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We humans are soft and squishy, and don't like electricity that much.
我们人类又软又湿，不怎么喜欢电。
Robots are hard and pointy, and they love it.
机器人又硬又尖，还喜欢电。
So how do we make a robot that's soft and squishy like living things, but still gets power?
那么，我们该如何造出一个又软又湿活生生的机器人，同时还能让他获得动力呢？
Hydrogels of course.
当然是水凝胶。
Hard, metal robots are so 20th century.
坚硬的金属机器人太落伍了，那是上个世纪的玩意。
"Soft-robotics" is hip. Just like me.
“软机器人”才是时尚。就像我。
Soft-robotics involves making technology that is similar to biological material, like we often find in nature and within ourselves.
制造软机器人需要类似于制造生物材料的技术，这些生物材料与广泛存在于自然界及我们人类身上的材料相似。
We want things kind of like us; soft, durable, waterproof.
我们想做出类人的材料，柔软，耐用，而又防水。
And hydrogels cover all the bases.
而水凝胶一应俱全。
But there's something still holding soft robots back from taking over the squishy parts of the world, and that is batteries.
但是由于电池的原因，软性机器人技术还尚不成熟。
Electricity and water don't mix.
水电不容。
Unless you're one, very specialized animal.
除非你非常专业。
The Electrophorus electricus, commonly known as the electric eel.
电鳗，俗称电鳗。
If we can copy the technology that evolution gave the electric eel,
如果我们能够复制进化过程赋予电鳗的技术，
then we can unplug these organic looking creations, from dry land with "soft batteries!"
那么我们就能在干燥的陆地上，利用“软性电池”，创造出这些具有有机外观的东西。
These strange long fish can generate electricity with an organ containing cells called electrocytes.
这些体态悠长的怪鱼能用带有电细胞的器官发电。
Electrocytes by themselves can't do much damage, but jammed up all together they can give a shock of up to 600 volts.
电细胞本身不会造成太大的伤害，但如果它们同时作用，会产生600伏的高压。
By analyzing the electric eels, scientists realized the electrocytes are organized in long stacked compartments with extra fluid space in between.
通过分析电鳗，科学家们认识到电细胞成长条状堆叠，彼此之间还有额外的液体空间。
They looked at each component in the eel's electrocyte and mimicked the same idea into alternating patterns of saltwater and freshwater hydrogels.
他们逐一观察了鳗鱼电细胞中的成分，并本着相同的想法加以模仿，将盐水水凝胶和淡水水凝胶相互交替排放。
Saltwater, has salt in it, meaning it's an electrolyte.
盐水中含有盐，意思就是含有电解质。
Here, the red gels are filled with saltwater, and the blues are filled with freshwater.
在这里，红色的凝胶充满了盐水，蓝色的充满了淡水。
At the points where they touch, the negative ions from within the saltwater flow towards the empty freshwater.
在它们接触的地方，盐水中的负离子流向什么都不含的淡水。
But that's not enough to mimic the eel biology.
但这还不足以对鳗鱼进行仿生学模仿。
The yellow and green gels on the separate sheet are filled with specialized fluid that don't just let the ions flow willy-nilly.
黄色和绿色凝胶分别位于两块板上，板上充满了特殊的液体，这些液体不仅仅使得离子可以自由流动。
Instead the yellow gels only let negative ions through, while the green gels only let positive.
相反，黄色凝胶只允许负离子通过，而绿色凝胶只允许正离子通过。
Together, these colorful gels move the ions in a specific direction, generating a voltage!
这些彩色凝胶推动离子向一个特定的方向移动，产生一个电压！
Electricity from fluids, just like an eel!
来自流体的电，就像鳗鱼！
By copying this soft squishy battery design, researchers hope to create soft squishy robots that can be used as wearable technology,
通过模仿这种又软又湿的电池设计，研究人员们希望能制造出又软又湿的机器人，还可用作可穿戴技术，
or in other natural environments, when traditional batteries could get damaged or be too dangerous.
或者当传统电池可能损坏或使用起来过于危险时，应用在其他自然环境中。
The thing is, you'll need a lot of these little cells to generate enough electricity to do much with.
问题是，你需要很多这样的小细胞来发电才能起到大作用。
Right now researchers can only generate 110 volts from their soft battery, but they're working on more.
现在研究人员造出的软电池只能产生110伏特的电压，但是他们仍在继续努力。
And I'm 'eel excited about it.
我对此超级兴奋。
For more science in your day, please subscribe to Seeker.
想要了解生活中的更多科学内容，请您订阅Seeker。
How close are scientists to the perfect battery?
科学家们离造出完美电池还有多远？
Check out Julian's video here.
在这里查看朱丽安的视频。
And one last fun fact, researchers also used origami folding techniques to minimize the space needed for their soft battery.
最后，趣味知识：研究人员还使用折纸手工技术来尽可能缩小软电池所需的空间。
Pretty cool. Thanks a lot for watching!
相当酷。谢谢观看！
