building Stuff! Boost It!," 31 00:01:19,605 --> 00:01:22,338 right now on "NOVA." 32 00:01:22,638 --> 00:01:27,671 ♪ ♪ 33 00:01:31,938 --> 00:01:35,971 ANNOUNCER: Major funding for "NOVA" is provided by the following: 34 00:01:53,971 --> 00:01:55,605 ♪ ♪ 35 00:01:55,605 --> 00:01:58,905 NARRATOR: Earth is home to more than eight billion people, 36 00:01:58,905 --> 00:02:02,138 living in a world full of human invention. 37 00:02:02,138 --> 00:02:04,105 ADAM STELTZNER: Certainly in our modern world, 38 00:02:04,105 --> 00:02:06,438 we don't really appreciate 39 00:02:06,438 --> 00:02:09,571 how saturated with engineering it is. 40 00:02:09,571 --> 00:02:12,605 Every pen you pick up to write something with 41 00:02:12,605 --> 00:02:13,605 has been engineered. 42 00:02:13,605 --> 00:02:15,338 The paper on which you write 43 00:02:15,338 --> 00:02:16,838 has been engineered. 44 00:02:16,838 --> 00:02:18,471 ♪ ♪ 45 00:02:18,471 --> 00:02:22,038 FRANCISCO VALERO-CUEVAS: Humans are engineers at heart. 46 00:02:22,038 --> 00:02:26,405 You see a problem and then you identify a solution. 47 00:02:26,405 --> 00:02:28,271 And we've been doing that forever. 48 00:02:28,271 --> 00:02:30,238 NARRATOR: This thing we call engineering... 49 00:02:30,238 --> 00:02:31,971 what is it? 50 00:02:31,971 --> 00:02:34,771 Where does this impulse to make things come from? 51 00:02:34,771 --> 00:02:36,871 ♪ ♪ 52 00:02:36,871 --> 00:02:40,571 Anthropologists tell us that the roots of invention 53 00:02:40,571 --> 00:02:43,705 reach deeper into our past than we ever imagined. 54 00:02:45,505 --> 00:02:47,305 According to our best records, 55 00:02:47,305 --> 00:02:50,505 some 3.3 million years ago 56 00:02:50,505 --> 00:02:51,705 our ancestors figured out 57 00:02:51,705 --> 00:02:54,705 how to sharpen a certain kind of rock. 58 00:02:54,705 --> 00:02:57,205 Creating a tool for cutting, 59 00:02:57,205 --> 00:02:59,005 much better than our teeth. 60 00:02:59,005 --> 00:03:02,638 Boosting the chances for survival. 61 00:03:02,638 --> 00:03:03,805 KENNETH HARRIS II: Humans dating 62 00:03:03,805 --> 00:03:05,738 way, way back in time 63 00:03:05,738 --> 00:03:09,171 have been inventing things that help efficiency. 64 00:03:09,171 --> 00:03:11,738 They help their survival, that help drive them forward 65 00:03:11,738 --> 00:03:14,005 based on the needs of that time. 66 00:03:14,005 --> 00:03:15,138 MARIA YANG: It's an innate 67 00:03:15,138 --> 00:03:17,271 desire to make things better 68 00:03:17,271 --> 00:03:18,471 through making tools. 69 00:03:18,471 --> 00:03:23,138 ♪ ♪ 70 00:03:25,705 --> 00:03:27,338 NARRATOR: And ever since, 71 00:03:27,338 --> 00:03:30,738 one idea has led to another. 72 00:03:30,738 --> 00:03:34,205 ♪ ♪ 73 00:03:34,205 --> 00:03:37,205 And every invention around us today 74 00:03:37,205 --> 00:03:40,805 can be traced back to those first tools... 75 00:03:40,805 --> 00:03:45,205 ♪ ♪ 76 00:03:48,638 --> 00:03:50,771 MAN: We have a cutoff off at T-minus 30 seconds. 77 00:03:52,738 --> 00:03:54,171 NARRATOR: Since the 1950s, 78 00:03:54,171 --> 00:03:57,505 rockets have been our go-to workhorse 79 00:03:57,505 --> 00:03:59,738 for sending people and payloads into orbit. 80 00:03:59,738 --> 00:04:03,938 (rocket engines roaring) 81 00:04:03,938 --> 00:04:06,638 They are some of the most complex machines ever built; 82 00:04:06,638 --> 00:04:10,671 the ultimate boost into the sky. 83 00:04:10,671 --> 00:04:12,905 But they aren't exactly new. 84 00:04:13,905 --> 00:04:16,405 Even modern rockets have historic roots, 85 00:04:16,405 --> 00:04:18,471 going back in time. 86 00:04:18,471 --> 00:04:19,905 Some ancient projectiles 87 00:04:19,905 --> 00:04:22,271 were powered by chemical explosives 88 00:04:22,271 --> 00:04:23,871 like gunpowder. 89 00:04:23,871 --> 00:04:28,105 In 1232, Chinese soldiers repelled a Mongol army 90 00:04:28,105 --> 00:04:29,805 using flaming arrows-- 91 00:04:29,805 --> 00:04:33,505 likely propelled by simple rockets. 92 00:04:33,505 --> 00:04:36,371 ♪ ♪ 93 00:04:36,371 --> 00:04:39,371 Today, rockets are far more powerful. 94 00:04:39,371 --> 00:04:42,071 Able to send humans to the moon 95 00:04:42,071 --> 00:04:43,538 and the International Space Station. 96 00:04:43,538 --> 00:04:44,805 MAN: Solid rocket ignition. 97 00:04:44,805 --> 00:04:48,005 NARRATOR: But rockets have limitations... 98 00:04:48,005 --> 00:04:49,605 STELTZNER: Putting things in orbit is hard. 99 00:04:49,605 --> 00:04:52,105 It takes a lot of energy. 100 00:04:52,105 --> 00:04:54,405 Rockets are hard. 101 00:04:54,405 --> 00:04:55,971 They take a lot of energy. 102 00:04:55,971 --> 00:04:57,971 Basically the amount of fuel required 103 00:04:58,705 --> 00:05:00,605 for rockets to reach, 104 00:05:00,605 --> 00:05:02,805 you know, the outer reach of our atmosphere 105 00:05:02,805 --> 00:05:05,738 is the limiting factor. 106 00:05:05,738 --> 00:05:09,271 YANEY: Something like 92, 93% of the mass 107 00:05:09,271 --> 00:05:12,805 of any rocket is, is fuel; 108 00:05:12,805 --> 00:05:15,771 leaving about 5% or 6% for the actual structure 109 00:05:15,771 --> 00:05:17,605 and only 2% for the payload. 110 00:05:19,771 --> 00:05:20,771 HARRIS II: There is a 111 00:05:20,771 --> 00:05:22,705 high demand... (chuckles) 112 00:05:22,705 --> 00:05:24,071 ...to put things into space, 113 00:05:24,071 --> 00:05:26,471 but there are limited means 114 00:05:26,471 --> 00:05:27,471 of getting it there. 115 00:05:27,471 --> 00:05:28,771 ♪ ♪ 116 00:05:28,771 --> 00:05:30,471 NARRATOR: But that may soon change. 117 00:05:30,471 --> 00:05:33,705 If engineers at a company called SpinLaunch 118 00:05:34,671 --> 00:05:35,938 can make the dream imagined 119 00:05:35,938 --> 00:05:38,671 in this promotional video a reality. 120 00:05:38,671 --> 00:05:42,205 YANEY: SpinLaunch is a highly unique way to get to space. 121 00:05:44,138 --> 00:05:45,238 The idea itself 122 00:05:45,238 --> 00:05:48,071 goes back to caveman times. 123 00:05:48,071 --> 00:05:49,805 It's a sling. 124 00:05:49,805 --> 00:05:52,571 NARRATOR: A sling is an ancient hunter's weapon. 125 00:05:52,571 --> 00:05:55,338 It's an improvement on the arm and shoulder's ability 126 00:05:55,338 --> 00:05:57,005 to throw a stone. 127 00:05:58,971 --> 00:06:02,405 Archeologists have found ancient evidence of slings; 128 00:06:02,405 --> 00:06:05,571 some at least 12,000 years old. 129 00:06:06,938 --> 00:06:11,438 For Jonathan Yaney, the sling is an inspiration. 130 00:06:11,438 --> 00:06:12,771 YANEY: It rotates. 131 00:06:12,771 --> 00:06:13,971 And at the end of a rotational element, 132 00:06:13,971 --> 00:06:16,271 you have really, really high speed. 133 00:06:17,271 --> 00:06:21,171 NARRATOR: So Jonathan embraced a radical idea: 134 00:06:21,171 --> 00:06:24,771 use that speed to launch a spacecraft into orbit. 135 00:06:24,771 --> 00:06:25,771 MABRY: A sling is something 136 00:06:25,771 --> 00:06:27,138 you spin around, 137 00:06:27,138 --> 00:06:29,605 and basically the more you can spin it, 138 00:06:29,605 --> 00:06:30,771 the more force you can 139 00:06:30,771 --> 00:06:32,338 basically put on the release 140 00:06:32,338 --> 00:06:33,338 of whatever you're slinging out. 141 00:06:33,338 --> 00:06:36,205 But if you scale this up, 142 00:06:36,205 --> 00:06:38,871 that same principle has the ability 143 00:06:38,871 --> 00:06:41,705 to launch a rocket into orbit. 144 00:06:41,705 --> 00:06:42,738 That's incredible. 145 00:06:44,205 --> 00:06:47,238 NARRATOR: That idea has been met with skepticism, 146 00:06:47,238 --> 00:06:50,305 so the SpinLaunch team has much to prove. 147 00:06:50,305 --> 00:06:51,971 DAVID WRENN: It is one of those ideas 148 00:06:51,971 --> 00:06:53,871 that just sounds too crazy. 149 00:06:53,871 --> 00:06:55,805 I think it's good to look at things, 150 00:06:55,805 --> 00:06:58,371 from a place of skepticism, at the outset. 151 00:06:58,371 --> 00:06:59,938 But then you have to be objective 152 00:06:59,938 --> 00:07:01,705 about looking at, well, 153 00:07:01,705 --> 00:07:03,038 what are the underlying physics 154 00:07:03,038 --> 00:07:04,671   and what might really be possible? 155 00:07:06,671 --> 00:07:08,771 NARRATOR: The SpinLaunch team is using electricity 156 00:07:08,771 --> 00:07:11,505 to generate rotational speed, 157 00:07:11,505 --> 00:07:13,538 faster than the speed of sound. 158 00:07:13,538 --> 00:07:15,471 The proposed payload-- 159 00:07:15,471 --> 00:07:18,938 a satellite encased in a bullet-shaped shell-- 160 00:07:18,938 --> 00:07:22,738 must withstand up to 10,000 Gs, or 10,000 times 161 00:07:22,738 --> 00:07:24,471 the force of Earth's gravity, 162 00:07:24,471 --> 00:07:26,038 until it is released... 163 00:07:27,938 --> 00:07:29,671 ...at just the right moment. 164 00:07:31,005 --> 00:07:34,005 Once the aeroshell gets around 40 miles up, 165 00:07:34,005 --> 00:07:35,871 the casing would separate 166 00:07:35,871 --> 00:07:38,005 to allow two small rocket engines 167 00:07:38,005 --> 00:07:39,538 to propel the payload 168 00:07:39,538 --> 00:07:43,105 the rest of the way to low Earth orbit. 169 00:07:43,105 --> 00:07:45,638 MABRY: The arm itself that's actually spinning around 170 00:07:45,638 --> 00:07:46,771 needs to be able to withstand it 171 00:07:46,771 --> 00:07:48,405 to a certain degree as well. 172 00:07:48,405 --> 00:07:49,838 So you have a need 173 00:07:49,838 --> 00:07:52,105 to not only make sure that it is structurally sound, 174 00:07:52,105 --> 00:07:54,738 but there needs to be precision in the timing 175 00:07:54,738 --> 00:07:57,705 in the programming of that actual release point. 176 00:07:58,705 --> 00:08:01,738 YANEY: I don't have any classical training as an engineer. 177 00:08:01,738 --> 00:08:03,371 I self-educate. 178 00:08:03,371 --> 00:08:05,505 I, I read a lot of books... (chuckles) 179 00:08:05,505 --> 00:08:07,371 ...lots of books, and then I read them again 180 00:08:07,371 --> 00:08:09,171 because I didn't really understand them the first time. 181 00:08:09,171 --> 00:08:10,971 I became an engineer along the way. 182 00:08:12,638 --> 00:08:14,105 NARRATOR: The team's first goal 183 00:08:14,105 --> 00:08:16,505 was to build a proof of concept 184 00:08:16,505 --> 00:08:20,038 mass accelerator at one-eighth scale, 185 00:08:20,038 --> 00:08:23,538 to validate the key technologies and use it as a test bed 186 00:08:23,538 --> 00:08:27,005 to spin potential space-bound components 187 00:08:27,005 --> 00:08:30,705 at many times the force of Earth's gravity. 188 00:08:31,771 --> 00:08:34,405 Also known as, as g-forces. 189 00:08:34,405 --> 00:08:38,571 And "g" represents one unit of Earth gravity. 190 00:08:38,571 --> 00:08:40,938 When a pilot pulls up 191 00:08:40,938 --> 00:08:43,738 on the yoke of their jet and they make a hard turn, 192 00:08:43,738 --> 00:08:47,905 they'll feel the equivalent of multiple times' Earth gravity, 193 00:08:47,905 --> 00:08:50,271 upwards of eight Gs, for example. 194 00:08:50,271 --> 00:08:52,071 NARRATOR: But SpinLaunch payloads 195 00:08:52,071 --> 00:08:54,505 will have to withstand forces 196 00:08:54,505 --> 00:08:56,038 orders of magnitude stronger, 197 00:08:56,038 --> 00:08:59,171 as many as 10,000 Gs. 198 00:08:59,171 --> 00:09:02,638 So the team is working on building and testing components 199 00:09:02,638 --> 00:09:05,971 that can survive such extreme acceleration. 200 00:09:05,971 --> 00:09:08,505 STELTZNER: You know, in some ways, we humans are sort of timid. 201 00:09:08,505 --> 00:09:10,705 We feel most comfortable with things 202 00:09:10,705 --> 00:09:12,771 that look like things we're used to. 203 00:09:12,771 --> 00:09:14,671 So you can't really tell at the outset 204 00:09:14,671 --> 00:09:16,771 whether the thing that you're doing that's outlandish 205 00:09:16,771 --> 00:09:18,205 is really going to work. 206 00:09:18,205 --> 00:09:20,805 NARRATOR: Today, the SpinLaunch team 207 00:09:20,805 --> 00:09:23,738 is asking a critical question: 208 00:09:23,738 --> 00:09:28,438 Can a payload like a CubeSat survive 10,000 Gs? 209 00:09:28,438 --> 00:09:31,471 So a CubeSat is this 210 00:09:31,471 --> 00:09:33,238 miniaturization of satellites, 211 00:09:33,238 --> 00:09:34,438 literally making them 212 00:09:34,438 --> 00:09:35,638 into these little cube components. 213 00:09:35,638 --> 00:09:38,338 So this ten centimeter by ten centimeter 214 00:09:38,338 --> 00:09:39,871 by ten centimeter unit, 215 00:09:39,871 --> 00:09:42,938 is one piece that can be 216 00:09:42,938 --> 00:09:47,371 added on top of each other like LEGO blocks. 217 00:09:47,371 --> 00:09:49,605 So we have some of the most critical subsystems 218 00:09:49,605 --> 00:09:51,005 that you would see on any satellite. 219 00:09:51,005 --> 00:09:54,005 We have a solar cell here. 220 00:09:54,005 --> 00:09:55,905 it generates a current that charges this battery up. 221 00:09:55,905 --> 00:09:56,905 And then the battery 222 00:09:56,905 --> 00:09:58,438 stores that energy, right. 223 00:09:58,438 --> 00:10:01,605 And distributes it to all of the critical subsystems 224 00:10:01,605 --> 00:10:03,305 that require electricity. 225 00:10:03,305 --> 00:10:07,105 So the OBC, or the onboard computer, is one of them. 226 00:10:07,105 --> 00:10:09,538 This is the, the brains of the satellite. 227 00:10:10,671 --> 00:10:14,205 NARRATOR: The team is confident the CubeSat as a whole will survive, 228 00:10:14,205 --> 00:10:17,405 but so far they've only tested individual components, 229 00:10:17,405 --> 00:10:19,538 and never the whole system. 230 00:10:19,538 --> 00:10:20,905 CHACHRA: You know, it's a very, 231 00:10:20,905 --> 00:10:22,771 very common strategy in engineering 232 00:10:22,771 --> 00:10:24,538 to say we're going to break this problem 233 00:10:24,538 --> 00:10:25,738 into small parts. 234 00:10:25,738 --> 00:10:26,738 We're going to solve 235 00:10:26,738 --> 00:10:28,138 each of the original parts, 236 00:10:28,138 --> 00:10:29,405 and then we're going to put it back together again. 237 00:10:29,405 --> 00:10:31,571 NARRATOR: The team aims to test 238 00:10:31,571 --> 00:10:32,838 some of the components 239 00:10:32,838 --> 00:10:34,171 that are typically found on CubeSats, 240 00:10:35,438 --> 00:10:37,171 starting with the computer. 241 00:10:37,171 --> 00:10:38,771 JUSTIN WILLIAMS: So this is saying effectively 242 00:10:38,771 --> 00:10:41,305 its power rails are all working correctly. 243 00:10:41,305 --> 00:10:44,138 It looks to be talking to the world just fine. 244 00:10:44,138 --> 00:10:46,405 NARRATOR: So far, they know that the battery pack 245 00:10:46,405 --> 00:10:48,405 is particularly vulnerable. 246 00:10:48,405 --> 00:10:50,205 (machine whirring) 247 00:10:50,205 --> 00:10:51,971 A pretest of the battery pack system 248 00:10:51,971 --> 00:10:54,538 didn't make it out of the accelerator 249 00:10:54,538 --> 00:10:55,838 in one piece. 250 00:10:55,838 --> 00:10:57,138 (crunches) 251 00:10:57,138 --> 00:10:59,271 SANDOMIRSKY: This gave us a great benchmark 252 00:10:59,271 --> 00:11:01,071 when it hit 7,650 Gs, 253 00:11:01,071 --> 00:11:02,471 that it was pretty darn close. 254 00:11:02,471 --> 00:11:03,538 (machine whirring) 255 00:11:03,538 --> 00:11:05,071 (crunches) 256 00:11:05,071 --> 00:11:06,471 And we didn't have to do all that much 257 00:11:06,471 --> 00:11:09,271 to make it compatible with our launch environment. 258 00:11:09,271 --> 00:11:12,038 The batteries aren't designed for 10,000 Gs natively... 259 00:11:12,038 --> 00:11:14,605 NARRATOR: The SpinLaunch engineering team had to figure out 260 00:11:14,605 --> 00:11:17,405 how to make the batteries more resistant 261 00:11:17,405 --> 00:11:18,438 to the high g forces. 262 00:11:18,438 --> 00:11:19,705 WRENN: So this is the original. 263 00:11:19,705 --> 00:11:20,905 SANDOMIRSKY: We saw these batteries 264 00:11:20,905 --> 00:11:22,205 laying on top of each other. 265 00:11:22,205 --> 00:11:23,838 The concern there is that 266 00:11:23,838 --> 00:11:25,371 when you're on the bottom of the stack, 267 00:11:25,371 --> 00:11:27,805 you're getting three batteries worth of mass squished on to 268 00:11:27,805 --> 00:11:29,405 plus your own mass. Yup. 269 00:11:29,405 --> 00:11:31,538 NARRATOR: This orientation of the battery cells 270 00:11:31,538 --> 00:11:33,438 didn't work out so well in the spinner. 271 00:11:33,438 --> 00:11:34,905 The g forces are going this way. 272 00:11:34,905 --> 00:11:36,238 WRENN: And you can even see the bolts 273 00:11:36,238 --> 00:11:38,471 are embedded and bent into the base here. 274 00:11:38,471 --> 00:11:40,705 One of the things that we did was 275 00:11:40,705 --> 00:11:41,705 turned it sideways. Yep. 276 00:11:41,705 --> 00:11:42,905 Let each battery support itself 277 00:11:42,905 --> 00:11:44,505 and itself only. Yeah. 278 00:11:44,505 --> 00:11:47,105 SANDOMIRSKY: So we're going to fully populate this satellite 279 00:11:47,105 --> 00:11:50,671 with all of the key subsystems that we're testing out here. 280 00:11:50,671 --> 00:11:55,371 This is the pre-spin test of the solar cell 1.2 volts. 281 00:11:55,371 --> 00:11:57,105 And then after we're done with the test, 282 00:11:57,105 --> 00:11:58,338 we will check it out again 283 00:11:58,338 --> 00:11:59,738 and make sure that it's still getting 284 00:11:59,738 --> 00:12:01,605 a similar voltage reading. 285 00:12:01,605 --> 00:12:03,471 This is going to be the first time 286 00:12:03,471 --> 00:12:05,471 that this unit with everything in it-- 287 00:12:05,471 --> 00:12:07,071 the battery pack, the computer-- 288 00:12:07,071 --> 00:12:09,171 is spinning up to 10,000 Gs. 289 00:12:09,171 --> 00:12:11,871 ♪ ♪ 290 00:12:14,738 --> 00:12:16,338 NARRATOR: Reaching the acceleration 291 00:12:16,338 --> 00:12:18,405 required for launch is itself 292 00:12:18,405 --> 00:12:20,805 a difficult engineering problem. There we go. 293 00:12:20,805 --> 00:12:22,838 NARRATOR: At those speeds, 294 00:12:22,838 --> 00:12:25,505 friction just from the air would be intense. 295 00:12:25,505 --> 00:12:27,871 So the inside of the accelerator 296 00:12:27,871 --> 00:12:30,871 is actually a giant vacuum chamber. 297 00:12:30,871 --> 00:12:33,071 YANEY: If you can pull all of the air out of it, 298 00:12:33,071 --> 00:12:34,671 then there's no more air resistance 299 00:12:34,671 --> 00:12:37,038 and consequently heat on the rotational structure. 300 00:12:37,038 --> 00:12:38,238 (lock clicks) SANDOMIRSKY: There we go. 301 00:12:38,238 --> 00:12:39,738 (lock clicks) Now we're going to go 302 00:12:39,738 --> 00:12:42,238 let the, the vacuum chamber draw down the pressure. 303 00:12:42,238 --> 00:12:44,238 And then we can spin up. 304 00:12:50,071 --> 00:12:52,538 MARK SIPPERLEY: Accelerating system... 305 00:12:52,538 --> 00:12:57,538 ♪ ♪ 306 00:12:57,538 --> 00:12:59,038 (machine whirring) 307 00:12:59,038 --> 00:13:01,471 (numbers clicking) 308 00:13:01,471 --> 00:13:02,871 (whirring continues) 309 00:13:02,871 --> 00:13:05,671 ♪ ♪ 310 00:13:05,671 --> 00:13:06,671 (numbers clicking) 311 00:13:06,671 --> 00:13:07,871 ...9,000, 312 00:13:07,871 --> 00:13:10,338 1.1..., 313 00:13:10,338 --> 00:13:12,071 ...95, 96, 314 00:13:12,071 --> 00:13:13,638 97, 98. 315 00:13:13,638 --> 00:13:15,838 10,000. 10,000 Gs. Coming down. 316 00:13:15,838 --> 00:13:17,005 Time. 317 00:13:17,005 --> 00:13:18,038 SANDOMIRSKY: Yeah! (laughs) 318 00:13:18,038 --> 00:13:20,071 (applause) 319 00:13:20,071 --> 00:13:22,505 ♪ Come on, baby ♪ 320 00:13:22,505 --> 00:13:25,538 ♪ ♪ 321 00:13:25,538 --> 00:13:26,938 ♪ Let's go ♪ 322 00:13:26,938 --> 00:13:28,971 (tool clatters) 323 00:13:33,505 --> 00:13:34,638 (echoing): Well, look at that. 324 00:13:34,638 --> 00:13:37,771 I don't hear any rattles. 325 00:13:37,771 --> 00:13:40,805 Looks like it's intact. 326 00:13:40,805 --> 00:13:42,405 STELTZNER: The pressure one feels 327 00:13:42,405 --> 00:13:44,571 when you're hoping for success 328 00:13:44,571 --> 00:13:46,905 is mostly about 329 00:13:46,905 --> 00:13:48,671 the incredible personal human 330 00:13:48,671 --> 00:13:50,205 investment that's gone in 331 00:13:50,205 --> 00:13:51,471 and not wanting to let down 332 00:13:51,471 --> 00:13:53,205 all of your colleagues 333 00:13:53,205 --> 00:13:55,238 when the moment of truth comes. 334 00:13:55,238 --> 00:13:56,438 SANDOMIRSKY: Let's crack it open. 335 00:13:59,138 --> 00:14:02,438 I'm going to test voltage on the solar cell. 336 00:14:02,438 --> 00:14:03,471 Yeah. So 0.8. 337 00:14:03,471 --> 00:14:05,205 That's in a reasonable range. 338 00:14:05,205 --> 00:14:09,538 Okay, so now we will take out the computer. 339 00:14:09,538 --> 00:14:11,238 Looks like it is intact. 340 00:14:11,238 --> 00:14:12,405 It's still responding 341 00:14:12,405 --> 00:14:13,738 when we send it messages, 342 00:14:13,738 --> 00:14:15,505 so it looks pretty good. 343 00:14:15,505 --> 00:14:17,738 I would say that that was a successful test. 344 00:14:17,738 --> 00:14:18,738 Pretty cool. 345 00:14:18,738 --> 00:14:19,738 Whoo! 346 00:14:19,738 --> 00:14:21,738 (clapping) (laughs) 347 00:14:21,738 --> 00:14:24,305 NARRATOR: SpinLaunch has done what engineers do-- 348 00:14:24,305 --> 00:14:25,605 ♪ ♪ 349 00:14:25,605 --> 00:14:29,238 methodically design, test, evaluate-- 350 00:14:29,238 --> 00:14:30,438 (computer beeping) and repeat-- 351 00:14:30,438 --> 00:14:31,971 as they step their way up 352 00:14:31,971 --> 00:14:33,205 to a system big enough 353 00:14:33,205 --> 00:14:36,538 to send payloads into low Earth orbit. 354 00:14:36,538 --> 00:14:38,838 ♪ ♪ 355 00:14:38,838 --> 00:14:40,938 YANEY: We went to the desert of New Mexico 356 00:14:40,938 --> 00:14:45,005 to build a flight test system, you know, at a large scale 357 00:14:45,005 --> 00:14:47,238 that would allow us to essentially prove 358 00:14:47,238 --> 00:14:49,571 that we had not only the technology validated, 359 00:14:49,571 --> 00:14:51,271 we could test our own ability 360 00:14:51,271 --> 00:14:53,305 to construct and to execute 361 00:14:53,305 --> 00:14:54,838 on a system of this magnitude and scale. 362 00:14:54,838 --> 00:14:56,371 (machine whirring) 363 00:14:56,371 --> 00:14:58,905 NARRATOR: Launching at one-third scale 364 00:14:58,905 --> 00:15:00,605 was a powerful milestone, 365 00:15:00,605 --> 00:15:02,271 spinning the payload 366 00:15:02,271 --> 00:15:04,938 to more than 1,000 miles per hour. 367 00:15:09,438 --> 00:15:11,705 ♪ ♪ 368 00:15:11,705 --> 00:15:14,138 YANEY: It was an emotional moment for the team. 369 00:15:14,138 --> 00:15:15,738 (people cheering) 370 00:15:15,738 --> 00:15:17,905 You have to have a little bit of faith 371 00:15:17,905 --> 00:15:19,971 to bring something like this 372 00:15:19,971 --> 00:15:21,971 to that level and to that, that scale. 373 00:15:21,971 --> 00:15:24,038 (rockets bursting) 374 00:15:24,038 --> 00:15:27,271 We've conducted ten successful back-to-back flight tests. 375 00:15:27,271 --> 00:15:29,005 We haven't had a single failure, 376 00:15:29,005 --> 00:15:30,238 and I think that's a testament 377 00:15:30,238 --> 00:15:32,905 to the practicality of the technology. 378 00:15:34,271 --> 00:15:35,938 SANDOMIRSKY: This will be, for the first time 379 00:15:35,938 --> 00:15:37,338 since we've gone to space 380 00:15:37,338 --> 00:15:41,271 as a species, that we'll be doing it differently. 381 00:15:41,271 --> 00:15:43,538 NARRATOR: It's common for engineers 382 00:15:43,538 --> 00:15:46,438 to build on an old technology, 383 00:15:46,438 --> 00:15:49,171 transforming it with new materials, 384 00:15:49,171 --> 00:15:53,171 to scale their way to innovation. 385 00:15:53,171 --> 00:15:54,605 It's with a spinning arm 386 00:15:54,605 --> 00:15:56,705 that's throwing satellites into space. 387 00:15:56,705 --> 00:15:58,305 That's totally new. 388 00:15:58,305 --> 00:15:59,905 How could that not be exciting? 389 00:15:59,905 --> 00:16:03,671 ♪ ♪ 390 00:16:03,671 --> 00:16:05,438 When you look at cutting edge technology today, 391 00:16:05,438 --> 00:16:07,238 you can see that it's just being built upon 392 00:16:07,238 --> 00:16:09,238 the things that we've already seen from the past. 393 00:16:09,238 --> 00:16:10,971 ♪ ♪ 394 00:16:10,971 --> 00:16:13,171 NARRATOR: Sometimes we boost technology 395 00:16:13,171 --> 00:16:15,238 from the more recent past. 396 00:16:16,805 --> 00:16:18,938 Consider something we take for granted 397 00:16:18,938 --> 00:16:20,805 in everything from cell phones 398 00:16:20,805 --> 00:16:22,605 to cars to video games. 399 00:16:22,605 --> 00:16:23,838 (video game beeping, controller clicking)) 400 00:16:23,838 --> 00:16:25,238 It's called "haptics". 401 00:16:25,238 --> 00:16:28,538 Vibrations and other physical sensations 402 00:16:28,538 --> 00:16:31,538 that enable our technology to talk back to us 403 00:16:31,538 --> 00:16:33,238 through our sense of touch. 404 00:16:33,238 --> 00:16:35,571 (cymbals clinking) 405 00:16:35,571 --> 00:16:39,371 NARRATOR: At Harvard, scientist and engineer Shriya Srinivasan 406 00:16:39,371 --> 00:16:42,171 is thinking about those physical feedback loops 407 00:16:42,171 --> 00:16:46,305 every time she performs an ancient dance. 408 00:16:46,305 --> 00:16:48,005 SHRIYA SRINIVASAN: I've been dancing since I was very young. 409 00:16:48,005 --> 00:16:51,438 The ideas around movement and sensory feedback 410 00:16:51,438 --> 00:16:52,505 have been percolating in my brain 411 00:16:52,505 --> 00:16:53,871 in for a long time. 412 00:16:53,871 --> 00:16:55,505 (cymbals tapping) 413 00:16:55,505 --> 00:16:56,905 When I dance, of course, 414 00:16:56,905 --> 00:17:00,371 I'm intimately aware of my body and its movements. 415 00:17:00,371 --> 00:17:02,071 What the audience feels, however, 416 00:17:02,071 --> 00:17:04,071 may be limited by their conditioning 417 00:17:04,071 --> 00:17:06,105 or what they can perceive visually. 418 00:17:06,105 --> 00:17:08,971 ♪ ♪ 419 00:17:08,971 --> 00:17:11,405 (voiceover): I am a biomedical engineer by training 420 00:17:11,405 --> 00:17:14,205 and at some point I started to wonder, 421 00:17:14,205 --> 00:17:17,005 can we use the receptors in our skin to communicate 422 00:17:17,005 --> 00:17:18,305 the complexity of the rhythms 423 00:17:18,305 --> 00:17:19,871 that are embedded within the choreography? 424 00:17:19,871 --> 00:17:22,105 And would that enable the audience 425 00:17:22,105 --> 00:17:25,105 to experience then the dance to a higher dimension? 426 00:17:25,105 --> 00:17:29,638 NARRATOR: Shriya turned her curiosity into an engineering problem: 427 00:17:29,638 --> 00:17:34,071 Could she share the rhythmic complexity of the choreography-- 428 00:17:34,071 --> 00:17:37,005 as she feels it in her body with the audience? 429 00:17:37,005 --> 00:17:38,371 To find out, 430 00:17:38,371 --> 00:17:42,138 she and her dance company co-founder, Joshua George, 431 00:17:42,138 --> 00:17:44,905 are conducting trials at Harvard's Motion Capture Lab. 432 00:17:44,905 --> 00:17:47,138 ♪ ♪ 433 00:17:47,138 --> 00:17:49,938 KRITHIKA SWAMINATHAN: So we're going to grab this metatarsal point. 434 00:17:49,938 --> 00:17:52,605 NARRATOR: The motion capture system reads and records 435 00:17:52,605 --> 00:17:56,038 the position of the dots placed on Joshua, 436 00:17:56,038 --> 00:17:58,971 in order to create a digital version of his movements 437 00:17:58,971 --> 00:18:03,771 and understand the biomechanics of the dance. Great. 438 00:18:03,771 --> 00:18:07,238 SRINIVASAN (voiceover): But more importantly, we're interested in capturing 439 00:18:07,238 --> 00:18:08,871 what's not readily visible to the eye. 440 00:18:08,871 --> 00:18:10,871 So muscle activation, for example, 441 00:18:10,871 --> 00:18:12,771 or forces to the ground. 442 00:18:12,771 --> 00:18:14,205 MAN: Now, can you flex your biceps? 443 00:18:14,205 --> 00:18:16,771 NARRATOR: Audience members can see the movements, 444 00:18:16,771 --> 00:18:20,538 but they can't feel the force of a step or a jump. 445 00:18:20,538 --> 00:18:23,338 VALERO-CUEVAS: If you think about how humans interact, 446 00:18:23,338 --> 00:18:24,971 we like shaking hands. 447 00:18:24,971 --> 00:18:26,038 We like hugging. 448 00:18:26,038 --> 00:18:27,971 So being able to tap into 449 00:18:27,971 --> 00:18:30,171 that sense of touch, 450 00:18:30,171 --> 00:18:32,838 or as it's sometimes called embodiment, 451 00:18:32,838 --> 00:18:37,871 is a gateway into allowing you to be... 452 00:18:37,871 --> 00:18:40,138 and experience something 453 00:18:40,138 --> 00:18:42,238 that you're not immediately doing, 454 00:18:42,238 --> 00:18:46,938 for example, it'd be great to feel how a dancer moves. 455 00:18:48,571 --> 00:18:51,371 SRINIVASAN: So as you flex the bicep, you can see in yellow 456 00:18:51,371 --> 00:18:53,171 the activation of that muscle. 457 00:18:53,171 --> 00:18:55,871 SWAMINATHAN: We have these reflective markers that we put on someone. 458 00:18:55,871 --> 00:18:58,038 We have them do a certain movement. 459 00:18:58,038 --> 00:18:59,805 We take that information 460 00:18:59,805 --> 00:19:01,405 and kind of convert that into 461 00:19:01,405 --> 00:19:03,205 body movement quantitative data. 462 00:19:03,205 --> 00:19:05,005 ♪ ♪ 463 00:19:05,005 --> 00:19:09,438 NARRATOR: What we think of as haptics embedded in technology 464 00:19:09,438 --> 00:19:12,205 has roots in aviation. 465 00:19:12,205 --> 00:19:14,138 As planes advanced, 466 00:19:14,138 --> 00:19:17,038 pilots no longer felt mechanical vibrations in the controls 467 00:19:17,038 --> 00:19:19,338 when the plane was about to stall. 468 00:19:19,338 --> 00:19:22,305 So haptics were used to replace these vibrations 469 00:19:22,305 --> 00:19:24,505 artificially, preserving the warning. 470 00:19:24,505 --> 00:19:26,238 SETOR ZILEVU: Haptics is super critical 471 00:19:26,238 --> 00:19:28,171 and very innovative in the design process 472 00:19:28,171 --> 00:19:30,538 because it has the ability to really blend 473 00:19:30,538 --> 00:19:32,438 the physical world with the digital world. 474 00:19:34,238 --> 00:19:36,271   STELTZNER: In our analog world, 475 00:19:36,271 --> 00:19:37,738 haptics were everywhere. 476 00:19:37,738 --> 00:19:39,605 Things felt. 477 00:19:39,605 --> 00:19:42,205 You pushed a button on your radio 478 00:19:42,205 --> 00:19:45,105 and the button went sha-clank and you could feel it. 479 00:19:45,105 --> 00:19:47,871 My brain is evolved 480 00:19:47,871 --> 00:19:50,038 to sense whether that action 481 00:19:50,038 --> 00:19:51,571 that I've taken with my finger 482 00:19:51,571 --> 00:19:53,938 has resulted in a, 483 00:19:53,938 --> 00:19:56,571 um, an actual an effect. 484 00:19:56,571 --> 00:19:58,205 (computer beeping) 485 00:19:58,205 --> 00:20:02,805 NARRATOR: Shriya's team is applying this concept to dance. 486 00:20:02,805 --> 00:20:05,605 SRINIVASAN: Take a feel and see what you think. 487 00:20:05,605 --> 00:20:09,838 NARRATOR: And the team is using modern technology to develop it. 488 00:20:09,838 --> 00:20:11,638 ISABELLA GOMEZ-HJERTHEN: At the moment we're using 489 00:20:11,638 --> 00:20:13,805 two different types of haptics on the phone. 490 00:20:13,805 --> 00:20:16,805 (phone vibrating) 491 00:20:16,805 --> 00:20:18,071 So we can set them at different intensities, 492 00:20:18,071 --> 00:20:19,205 different sharpness. 493 00:20:19,205 --> 00:20:21,171 We can also vary how long they are. 494 00:20:21,171 --> 00:20:23,738 We're able to then assign 495 00:20:23,738 --> 00:20:25,971 a haptic pattern or a vibration pattern 496 00:20:25,971 --> 00:20:28,938 to that move and have it happen at that time, 497 00:20:28,938 --> 00:20:31,005 during the song or during the performance. 498 00:20:31,005 --> 00:20:34,138 NARRATOR: They are under pressure to work out the kinks-- 499 00:20:34,138 --> 00:20:36,371 they're giving a performance the next day 500 00:20:36,371 --> 00:20:39,505 and they hope to work with the audience to test the system. 501 00:20:39,505 --> 00:20:41,938 SWAMINATHAN: Okay. Yeah, I think we're set for Friday. 502 00:20:42,938 --> 00:20:46,371 NARRATOR: Besides enhanced dance performances, 503 00:20:46,371 --> 00:20:49,471 Shriya's lab is also using haptics to do research 504 00:20:49,471 --> 00:20:52,105 to help medical patients with muscle spasticity 505 00:20:52,105 --> 00:20:53,938 move more smoothly. 506 00:20:53,938 --> 00:20:56,005 They're asking if vibration feedback 507 00:20:56,005 --> 00:20:58,838 can reduce the symptoms of spasticity; 508 00:20:58,838 --> 00:21:01,738 a condition that causes muscles to stiffen, 509 00:21:01,738 --> 00:21:03,171 making them difficult to move-- 510 00:21:03,171 --> 00:21:05,705 often as result of spinal cord injury 511 00:21:05,705 --> 00:21:07,838 or traumatic brain injury, 512 00:21:07,838 --> 00:21:11,205 A.L.S., multiple sclerosis, or cerebral palsy. 513 00:21:12,305 --> 00:21:13,305 Patrick Pariseau, 514 00:21:13,305 --> 00:21:15,071 a PhD candidate, 515 00:21:15,071 --> 00:21:16,938 is one of Shriya's students. 516 00:21:16,938 --> 00:21:18,005 PARISEAU: With spasticity, 517 00:21:18,005 --> 00:21:19,605 it feels like someone 518 00:21:19,605 --> 00:21:21,405 is holding your limb in place. 519 00:21:21,405 --> 00:21:22,571 Any time you want to move, 520 00:21:22,571 --> 00:21:23,805 you have to struggle against yourself. 521 00:21:25,305 --> 00:21:27,671   NARRATOR: In the Motion Capture Lab, 522 00:21:27,671 --> 00:21:30,538 Shriya is working on a potential solution. 523 00:21:30,538 --> 00:21:33,838 SRINIVASAN (voiceover): The nervous system is kind of like an orchestra. 524 00:21:33,838 --> 00:21:35,305 And conducting it is the brain, 525 00:21:35,305 --> 00:21:37,771 sending signals but also receiving feedback 526 00:21:37,771 --> 00:21:40,738 about which parts are playing what. 527 00:21:40,738 --> 00:21:42,738 And having them work together 528 00:21:42,738 --> 00:21:45,371 is the key to executing movement 529 00:21:45,371 --> 00:21:46,471 and moving seamlessly in the world. 530 00:21:46,471 --> 00:21:48,771 ♪ ♪ 531 00:21:48,771 --> 00:21:50,671 NARRATOR: In typical arm motion, 532 00:21:50,671 --> 00:21:54,205 the bicep contracts to bend the arm at the elbow 533 00:21:54,205 --> 00:21:56,138 while the tricep relaxes, 534 00:21:56,138 --> 00:21:59,205 and the tricep contracts to straighten the arm 535 00:21:59,205 --> 00:22:01,305 while the bicep relaxes. 536 00:22:01,305 --> 00:22:02,538 (electronic buzzing) 537 00:22:02,538 --> 00:22:03,805 The device that they're building 538 00:22:03,805 --> 00:22:06,871 is designed to pick up activation of one muscle 539 00:22:06,871 --> 00:22:10,971 and then mechanically tell the opposite muscle to relax. 540 00:22:10,971 --> 00:22:13,671 ♪ ♪ 541 00:22:13,671 --> 00:22:16,205 SRINIVASAN: In a patient with spasticity, for example, 542 00:22:16,205 --> 00:22:18,705 there's co-contraction, so as your bicep contracts, 543 00:22:18,705 --> 00:22:20,538 your tricep is also contracting 544 00:22:20,538 --> 00:22:22,305 and that causes that movement to be rigid. 545 00:22:24,371 --> 00:22:27,105 PARISEAU: So we're targeting the biceps and triceps. 546 00:22:27,105 --> 00:22:29,138 Let me know if it's too tight. 547 00:22:29,138 --> 00:22:31,838 DARAIO: Biomedical engineering, requires 548 00:22:31,838 --> 00:22:34,538 a fundamental understanding not only of 549 00:22:34,538 --> 00:22:36,338 the basic engineering principles 550 00:22:36,338 --> 00:22:39,305 like mechanics, electronics and... 551 00:22:39,305 --> 00:22:40,505 uh, computer science, 552 00:22:40,505 --> 00:22:44,005 but also of the fundamental properties 553 00:22:44,005 --> 00:22:45,871 of the biology of the human body. 554 00:22:45,871 --> 00:22:48,838 NARRATOR: Step one: put the prototype system 555 00:22:48,838 --> 00:22:50,838 on student volunteer Anni 556 00:22:50,838 --> 00:22:52,071 and use it to collect data 557 00:22:52,071 --> 00:22:53,971 with a simple reflex test. 558 00:22:53,971 --> 00:22:56,438 We've attached E.M.G. sensors. 559 00:22:56,438 --> 00:22:58,605 So E.M.G. is electromyography. 560 00:22:58,605 --> 00:23:01,305 We're going to record the activation of her muscles 561 00:23:01,305 --> 00:23:02,771 and then display it on this laptop. 562 00:23:04,471 --> 00:23:07,038 (device beeping, hammer tapping in rhythm) 563 00:23:07,038 --> 00:23:08,071 Yeah, I think that was... 564 00:23:08,071 --> 00:23:09,771 ...that, that was. Oh, yeah. 565 00:23:09,771 --> 00:23:11,271 PARISEAU: Yeah? That was a strong one. 566 00:23:11,271 --> 00:23:12,271 NARRATOR: Step two: 567 00:23:12,271 --> 00:23:13,871 measure the amount 568 00:23:13,871 --> 00:23:16,271 of muscle activation when the device vibrates, 569 00:23:16,271 --> 00:23:19,505 to see if the activation goes down. 570 00:23:19,505 --> 00:23:21,405 PARISEAU: So now we are going to turn on the vibration. 571 00:23:21,405 --> 00:23:23,471 SRINIVASAN: Here what we're looking at is 572 00:23:23,471 --> 00:23:25,005 can we apply vibratory stimuli 573 00:23:25,005 --> 00:23:27,738 at just the right time and at the right amount 574 00:23:27,738 --> 00:23:31,371 and the right parameters to relax the relevant muscles 575 00:23:31,371 --> 00:23:33,471 to allow for more free movement. 576 00:23:33,471 --> 00:23:36,005 (device beeping, hammer tapping in rhythm) 577 00:23:36,005 --> 00:23:37,438 Yeah, I think that's... All right. 578 00:23:37,438 --> 00:23:39,138 So now it should be stimulating on the bicep. 579 00:23:39,138 --> 00:23:40,738 Can you feel it on your bicep? Yes. 580 00:23:40,738 --> 00:23:42,738 (device beeping, hammer tapping in rhythm) 581 00:23:42,738 --> 00:23:43,905 Yup. Yep. Right there? 582 00:23:43,905 --> 00:23:44,905 All right. Great. 583 00:23:44,905 --> 00:23:46,471 NARRATOR: The next step? 584 00:23:46,471 --> 00:23:49,238 Preliminary analysis of the motions. 585 00:23:49,238 --> 00:23:52,338 The hope is that vibration reduces 586 00:23:52,338 --> 00:23:54,271 unwanted muscle activation 587 00:23:54,271 --> 00:23:56,738 so they can use vibrations in their device 588 00:23:56,738 --> 00:23:59,338 to relax the targeted muscles. 589 00:23:59,338 --> 00:24:01,138 If they can demonstrate that, 590 00:24:01,138 --> 00:24:03,771 then eventually they plan to build a device 591 00:24:03,771 --> 00:24:06,538 that will detect activation in one muscle 592 00:24:06,538 --> 00:24:09,705 and determine which other muscle to deactivate. 593 00:24:09,705 --> 00:24:10,705 (electronic buzzing) 594 00:24:10,705 --> 00:24:11,705 PARISEAU: Begin. 595 00:24:11,705 --> 00:24:12,905 NARRATOR: Boosting flexibility 596 00:24:12,905 --> 00:24:14,438 and restoring motion. 597 00:24:14,438 --> 00:24:15,738 Two, three, four, five. 598 00:24:15,738 --> 00:24:17,238 NARRATOR: In today's test... Relax. 599 00:24:17,238 --> 00:24:19,505 NARRATOR: ...the device is giving them encouraging data. 600 00:24:19,505 --> 00:24:22,171 Confirming vibration as an effective strategy 601 00:24:22,171 --> 00:24:26,038 for relaxing specific muscles brings them one step closer 602 00:24:26,038 --> 00:24:29,671 to developing a therapeutic device for spasticity. 603 00:24:29,671 --> 00:24:32,038 PARISEAU: The feeling that we were able to, 604 00:24:32,038 --> 00:24:33,605 What appears to be successfully, 605 00:24:33,605 --> 00:24:35,771 relax those muscles with vibration 606 00:24:35,771 --> 00:24:37,538 was a very good feeling, 607 00:24:37,538 --> 00:24:39,605 because it means that we're one step closer 608 00:24:39,605 --> 00:24:42,438 to help people with spasticity move more easily. 609 00:24:42,438 --> 00:24:45,705 NARRATOR: From one test to another. 610 00:24:45,705 --> 00:24:47,471 Good evening, everybody. 611 00:24:47,471 --> 00:24:49,338 Welcome to Decoded Rhythms. 612 00:24:49,338 --> 00:24:51,205 The human nervous system... 613 00:24:51,205 --> 00:24:53,938 NARRATOR: The first opportunity for Shriya and her dance company 614 00:24:53,938 --> 00:24:56,205 to add a layer to the performance 615 00:24:56,205 --> 00:24:57,705 through haptic feedback. 616 00:24:57,705 --> 00:25:01,238 Sensation is the gateway to the human experience. 617 00:25:01,238 --> 00:25:03,271 NARRATOR: Audience members download an app, 618 00:25:03,271 --> 00:25:05,371 and as they watch and listen, 619 00:25:05,371 --> 00:25:06,938 they'll feel synchronized vibrations. 620 00:25:06,938 --> 00:25:12,238 ♪ ♪ 621 00:25:17,571 --> 00:25:18,805 SWAMINATHAN: We're hoping that the audience 622 00:25:18,805 --> 00:25:22,171 can be more in tune with the performance 623 00:25:22,171 --> 00:25:24,105 by giving them this sort of understanding, 624 00:25:24,105 --> 00:25:26,938 haptically, what the dancers are doing. 625 00:25:26,938 --> 00:25:31,971 ♪ ♪ 626 00:25:35,838 --> 00:25:37,038 (music ends) 627 00:25:37,038 --> 00:25:39,705 (audience applauding) 628 00:25:41,438 --> 00:25:43,571 SRINIVASAN: I thought it was a good work in progress demo. 629 00:25:43,571 --> 00:25:45,438 Most of the technology aspects worked well. 630 00:25:45,438 --> 00:25:46,705 Everything synced, 631 00:25:46,705 --> 00:25:48,305 and it was exciting to just see initial-- 632 00:25:48,305 --> 00:25:49,938 people's initial reactions to it. 633 00:25:49,938 --> 00:25:52,738 I love this. Um, I'm an ex ballet dancer. 634 00:25:52,738 --> 00:25:55,505 There's something about having this motion and movement 635 00:25:55,505 --> 00:25:57,871 in my hand, but I felt I was moving along with you, 636 00:25:57,871 --> 00:25:59,971 and that was really cool. 637 00:25:59,971 --> 00:26:01,371 (audience applauding) 638 00:26:01,371 --> 00:26:03,205 NARRATOR: Combining two worlds, 639 00:26:03,205 --> 00:26:05,505 each adding a bit to the other. 640 00:26:05,505 --> 00:26:07,405 SRINIVASAN: I would say that the data 641 00:26:07,405 --> 00:26:09,338 that we're gathering from the dance work, 642 00:26:09,338 --> 00:26:10,705 the biomechanics, 643 00:26:10,705 --> 00:26:12,305 the ability to classify movements 644 00:26:12,305 --> 00:26:14,405 to interpret intent, 645 00:26:14,405 --> 00:26:16,671 all of those higher level insights 646 00:26:16,671 --> 00:26:19,138 will guide us in the development 647 00:26:19,138 --> 00:26:22,605 of patterns for patients with spasticity. 648 00:26:22,605 --> 00:26:24,938 Two, three, four, five. 649 00:26:24,938 --> 00:26:26,071 Relax. 650 00:26:26,071 --> 00:26:28,571 NARRATOR: We all have physical limits. 651 00:26:28,571 --> 00:26:31,771 But tools of all kinds help us 652 00:26:31,771 --> 00:26:35,105 go beyond what our bodies can do on their own. 653 00:26:35,105 --> 00:26:36,971 Simple machines, 654 00:26:36,971 --> 00:26:40,138 like levers and pulleys and screws, 655 00:26:40,138 --> 00:26:41,505 boost our strength. 656 00:26:41,505 --> 00:26:45,105 But we also make tools just for fun. 657 00:26:47,571 --> 00:26:50,405 Every invention starts with an idea. 658 00:26:50,405 --> 00:26:51,805 TAHIRA REID SMITH: We're trying to see 659 00:26:51,805 --> 00:26:53,638 how much play there is... 660 00:26:53,638 --> 00:26:54,871 NARRATOR: For Tahira Reid Smith, 661 00:26:54,871 --> 00:26:57,938 her idea comes from a childhood passion: 662 00:26:57,938 --> 00:27:00,738 Double Dutch. 663 00:27:00,738 --> 00:27:02,738 GIRL: One two, three, four, 664 00:27:02,738 --> 00:27:04,471 five, six, seven, eight... 665 00:27:04,471 --> 00:27:06,171 REID SMITH: Growing up in Bronx, New York, 666 00:27:06,171 --> 00:27:08,605 in the 1980s, 667 00:27:08,605 --> 00:27:10,671 Double Dutch was just what you did as a little girl. 668 00:27:10,671 --> 00:27:14,471 NARRATOR: This double rope version of jump rope 669 00:27:14,471 --> 00:27:16,671 was brought to New York by Dutch settlers 670 00:27:16,671 --> 00:27:18,138 in the 17th century. 671 00:27:18,138 --> 00:27:22,038 (kids chanting) 672 00:27:26,671 --> 00:27:28,205 More recently, 673 00:27:28,205 --> 00:27:31,571 it became popular, particularly among Black girls, 674 00:27:31,571 --> 00:27:35,038 in cities across the U.S. 675 00:27:35,038 --> 00:27:37,805 There are even fiercely competitive 676 00:27:37,805 --> 00:27:40,938 national competitions, and in some high schools, 677 00:27:40,938 --> 00:27:44,171 it's recognized as a varsity sport. 678 00:27:44,171 --> 00:27:46,338 ♪ ♪ 679 00:27:46,338 --> 00:27:47,671 To play, 680 00:27:47,671 --> 00:27:49,271 Double Dutch requires two people 681 00:27:49,271 --> 00:27:51,405 spinning ropes in opposite directions 682 00:27:51,405 --> 00:27:54,138 and at least one person to jump. 683 00:27:56,305 --> 00:27:59,138 Tahira dreamed of a machine that would allow her, 684 00:27:59,138 --> 00:28:01,238 an only child at the time, 685 00:28:01,238 --> 00:28:04,105 to play Double Dutch whenever she wanted. 686 00:28:04,105 --> 00:28:07,105 In third grade, she won a contest for that concept. 687 00:28:07,105 --> 00:28:09,005 And in the years that followed, 688 00:28:09,005 --> 00:28:11,105 she never gave up on that dream. 689 00:28:11,105 --> 00:28:13,705 REID SMITH: Major passion project. 690 00:28:13,705 --> 00:28:17,905 Talking about an idea that I've had for decades. 691 00:28:17,905 --> 00:28:21,005 NARRATOR: Today, she's a mechanical engineer and professor, 692 00:28:21,005 --> 00:28:24,638 working in human-machine systems. 693 00:28:24,638 --> 00:28:26,305 And she's building to her ultimate dream: 694 00:28:26,305 --> 00:28:29,238 to create an affordable version of her invention 695 00:28:29,238 --> 00:28:32,305 that people everywhere could enjoy. 696 00:28:35,105 --> 00:28:37,471 Meanwhile, another engineer, 697 00:28:37,471 --> 00:28:40,105 Sky Leilani, is working on 698 00:28:40,105 --> 00:28:42,838 her own Double Dutch prototype. 699 00:28:42,838 --> 00:28:46,305 Sky works at a robotics software company. 700 00:28:46,305 --> 00:28:48,005 SKY LEILANI: When I was in college, 701 00:28:48,005 --> 00:28:50,638 I found Dr. Reid's Double Dutch machine, 702 00:28:50,638 --> 00:28:53,838 at a point where I was feeling like I couldn't 703 00:28:53,838 --> 00:28:55,571 get where I wanted to go. I was just surrounded by 704 00:28:55,571 --> 00:28:57,371 a lot of people who didn't look like me. 705 00:28:57,371 --> 00:28:59,438 I saw she was from the Bronx, 706 00:28:59,438 --> 00:29:01,538 which is kind of similar to where I'm from, 707 00:29:01,538 --> 00:29:02,871 and that really inspired me. 708 00:29:02,871 --> 00:29:04,771 Problems that matter, 709 00:29:04,771 --> 00:29:08,105 that are informed by culture, then informed by background, 710 00:29:08,105 --> 00:29:11,871 can stimulate the desire to get into engineering, 711 00:29:11,871 --> 00:29:14,805 to desire to go about this process of creating something 712 00:29:14,805 --> 00:29:16,405 that didn't previously exist. 713 00:29:16,405 --> 00:29:20,605 The problems in which we decide are important enough to solve 714 00:29:20,605 --> 00:29:22,705 are influenced by someone's background 715 00:29:22,705 --> 00:29:24,405 and someone's culture. 716 00:29:24,405 --> 00:29:27,505 NARRATOR: Tahira has come to Viam Robotics in New York City 717 00:29:27,505 --> 00:29:29,238 to collaborate with Sky. 718 00:29:29,238 --> 00:29:31,171 Hi! Oh my gosh, hi! 719 00:29:31,171 --> 00:29:32,571 NARRATOR: Bringing along her goddaughter, Sa'nai, 720 00:29:32,571 --> 00:29:34,005 part of the latest generation 721 00:29:34,005 --> 00:29:36,538 interested in engineering Double Dutch. 722 00:29:36,538 --> 00:29:38,505 REID SMITH: When I first learned about Sky, 723 00:29:38,505 --> 00:29:41,971 it really touched me deeply, because 724 00:29:41,971 --> 00:29:44,538 I didn't know that people were watching me from afar. 725 00:29:44,538 --> 00:29:47,338 When I was looking at your designs, I was just like, "Wow." 726 00:29:47,338 --> 00:29:50,171 REID SMITH (voiceover): I was very encouraged by it, I was also impressed by 727 00:29:50,171 --> 00:29:52,138 her passion and her excitement. 728 00:29:52,138 --> 00:29:56,538 NARRATOR: Sky isn't a mechanical engineer like Tahira is. 729 00:29:56,538 --> 00:29:59,438 She's iterated on Tahira's design, 730 00:29:59,438 --> 00:30:02,438 adding computer-controlled motors 731 00:30:02,438 --> 00:30:04,838 and a software interface to control the two ropes. 732 00:30:04,838 --> 00:30:06,438 DARAIO: What are the traits of an engineer? 733 00:30:06,438 --> 00:30:08,338 I think I think it's hard to generalize. 734 00:30:08,338 --> 00:30:10,471 I feel like there's, 735 00:30:10,471 --> 00:30:12,671 there's many different kinds of engineering. 736 00:30:12,671 --> 00:30:15,438 There's many different kinds of skills required 737 00:30:15,438 --> 00:30:16,871 in the different types of engineering. 738 00:30:18,305 --> 00:30:20,071 REID SMITH: She's modernized it, 739 00:30:20,071 --> 00:30:21,871 writing code to control it. 740 00:30:21,871 --> 00:30:23,971 There's vision for even an app, 741 00:30:23,971 --> 00:30:26,138 and doing everything largely through 742 00:30:26,138 --> 00:30:28,805 computer software and electronics. 743 00:30:28,805 --> 00:30:32,405 Very little mechanical engineering. 744 00:30:32,405 --> 00:30:34,705 NARRATOR: As Sky describes her approach, 745 00:30:34,705 --> 00:30:37,138 Tahira sees that Sky is running into 746 00:30:37,138 --> 00:30:39,371 a familiar problem: 747 00:30:39,371 --> 00:30:41,438 synchronizing the ropes. 748 00:30:41,438 --> 00:30:44,138 ♪ ♪ 749 00:30:44,138 --> 00:30:47,371 The ropes need to extend in a high arc, 750 00:30:47,371 --> 00:30:49,305 turning in opposite directions 751 00:30:49,305 --> 00:30:53,471 and staying 180 degrees out of phase with each other-- 752 00:30:53,471 --> 00:30:56,871 in other words, when one rope is on the ground, 753 00:30:56,871 --> 00:31:00,471 the other should be directly overhead. 754 00:31:00,471 --> 00:31:01,738 As they rotate, 755 00:31:01,738 --> 00:31:04,305 they need to maintain a regular rhythm 756 00:31:04,305 --> 00:31:08,271 to truly create Double Dutch. 757 00:31:08,271 --> 00:31:10,671 It looks easy when a person does it, 758 00:31:10,671 --> 00:31:13,071 but as Tahira and Sky know firsthand, 759 00:31:13,071 --> 00:31:15,638 it's anything but simple to engineer. 760 00:31:15,638 --> 00:31:17,171 That was wrong. 761 00:31:17,171 --> 00:31:18,805   (clattering) 762 00:31:20,538 --> 00:31:22,271 REID SMITH: The motor is always 763 00:31:22,271 --> 00:31:24,505 the most challenging aspect. LEILANI: Mm-hmm. 764 00:31:24,505 --> 00:31:27,471 REID SMITH: And that is how it was with us. 765 00:31:27,471 --> 00:31:29,205 With Double Dutch, the biomechanics 766 00:31:29,205 --> 00:31:31,471 that people use to get it to-- 767 00:31:31,471 --> 00:31:33,571 it looks so seamless. Yeah. 768 00:31:33,571 --> 00:31:36,371 But trying to recreate that in a robot? Yes. 769 00:31:36,371 --> 00:31:37,538 You realize... 770 00:31:37,538 --> 00:31:38,938 VALERO-CUEVAS: We have to ask ourselves 771 00:31:38,938 --> 00:31:43,805 how does the biology do it with materials and 772 00:31:43,805 --> 00:31:46,138 information processing units 773 00:31:46,138 --> 00:31:48,205 that no engineer would dream of using? 774 00:31:48,205 --> 00:31:52,071 How is it that we can move both ropes so well 775 00:31:52,071 --> 00:31:53,905 at the same time, but a robot can't? 776 00:31:53,905 --> 00:31:57,771 So then the question is, what do we need to do 777 00:31:57,771 --> 00:32:00,138 to replicate that? 778 00:32:00,138 --> 00:32:01,238 Look to your left. 779 00:32:01,238 --> 00:32:03,438 That's so cool. 780 00:32:03,438 --> 00:32:05,105 NARRATOR: Sky has chosen motors 781 00:32:05,105 --> 00:32:06,405 that are powerful enough to swing the ropes, 782 00:32:06,405 --> 00:32:08,771 with an added feature. 783 00:32:08,771 --> 00:32:10,638 LEILANI: The motor for the Double Dutch machine 784 00:32:10,638 --> 00:32:12,171 is from a hoverboard. 785 00:32:12,171 --> 00:32:14,338 They're DC motors with encoders in them, 786 00:32:14,338 --> 00:32:15,638 so they can track the position. 787 00:32:15,638 --> 00:32:18,271 ♪ ♪ 788 00:32:18,271 --> 00:32:20,938 NARRATOR: The encoder setup uses magnetic poles 789 00:32:20,938 --> 00:32:23,638 mounted on the motor's shaft. 790 00:32:23,638 --> 00:32:26,938 A nearby sensor detects the changes in magnetic field 791 00:32:26,938 --> 00:32:28,538 as the motor spins, 792 00:32:28,538 --> 00:32:31,805 tracking the motor's rotational position and speed 793 00:32:31,805 --> 00:32:34,171 with precision. 794 00:32:34,171 --> 00:32:37,405 That information can then be sent to a computer, 795 00:32:37,405 --> 00:32:40,771 to adjust the spin in real time. 796 00:32:40,771 --> 00:32:42,971 At least, in theory. 797 00:32:42,971 --> 00:32:45,205 REID SMITH: A and C we're running right now. 798 00:32:45,205 --> 00:32:47,805 LEILANI: Not B. B isn't running, see? 799 00:32:47,805 --> 00:32:51,638 NARRATOR: For now, only three of Sky's four motors are spinning. 800 00:32:51,638 --> 00:32:53,671 REID SMITH: If these are two people's arms, 801 00:32:53,671 --> 00:32:55,738 it's just that-- 802 00:32:55,738 --> 00:32:58,071 it's like you step to the right... Okay. 803 00:32:58,071 --> 00:33:00,338 NARRATOR: They decide to align two working motors 804 00:33:00,338 --> 00:33:03,705 so they can work with one spinning rope for now. 805 00:33:03,705 --> 00:33:05,305 Let's just turn it on, let's just see. 806 00:33:05,305 --> 00:33:07,838 ♪ ♪ 807 00:33:07,838 --> 00:33:09,571 Yeah, this is slow enough 808 00:33:09,571 --> 00:33:11,771 where I could actually just walk into it. 809 00:33:15,471 --> 00:33:17,938 (excited squeal) 810 00:33:17,938 --> 00:33:20,571 NARRATOR: It's an impressive milestone: 811 00:33:20,571 --> 00:33:23,671 the two arms turning the rope are perfectly in sync. 812 00:33:23,671 --> 00:33:25,038 (laughs) 813 00:33:25,038 --> 00:33:27,071   Oh, it's... 814 00:33:27,071 --> 00:33:28,105 Okay. 815 00:33:28,105 --> 00:33:29,505 Yay! (both clapping) 816 00:33:29,505 --> 00:33:31,305 Oh my gosh, so good. 817 00:33:31,305 --> 00:33:32,805 I haven't seen anybody use it 818 00:33:32,805 --> 00:33:34,671 or anything, this-- (exclaims) 819 00:33:34,671 --> 00:33:36,371 Let's see... 820 00:33:36,371 --> 00:33:38,338 It's really important, especially in sort of 821 00:33:38,338 --> 00:33:40,305 engineering projects where there's a consumer, 822 00:33:40,305 --> 00:33:42,771 to sort of take prototypes 823 00:33:42,771 --> 00:33:44,805 and actually test them with your end users 824 00:33:44,805 --> 00:33:47,071 to see what their feedback is. 825 00:33:47,071 --> 00:33:48,505 LEILANI: That's what I love so much 826 00:33:48,505 --> 00:33:51,005 about this project, is Double Dutch is collaborative 827 00:33:51,005 --> 00:33:53,638 and then robotics as an entire field, 828 00:33:53,638 --> 00:33:56,505 it combines three types of engineering: mechanical, 829 00:33:56,505 --> 00:33:59,371 electrical, and software engineering. 830 00:33:59,371 --> 00:34:02,471 NARRATOR: After making some tweaks to the code, 831 00:34:02,471 --> 00:34:04,371 they decide to try 832 00:34:04,371 --> 00:34:06,438 a true Double Dutch jump. 833 00:34:06,438 --> 00:34:09,438 REID SMITH: You want to hear a pat-pat, pat-pat, pat-pat... 834 00:34:09,438 --> 00:34:12,238 Okay, can you take it over for me? Okay. 835 00:34:12,238 --> 00:34:14,438 NARRATOR: With two of the working motors, 836 00:34:14,438 --> 00:34:17,205 Tahira guides Sky to be a stand-in turner. 837 00:34:17,205 --> 00:34:18,505 Just snatch it from me. Okay, okay. 838 00:34:18,505 --> 00:34:21,038 (laughs) 839 00:34:21,038 --> 00:34:23,238 I'm gonna just try it with a little bit... 840 00:34:25,605 --> 00:34:29,471 (jumping echoing) 841 00:34:29,471 --> 00:34:31,605 NARRATOR: With Sky's assistance, 842 00:34:31,605 --> 00:34:33,038 the motors are leading the way. 843 00:34:33,038 --> 00:34:34,171 (jump rope clattering) 844 00:34:34,171 --> 00:34:36,805 And they're working like a charm. 845 00:34:36,805 --> 00:34:38,605 Oh, that's so satisfying! 846 00:34:38,605 --> 00:34:40,338 Oh my gosh. (breathless): Okay. 847 00:34:40,338 --> 00:34:42,505 Thank you so much, Dr. Reid. You are so welcome. 848 00:34:42,505 --> 00:34:45,138 This is... amazing. This was fun. 849 00:34:45,138 --> 00:34:46,638 LEILANI: Working with Dr. Reid today 850 00:34:46,638 --> 00:34:48,071 was incredible. 851 00:34:48,071 --> 00:34:50,438 It was actually a dream for me. 852 00:34:50,438 --> 00:34:52,638 I felt like, if I continue with this project, 853 00:34:52,638 --> 00:34:54,338 I'm gonna get there, 854 00:34:54,338 --> 00:34:56,271 and then I'm going to see myself as a different person 855 00:34:56,271 --> 00:34:58,971 who's capable of more than I used to think I was. 856 00:35:00,605 --> 00:35:02,338 NARRATOR: Meanwhile, after decades, 857 00:35:02,338 --> 00:35:05,271 Tahira is finally taking her own Double Dutch design 858 00:35:05,271 --> 00:35:06,638 to the next level. 859 00:35:06,638 --> 00:35:11,205 ♪ ♪ 860 00:35:11,205 --> 00:35:13,038 And when we've done small tests... 861 00:35:13,038 --> 00:35:14,738 NARRATOR: She's partnering with a product design company, 862 00:35:14,738 --> 00:35:16,838 to turn her prototype 863 00:35:16,838 --> 00:35:21,038 into an affordable, consumer-ready version. 864 00:35:21,038 --> 00:35:23,505 Historically what has been difficult has been 865 00:35:23,505 --> 00:35:26,571 how to design the system in such a way 866 00:35:26,571 --> 00:35:30,805 that it's fully functional and also cost effective. 867 00:35:30,805 --> 00:35:33,638 NARRATOR: Which is why she still thinks 868 00:35:33,638 --> 00:35:35,405 that the most practical approach is to use 869 00:35:35,405 --> 00:35:38,171 only mechanical means to synchronize the motors. 870 00:35:38,171 --> 00:35:41,338 Tahira and director of industrial design, 871 00:35:41,338 --> 00:35:44,438 Steve Escobar, are deep in the proof-of-concept stage. 872 00:35:44,438 --> 00:35:46,171 ♪ ♪ 873 00:35:46,171 --> 00:35:49,605 For now, they're working with a rudimentary plywood model 874 00:35:49,605 --> 00:35:51,605 to answer a few basic design questions. 875 00:35:53,238 --> 00:35:54,671 ARMANI: Once you have an idea, 876 00:35:54,671 --> 00:35:56,138 how are you going to actually 877 00:35:56,138 --> 00:35:57,271 execute the idea? 878 00:35:57,271 --> 00:35:59,071 How are you going to design 879 00:35:59,071 --> 00:36:00,705 the idea so that people 880 00:36:00,705 --> 00:36:02,005 will actually want to use it? 881 00:36:02,005 --> 00:36:04,671 How are you going to make it accessible? 882 00:36:04,671 --> 00:36:08,338 Both from a cost perspective, but also... 883 00:36:08,338 --> 00:36:10,805 from a user interface perspective. 884 00:36:10,805 --> 00:36:13,871 NARRATOR: This first iteration of the design 885 00:36:13,871 --> 00:36:16,138 uses just one motor on each side, 886 00:36:16,138 --> 00:36:20,571 plus some good old-fashioned mechanical hardware, 887 00:36:20,571 --> 00:36:23,038 like gears, sprockets, and chains. 888 00:36:23,038 --> 00:36:24,071 (creaking) 889 00:36:24,071 --> 00:36:25,305 Already, 890 00:36:25,305 --> 00:36:27,138 they're facing a few familiar challenges. 891 00:36:27,138 --> 00:36:28,871 Looks like it's in sync, actually. 892 00:36:28,871 --> 00:36:30,771 NARRATOR: Including getting the ropes in sync. 893 00:36:30,771 --> 00:36:32,838 It's starting to go out of sync. 894 00:36:32,838 --> 00:36:34,705 Okay. 895 00:36:35,905 --> 00:36:38,038 NARRATOR: With years of Double Dutch experience, 896 00:36:38,038 --> 00:36:41,205 Tahira knows exactly what the ropes should sound like. 897 00:36:41,205 --> 00:36:43,605 REID SMITH: We need to be able to hear 898 00:36:43,605 --> 00:36:44,805 a consistent pat-pat, pat-pat. 899 00:36:44,805 --> 00:36:46,038 But we're hearing... 900 00:36:46,038 --> 00:36:47,805 (slow, uneven clapping) 901 00:36:49,305 --> 00:36:51,705 It's very rhythmic. 902 00:36:51,705 --> 00:36:53,405 That's why when stuff's out of beat, 903 00:36:53,405 --> 00:36:54,705 it's like-- it's like the whole-- 904 00:36:54,705 --> 00:36:56,171 it's-it's, it's just wrong. 905 00:36:56,171 --> 00:36:57,738 If anything slips, 906 00:36:57,738 --> 00:36:59,538 it would be a tooth. 907 00:36:59,538 --> 00:37:01,538 NARRATOR: Using gears is a common sense way 908 00:37:01,538 --> 00:37:04,438 to keep the rotation of the ropes in sync. 909 00:37:04,438 --> 00:37:06,505 But something is wrong. 910 00:37:06,505 --> 00:37:07,505 REID SMITH: We think the weight of the rope 911 00:37:07,505 --> 00:37:09,038 was throwing this off. 912 00:37:10,571 --> 00:37:11,738 ESCOBAR: When it's in motion, 913 00:37:11,738 --> 00:37:13,271 it's actually creating too much force 914 00:37:13,271 --> 00:37:14,338 for these arms. 915 00:37:15,338 --> 00:37:16,738 REID SMITH: Let's take some of these off 916 00:37:16,738 --> 00:37:18,371 and let's see what happens. 917 00:37:20,638 --> 00:37:23,271 Let's see, let me just listen for it. 918 00:37:23,271 --> 00:37:26,471 (ropes patting ground rhythmically) 919 00:37:26,471 --> 00:37:28,471 MICHAEL SPRAUVE: So how's it going? 920 00:37:28,471 --> 00:37:30,171 Yeah, it's coming along. 921 00:37:30,171 --> 00:37:32,671 NARRATOR: Michael Sprauve, president of Speck Design, 922 00:37:32,671 --> 00:37:35,071 stops in to see how things are progressing. 923 00:37:35,071 --> 00:37:37,405 Where are we at, guys? 924 00:37:37,405 --> 00:37:39,138 NARRATOR: As a team, they talk about the day's testing, 925 00:37:39,138 --> 00:37:41,438 and how to improve the design. 926 00:37:41,438 --> 00:37:42,838 REID SMITH: There's a lot to think about 927 00:37:42,838 --> 00:37:47,038 with some of the play that's still in the arms. 928 00:37:47,038 --> 00:37:49,305 Your visit with Sky was very inspirational to us, 929 00:37:49,305 --> 00:37:52,638 and that was switching from a single motor with gears 930 00:37:52,638 --> 00:37:55,338 to two motors at each end. 931 00:37:55,338 --> 00:37:58,171 When you shared that with us, 932 00:37:58,171 --> 00:38:01,805 it really kind of turned a light bulb on. 933 00:38:01,805 --> 00:38:03,105 It's extremely important to have 934 00:38:03,105 --> 00:38:04,471 to have different people who can see things 935 00:38:04,471 --> 00:38:06,238 from a different angle, 936 00:38:06,238 --> 00:38:08,171 because each one of us have our own blind spots. 937 00:38:08,171 --> 00:38:10,538   NARRATOR: Tahira's initial designs 938 00:38:10,538 --> 00:38:14,005 were rooted in her experience with mechanisms. 939 00:38:14,005 --> 00:38:17,871 But collaborating with Sky has expanded the possibilities 940 00:38:17,871 --> 00:38:21,405 for realizing the machine. 941 00:38:21,405 --> 00:38:23,405 The best moments of ideation 942 00:38:23,405 --> 00:38:25,871 are, in my experience, collaborative. 943 00:38:25,871 --> 00:38:28,705 And they involve ideas bouncing off one another, 944 00:38:28,705 --> 00:38:31,171 being folded over, the negative of that idea 945 00:38:31,171 --> 00:38:33,305 being turned in into the positive of this other idea. 946 00:38:33,305 --> 00:38:36,438 NARRATOR: Working together across different fields, 947 00:38:36,438 --> 00:38:39,538 what engineers call interdisciplinary collaboration, 948 00:38:39,538 --> 00:38:42,538 can be a powerful multiplier. 949 00:38:42,538 --> 00:38:44,971 Though a lot more troubleshooting remains, 950 00:38:44,971 --> 00:38:48,038 Tahira's project is finally coming to life 951 00:38:48,038 --> 00:38:50,238 after decades of work. 952 00:38:50,238 --> 00:38:51,238 REID SMITH: Semi-surreal. 953 00:38:51,238 --> 00:38:52,771 Exciting... (clapping) 954 00:38:52,771 --> 00:38:54,038 It's a lot. 955 00:38:54,038 --> 00:38:55,971 It's... heartwarming, it's... 956 00:38:55,971 --> 00:38:59,305 (wavering sigh) 957 00:39:01,338 --> 00:39:02,771 (whispering): I'm just glad. 958 00:39:02,771 --> 00:39:04,905 (sniffles) 959 00:39:05,905 --> 00:39:06,905 There's a message 960 00:39:06,905 --> 00:39:08,405 behind this product 961 00:39:08,405 --> 00:39:09,871 when it gets on the market, 962 00:39:09,871 --> 00:39:12,971 there's a story to inspire young girls, 963 00:39:12,971 --> 00:39:15,505 young inventors, young minds, dreamers. 964 00:39:15,505 --> 00:39:18,171 NARRATOR: Tahira dreamt of a machine 965 00:39:18,171 --> 00:39:21,638 that could recreate the motions of another person's arms. 966 00:39:23,005 --> 00:39:25,305 But what happens when engineers take aim 967 00:39:25,305 --> 00:39:27,405 at a biological system 968 00:39:27,405 --> 00:39:30,705 that is far more complex-- like vision? 969 00:39:30,705 --> 00:39:34,605 Restoring the ability to see with an idea 970 00:39:34,605 --> 00:39:36,138 that once seemed like science fiction. 971 00:39:36,138 --> 00:39:41,971 (indistinct radio chatter) 972 00:39:41,971 --> 00:39:44,071 PHILIP TROYK: "The Six Million Dollar Man." 973 00:39:44,071 --> 00:39:46,371 I have to say, if there was any inspiration, 974 00:39:46,371 --> 00:39:48,005 that, that show was. 975 00:39:48,005 --> 00:39:49,538 PILOT: I can't hold it, she's breaking up... 976 00:39:50,705 --> 00:39:52,971 (booming) 977 00:39:52,971 --> 00:39:54,338 MAN: We can rebuild him. 978 00:39:54,338 --> 00:39:57,138 We have the technology. 979 00:39:57,138 --> 00:39:59,205 TROYK: When I was an undergraduate, 980 00:39:59,205 --> 00:40:00,705 I became interested in how 981 00:40:00,705 --> 00:40:04,305 electronics could be mated with the human body. 982 00:40:05,671 --> 00:40:07,071 NARRATOR: For more than 20 years, 983 00:40:07,071 --> 00:40:11,438 Phil Troyk and his interdisciplinary research group 984 00:40:11,438 --> 00:40:13,705 have been pioneering a technology 985 00:40:13,705 --> 00:40:16,738 designed to restore some vision 986 00:40:16,738 --> 00:40:19,438 to those who have lost the ability to see. 987 00:40:21,338 --> 00:40:24,905 We've been using prosthetics to restore our bodies' abilities 988 00:40:24,905 --> 00:40:27,971 for thousands of years. 989 00:40:27,971 --> 00:40:30,438 VALERO-CUEVAS: One of the most useful prosthetics 990 00:40:30,438 --> 00:40:33,838 has been the very humble glasses, right? 991 00:40:33,838 --> 00:40:35,638 So you have a sense, 992 00:40:35,638 --> 00:40:37,671 you have a sense of sight, 993 00:40:37,671 --> 00:40:40,138   but then there's a distortion in the curvature of your eye, 994 00:40:40,138 --> 00:40:42,238 so then you use a lens to compensate for that. 995 00:40:42,238 --> 00:40:44,938 NARRATOR: But this new device 996 00:40:44,938 --> 00:40:49,138 takes visual prosthetics to the next level. 997 00:40:49,138 --> 00:40:52,371 The idea is to take the information you capture 998 00:40:52,371 --> 00:40:56,038 from a camera and bypass the eyes and optic nerve 999 00:40:56,038 --> 00:40:57,971 and go directly to the brain. 1000 00:40:59,605 --> 00:41:03,038 VALERO-CUEVAS: The state of neuro engineering is at its infancy 1001 00:41:03,038 --> 00:41:07,071 with very, very promising avenues for growth. 1002 00:41:07,071 --> 00:41:11,138 One that has been for a very long time a dream of engineers 1003 00:41:11,138 --> 00:41:14,871 is to be able to interface with the nervous system. 1004 00:41:14,871 --> 00:41:17,805 ♪ ♪ 1005 00:41:17,805 --> 00:41:21,005 NARRATOR: Phil's group is the first to receive FDA permission 1006 00:41:21,005 --> 00:41:23,838 to implant into the brain of a blind person 1007 00:41:23,838 --> 00:41:27,638 a network of wireless stimulators, 1008 00:41:27,638 --> 00:41:31,638 each just five millimeters across. 1009 00:41:31,638 --> 00:41:34,471 PHIL TROYK: You see the electrodes sticking out there. 1010 00:41:34,471 --> 00:41:35,771 Even if they meet the criteria-- 1011 00:41:35,771 --> 00:41:37,205 the visual, the medical criteria-- 1012 00:41:37,205 --> 00:41:40,571   they have to be willing to embark on brain surgery. 1013 00:41:40,571 --> 00:41:42,871 It's hard to find someone that fits into 1014 00:41:42,871 --> 00:41:44,505 all of that criteria. 1015 00:41:44,505 --> 00:41:47,638 NARRATOR: The team has qualified their first participant-- 1016 00:41:47,638 --> 00:41:50,538 Brian Bussard, who lost his vision completely 1017 00:41:50,538 --> 00:41:51,838 several years ago. 1018 00:41:51,838 --> 00:41:53,338 Does the headband match my shoes? 1019 00:41:53,338 --> 00:41:54,905 WOMAN: It does, actually. 1020 00:41:54,905 --> 00:41:56,905 (laughing): I was kidding. 1021 00:41:56,905 --> 00:41:58,105 NARRATOR: Brian agreed to have 1022 00:41:58,105 --> 00:42:00,605 a group of these stimulators 1023 00:42:00,605 --> 00:42:04,271 surgically implanted in his visual cortex. 1024 00:42:04,271 --> 00:42:05,838 When you're considering designing something 1025 00:42:05,838 --> 00:42:08,171 that will be implanted in a person, 1026 00:42:08,171 --> 00:42:10,071 One of the safety checks 1027 00:42:10,071 --> 00:42:13,371 is making sure that whatever that thing is, 1028 00:42:13,371 --> 00:42:16,071 it doesn't actually harm a person. 1029 00:42:16,071 --> 00:42:17,705 And how did you sleep last night, 1030 00:42:17,705 --> 00:42:19,371 on a scale of one to ten? Seven. 1031 00:42:19,371 --> 00:42:20,871 NARRATOR: For the trial, 1032 00:42:20,871 --> 00:42:22,638 he is referred to as the participant, 1033 00:42:22,638 --> 00:42:25,438 not the patient, as his collaboration 1034 00:42:25,438 --> 00:42:27,605 with the entire team is essential. 1035 00:42:27,605 --> 00:42:29,238 BUSSARD: I was going to be the first one. 1036 00:42:29,238 --> 00:42:30,671 In my lifetime, 1037 00:42:30,671 --> 00:42:32,171 I get to be the first of something that 1038 00:42:32,171 --> 00:42:35,505 could change people's lives later on. You know, 1039 00:42:35,505 --> 00:42:37,138   like, who was the first person to walk on the moon? 1040 00:42:38,805 --> 00:42:40,971 NEIL ARMSTRONG: It's one small step for man, 1041 00:42:40,971 --> 00:42:43,971 one giant leap for mankind. 1042 00:42:43,971 --> 00:42:46,371 ARMANI: Artificial vision has 1043 00:42:46,371 --> 00:42:50,805 really been enabled by advances in imaging technology. 1044 00:42:50,805 --> 00:42:54,938 The development of incredibly tiny detectors 1045 00:42:54,938 --> 00:42:57,071 and incredibly tiny 1046 00:42:57,071 --> 00:42:59,571 communication-signaling transmitters 1047 00:42:59,571 --> 00:43:03,438 have enabled these implantable devices. 1048 00:43:04,771 --> 00:43:06,638 NARRATOR: The implants in Brian's brain 1049 00:43:06,638 --> 00:43:09,105 are receivers for signals, that in turn, 1050 00:43:09,105 --> 00:43:10,705 stimulate the brain. 1051 00:43:10,705 --> 00:43:13,805 The coil transmits signals 1052 00:43:13,805 --> 00:43:16,138 that they hope the brain will interpret 1053 00:43:16,138 --> 00:43:18,838 as visual information. 1054 00:43:18,838 --> 00:43:21,505 MICHAEL BARRY: Each of those 25 arrays has 1055 00:43:21,505 --> 00:43:24,338 16 electrodes that we can stimulate on command. 1056 00:43:24,338 --> 00:43:29,571 And the goal is to use those electrodes to 1057 00:43:29,571 --> 00:43:32,005 activate the healthy neurons that are still there, 1058 00:43:32,005 --> 00:43:35,438 and just haven't been receiving normal visual input for a while. 1059 00:43:35,438 --> 00:43:36,905 (pinging) 1060 00:43:36,905 --> 00:43:38,238 BUSSARD: What do I see? 1061 00:43:38,238 --> 00:43:41,205 Probably the closest thing I would say, 1062 00:43:41,205 --> 00:43:43,571 is if you had blips on a radar screen. 1063 00:43:43,571 --> 00:43:46,371 NARRATOR: The process requires creating 1064 00:43:46,371 --> 00:43:48,338 a new kind of visual language. 1065 00:43:48,338 --> 00:43:50,571 DAGNELIE: Imagine getting these 1066 00:43:50,571 --> 00:43:51,971 funny flashing lights 1067 00:43:51,971 --> 00:43:54,571 from either a retinal or a cortical prostheses 1068 00:43:54,571 --> 00:43:56,971 that don't look anything like what vision used to be. 1069 00:43:56,971 --> 00:43:59,671 And then your brain is beginning to discover 1070 00:43:59,671 --> 00:44:01,271 there's a message to the madness. 1071 00:44:01,271 --> 00:44:02,805 There are some patterning here, 1072 00:44:02,805 --> 00:44:05,371 and if I can try to find out how things hang together, 1073 00:44:05,371 --> 00:44:07,538 then I can learn to understand what's around me. 1074 00:44:07,538 --> 00:44:09,938 VALERO-CUEVAS: People used to think, 1075 00:44:09,938 --> 00:44:11,671 well, we need to recreate 1076 00:44:11,671 --> 00:44:13,605 the signals from the eyes 1077 00:44:13,605 --> 00:44:15,771 into that same neural code. 1078 00:44:15,771 --> 00:44:19,138 But we've seen examples where if you establish a, 1079 00:44:19,138 --> 00:44:21,971 an interface with those areas, 1080 00:44:21,971 --> 00:44:26,405 and you give them a consistent input, 1081 00:44:26,405 --> 00:44:28,671 the brain will adapt 1082 00:44:28,671 --> 00:44:32,371 and interpret those as best as it can. 1083 00:44:32,371 --> 00:44:36,938 NARRATOR: As Brian continues to adapt, the work has progressed 1084 00:44:36,938 --> 00:44:40,305 from the chair to a smaller, cart-sized version 1085 00:44:40,305 --> 00:44:42,938 of the system, connected by a cord, 1086 00:44:42,938 --> 00:44:45,371 with researcher Michael Barry 1087 00:44:45,371 --> 00:44:48,671 pushing the cart and following behind. 1088 00:44:48,671 --> 00:44:51,705 TROYK: So we're putting on the visible light glasses. 1089 00:44:51,705 --> 00:44:54,305 (voiceover): The basic idea is to capture images 1090 00:44:54,305 --> 00:44:57,505 with a camera technologically, 1091 00:44:57,505 --> 00:45:00,571 somehow convert those images 1092 00:45:00,571 --> 00:45:05,405 to the commands that go to each of these little modules. 1093 00:45:05,405 --> 00:45:08,271 BARRY: Stand up slowly, but to your left. 1094 00:45:10,071 --> 00:45:12,405 BUSSARD: The first real exciting thing for me was 1095 00:45:12,405 --> 00:45:14,138 when we added a camera to it. 1096 00:45:14,138 --> 00:45:16,005 I went like this with my hand, 1097 00:45:16,005 --> 00:45:17,838 and then I went like, "oh, there's my thumb." 1098 00:45:19,371 --> 00:45:23,171 So that was the first time in probably six years 1099 00:45:23,171 --> 00:45:26,271 that I had a sensation of vision. 1100 00:45:26,271 --> 00:45:28,705 That was exciting. 1101 00:45:28,705 --> 00:45:31,205 It gave me a system. 1102 00:45:31,205 --> 00:45:32,638 GRANT: So what we're going to work on today 1103 00:45:32,638 --> 00:45:35,471 is a task of finding an open chair. 1104 00:45:37,138 --> 00:45:39,705 Can you identify which chair is open? 1105 00:45:47,138 --> 00:45:49,071 (clacking) 1106 00:45:49,071 --> 00:45:50,271 Right there. 1107 00:45:50,271 --> 00:45:51,638 Great job. BARRY: Yeah, good job. 1108 00:45:51,638 --> 00:45:54,305 TROYK: What we're providing is 1109 00:45:54,305 --> 00:45:56,138 really a targeting system. 1110 00:45:56,138 --> 00:45:58,338 It says for whatever the camera is detecting, 1111 00:45:58,338 --> 00:46:00,171 "Is something there?" 1112 00:46:01,938 --> 00:46:04,371 It says where something is, but you don't know what it is. 1113 00:46:04,371 --> 00:46:06,538 Let me find the cart. (laughs) 1114 00:46:06,538 --> 00:46:08,705 That way we don't pull the cords. 1115 00:46:08,705 --> 00:46:10,671 Hey, so do you want to try something infrared? 1116 00:46:10,671 --> 00:46:13,805 NARRATOR: The team decides to expand the testing to include 1117 00:46:13,805 --> 00:46:15,605 a camera that can see wavelengths of light 1118 00:46:15,605 --> 00:46:19,005 beyond what humans can see. 1119 00:46:19,005 --> 00:46:22,071 BARRY: So now we have the thermal sensor. 1120 00:46:22,071 --> 00:46:23,838 ARMANI: Why should you limit 1121 00:46:23,838 --> 00:46:26,438 your wavelengths to the visible range? 1122 00:46:26,438 --> 00:46:29,538 Why not allow someone to see in the thermal range? 1123 00:46:29,538 --> 00:46:32,171   NARRATOR: With his limited vision, 1124 00:46:32,171 --> 00:46:34,471 infrared allows Brian to distinguish people-- 1125 00:46:34,471 --> 00:46:37,705 and animals-- by their body heat. 1126 00:46:37,705 --> 00:46:39,671 GRANT: For this task, 1127 00:46:39,671 --> 00:46:41,571 you'll find there's one occupied chair. 1128 00:46:44,205 --> 00:46:45,538 Well, there's Grace right there. 1129 00:46:45,538 --> 00:46:46,971 Hi, Grace, nice to meet you. 1130 00:46:46,971 --> 00:46:48,638 (chuckling) 1131 00:46:49,938 --> 00:46:51,605 (voiceover): But you still have the big donut 1132 00:46:51,605 --> 00:46:52,938 in the back of your head, you still have 1133 00:46:52,938 --> 00:46:54,338 the wires for the camera. 1134 00:46:54,338 --> 00:46:56,505 If you walk too fast, well, we can pull the coil. 1135 00:46:56,505 --> 00:46:58,771 You lose signal and you got to stop and reset. 1136 00:46:58,771 --> 00:47:00,705 YANG: There are a lot of technologies that 1137 00:47:00,705 --> 00:47:02,738 work beautifully in a lab, right? 1138 00:47:02,738 --> 00:47:04,771 Where you have a lot of space, it's dedicated, 1139 00:47:04,771 --> 00:47:07,005 and everything works well. 1140 00:47:07,005 --> 00:47:09,038 But the reality is people move, they have their lives, 1141 00:47:09,038 --> 00:47:11,671 they want to live the way they want to live and be mobile. 1142 00:47:11,671 --> 00:47:13,738 Nice to meet you. 1143 00:47:13,738 --> 00:47:16,471 NARRATOR: With the basic technology working, 1144 00:47:16,471 --> 00:47:18,338 the team has been building a system 1145 00:47:18,338 --> 00:47:19,671 that condenses an entire cart of equipment 1146 00:47:19,671 --> 00:47:22,105 into a wearable device, 1147 00:47:22,105 --> 00:47:25,271 so Brian can go mobile. 1148 00:47:25,271 --> 00:47:27,838 The camera records images that are translated by 1149 00:47:27,838 --> 00:47:31,905 a mini computer into signals his brain can understand. 1150 00:47:31,905 --> 00:47:35,005 These are then sent through a transmitter 1151 00:47:35,005 --> 00:47:37,105 and beamed into Brian's implants, 1152 00:47:37,105 --> 00:47:39,538 reaching his visual cortex. 1153 00:47:41,638 --> 00:47:43,805 TROYK: Okay, so I'm going to put this on your belt, okay? 1154 00:47:43,805 --> 00:47:46,505 You should be good to go. We're good to go. 1155 00:47:46,505 --> 00:47:47,838 TROYK: You're freed up. 1156 00:47:49,505 --> 00:47:51,871 Trish was right there, she moved. 1157 00:47:51,871 --> 00:47:53,405 (laughs) Now she's right there. 1158 00:47:53,405 --> 00:47:54,938 I'm just gonna tell you, you can walk to me. 1159 00:47:54,938 --> 00:47:57,038 I was gonna say, she's right there. Yeah, I'm right here. 1160 00:47:58,405 --> 00:48:01,438 Okay, so, I'm guessing this is tables over here? 1161 00:48:01,438 --> 00:48:04,138 Or somebody or something. 1162 00:48:04,138 --> 00:48:06,671 TRACY BUSSARD: So, as soon as he didn't have that starting and stopping 1163 00:48:06,671 --> 00:48:09,505 of trying to keep the cart right behind him... 1164 00:48:09,505 --> 00:48:12,205 Yeah, he just decided to just walk 1165 00:48:12,205 --> 00:48:14,138 around the room and see what all was here. 1166 00:48:15,171 --> 00:48:16,738 (clicking) 1167 00:48:16,738 --> 00:48:18,138 I'm free! 1168 00:48:18,138 --> 00:48:21,638 Becoming untethered was a big step. 1169 00:48:21,638 --> 00:48:23,471 It gave me the flexibility 1170 00:48:23,471 --> 00:48:25,838 to move and try and figure it out quicker, 1171 00:48:25,838 --> 00:48:26,938 or on my own. 1172 00:48:26,938 --> 00:48:28,038 Okay, there's something here. 1173 00:48:28,038 --> 00:48:29,405 (clacking) Is this another table? 1174 00:48:29,405 --> 00:48:32,171 BARRY: So now we have the thermal sensor. 1175 00:48:35,471 --> 00:48:39,238 (beeping) 1176 00:48:40,705 --> 00:48:42,305 There's somebody right there. 1177 00:48:42,305 --> 00:48:43,905 You found me. Yay! 1178 00:48:43,905 --> 00:48:47,405 NARRATOR: Watching Brian see his wife-- without his eyes-- 1179 00:48:47,405 --> 00:48:51,538 is a powerful validation of all their hard work. 1180 00:48:51,538 --> 00:48:55,271 The moment today when he had on the mobile unit 1181 00:48:55,271 --> 00:48:57,605 and he walked to his wife and saw her, 1182 00:48:57,605 --> 00:48:59,971 I just thought that was really a special moment. 1183 00:48:59,971 --> 00:49:01,705 She didn't make a sound, 1184 00:49:01,705 --> 00:49:04,205 but you went to her, you found her in the room. 1185 00:49:04,205 --> 00:49:06,705 YANG: You think, "Oh my gosh, this man has lost his vision, 1186 00:49:06,705 --> 00:49:09,505 "and now he can see something with the help of 1187 00:49:09,505 --> 00:49:11,105 this engineering system strapped to him." 1188 00:49:11,105 --> 00:49:13,771 All of these things have come together. 1189 00:49:13,771 --> 00:49:16,338 All that iteration and testing and protocols. 1190 00:49:16,338 --> 00:49:18,038 It's pretty amazing. 1191 00:49:18,038 --> 00:49:20,671 TROYK: This person is volunteering themselves, 1192 00:49:20,671 --> 00:49:22,605 they're putting themselves at risk. 1193 00:49:22,605 --> 00:49:26,905 They're doing so not because they expect to get vision back, 1194 00:49:26,905 --> 00:49:29,405 it's for advancement of knowledge. 1195 00:49:29,405 --> 00:49:31,638 It's for what we learn now 1196 00:49:31,638 --> 00:49:33,971 will make possible what will become 1197 00:49:33,971 --> 00:49:35,705 standard of care 100 years from now. 1198 00:49:35,705 --> 00:49:37,271 There's somebody right there. 1199 00:49:37,271 --> 00:49:40,638 (voiceover): Just from a human standpoint, 1200 00:49:40,638 --> 00:49:41,971 I think we should be wired that we want to 1201 00:49:41,971 --> 00:49:43,071 leave the world a better place 1202 00:49:43,071 --> 00:49:44,405 than it was when we got here. 1203 00:49:44,405 --> 00:49:47,071 NARRATOR: The following day, the team gathers 1204 00:49:47,071 --> 00:49:49,071 to review their progress with the mobile system. 1205 00:49:49,071 --> 00:49:50,971 TROYK: Did it accomplish the goal 1206 00:49:50,971 --> 00:49:54,771 of making you feel more autonomous and liberated? 1207 00:49:54,771 --> 00:49:56,205 Well, full disclosure, 1208 00:49:56,205 --> 00:49:57,971 if it would've been nice out yesterday, 1209 00:49:57,971 --> 00:49:59,605 it would've been "Oops, I made a left-hand turn 1210 00:49:59,605 --> 00:50:01,238 to go out the door." (laughter) 1211 00:50:01,238 --> 00:50:03,471 Now it's okay. 1212 00:50:03,471 --> 00:50:05,571 Well, what do we prioritize next? 1213 00:50:05,571 --> 00:50:08,271 Probably the next... 1214 00:50:08,271 --> 00:50:11,971 step would be is if we can combine 1215 00:50:11,971 --> 00:50:14,338 either the two cameras into one, 1216 00:50:14,338 --> 00:50:16,205 or even adding the second visual camera 1217 00:50:16,205 --> 00:50:18,671 so we can get depth into it. 1218 00:50:18,671 --> 00:50:21,071 From an engineering perspective, 1219 00:50:21,071 --> 00:50:24,005 engineering is not just a technology 1220 00:50:24,005 --> 00:50:26,671 stemming from math and science. 1221 00:50:28,305 --> 00:50:30,471 And the question we're asking is: 1222 00:50:30,471 --> 00:50:33,105 how can an artificial interface like this 1223 00:50:33,105 --> 00:50:37,138 be used to provide useful sensory information 1224 00:50:37,138 --> 00:50:40,638 for someone who has blindness? 1225 00:50:40,638 --> 00:50:43,405 We do have now the interface, 1226 00:50:43,405 --> 00:50:46,071 albeit in somewhat simpler form than some would like. 1227 00:50:46,071 --> 00:50:48,338 But we do have the interface, 1228 00:50:48,338 --> 00:50:51,171 and we are now answering the questions. 1229 00:50:51,171 --> 00:50:53,605 YANG: It's such a high risk, 1230 00:50:53,605 --> 00:50:55,305 high payoff engineering challenge. 1231 00:50:55,305 --> 00:50:58,371 Giving vision to someone who's visually impaired 1232 00:50:58,371 --> 00:51:01,605 is just such a holy grail engineering strategy, 1233 00:51:01,605 --> 00:51:02,605 and they've done it. 1234 00:51:02,605 --> 00:51:05,705 Our aspirations are high, 1235 00:51:05,705 --> 00:51:08,138 and we only get there by 1236 00:51:08,138 --> 00:51:11,305 making step-by-step incremental progress. 1237 00:51:11,305 --> 00:51:13,871 (panting) There he is, hey, buddy. 1238 00:51:13,871 --> 00:51:15,538 I think we're proud of the fact 1239 00:51:15,538 --> 00:51:17,505 that maybe we got there first. 1240 00:51:17,505 --> 00:51:18,938 BUSSARD: Good boy. 1241 00:51:18,938 --> 00:51:19,938 TROYK: I think we're done. 1242 00:51:19,938 --> 00:51:25,138 ♪ ♪ 1243 00:51:25,138 --> 00:51:27,338 NARRATOR: We're here today, 1244 00:51:27,338 --> 00:51:29,438 with the world around us as it is, 1245 00:51:29,438 --> 00:51:33,838 because we are hard-wired to invent... 1246 00:51:33,838 --> 00:51:37,105 design, 1247 00:51:37,105 --> 00:51:39,871 and build tools. 1248 00:51:39,871 --> 00:51:43,938 As we continue to boost our abilities with technology, 1249 00:51:43,938 --> 00:51:45,805 it's anyone's guess what we'll create 1250 00:51:45,805 --> 00:51:47,071 in the future. 1251 00:51:48,071 --> 00:51:50,438 STELTZNER: When we go to create something new, 1252 00:51:50,438 --> 00:51:52,371 we're stepping into the unknown. 1253 00:51:53,471 --> 00:51:55,338 NARRATOR: With creativity and collaboration, 1254 00:51:55,338 --> 00:51:58,771 we can solve even the most difficult problems. 1255 00:51:58,771 --> 00:52:00,538 ARMANI: Science fiction has always 1256 00:52:00,538 --> 00:52:02,438 inspired the world. 1257 00:52:02,438 --> 00:52:05,471 And it is the job of engineers 1258 00:52:05,471 --> 00:52:09,005 to convert that inspiration into innovation 1259 00:52:09,005 --> 00:52:11,938 and invent the solutions. (machine beeps) 1260 00:52:11,938 --> 00:52:13,971 NARRATOR: Building stuff, 1261 00:52:13,971 --> 00:52:16,338 to benefit all. 1262 00:52:16,338 --> 00:52:18,505 ♪ ♪ 1263 00:52:18,505 --> 00:52:19,705 (blasting off) 1264 00:52:41,171 --> 00:52:44,038 ♪ ♪ 1265 00:52:44,971 --> 00:52:52,505 ♪ ♪ 1266 00:52:56,338 --> 00:53:03,938 ♪ ♪ 1267 00:53:07,771 --> 00:53:15,305 ♪ ♪ 1268 00:53:16,938 --> 00:53:24,471 ♪ ♪ 1269 00:53:26,105 --> 00:53:33,638 ♪ ♪