《時代》周刊評出2014年度最佳發明

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了可加裝到大多數自行車后輪上的“哥本哈根輪”，它帶有可重復充電的電動馬達。根據由智能手機應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、氣溫和坑洼進行監測，以便與騎車的人分享有關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，它利用運動感應攝像頭和語音識別技術，把美式手語實時翻譯成口語，并把口語轉換成文字。