《时代》杂志每年年底会评选出世界范围内，年度最有影响力最佳发明，每年这个榜单会有平均2.5亿次传播，是投资机构，消费者购买的风向标，也是世界上最权威的产品发明榜单。苹果，特斯拉的产品都曾登顶过往年榜单。2019年11月21日，美国时间早，《时代》杂志发布2019年年度最佳创新产品。其中包括，facebook的VR产品，世界上第一个太阳能汽车，苹果最新产品赫然在列。
其中最令人瞩目的是，世界上第一款脑机接口AI假肢，来自BrainCo（强脑科技）旗下的BrainRobotics假肢作为封面主推放在最中间位置。BrainCo（强脑科技）产品因为其卓越的脑机接口底层技术突破入选此榜单。
在《时代》杂志上的获奖介绍中说，“BrainRobotics 智能假肢开创了脑机接口领域的先河：人工智能算法让用户可以操作无限种手势。与现有的其他机械假肢手不同，BrainRobotics 假肢手使用了一种能让用户与手互相学习的先进算法，让用户对手的操作熟练度随着使用时间不断提升。同时，该产品使用了多达8个通道的肌电信号传感器，使用户可以通过残肢肌肉做出精细的操控指令。一位测试用户已经可以通过该智能假肢与郎朗表演四手联弹。”
“我们希望这个脑机接口人工智能假肢，可以让数千万肢体残疾朋友重新恢复到日常生活，像正常人控制自己手一样用意识控制假肢”智能假肢产品的母公司BrainCo的创始人韩璧丞说。BrainCo创立于哈佛大学创新实验室，为世界顶级的脑机接口企业，其创始人曾被《麻省理工科技评论》评为35岁以下35名顶级科学家，也与埃隆马斯克一同被美国媒体评为脑机接口领域的五位创新者。其公司开发的脑机接口产品Focus赋思头环也被销往超过15个国家，因为其卓越的性能被美国宇航局NASA官网报道。
以下为榜单里面15个有代表性的产品
1. 无与伦比的听觉体验
苹果Airpods Pro
Superior Listening - Apple Airpods Pro
What sets Apple’s new $249 AirPods Pro apart from your average headphones? Aside from its pocket-friendly wireless charging case, the in-ear, truly wireless earbuds boast advanced noise-managing capabilities, clever design choices and thoughtful software features. A companion app that helps you find the right size silicone tips makes securely fitting the sweat-resistant earbuds easy, and classic in-ear headphone issues like clogged ears are gone because of the vented design.
Stellar active noise cancellation silences the world around you—but you can choose to maintain environmental awareness by turning on “transparency mode.” Although you can’t plug a headphone splitter into an iPhone anymore, you can use your AirPods Pro (or a second pair of AirPods) to share audio with a friend when paired with any iOS 13 device. All this adds up to an unparalleled experience when it comes to truly wireless earbuds.
无与伦比的听觉体验，苹果Airpods Pro
是什么让苹果公司全新的卖249美元的AirPods Pro从普通耳机中脱颖而出？除了便于携带的无线充电盒，其真正无线的入耳式耳机还具有先进的噪音管理功能、巧妙的设计选择和贴心的软件功能。与之配对的APP可帮助您找到合适尺寸的硅胶耳塞并轻松地将防汗耳机牢牢地佩戴，而通气的设计消除了例如耳道堵塞之类的经典入耳式耳机存在的问题。傲视群雄的主动降噪功能使您周围的世界保持安静- 但您也可以选择通过打开“通透模式”来保持对周围环境的感知。尽管您现在无法再将耳机分线器插入iPhone，您可以使用AirPods Pro（或另一副AirPods）与任何iOS 13设备配对并与朋友共享音频。所有这些都为真正的无线耳塞带来了无与伦比的体验。
2. 如与生俱来，可随心而动
BrainRobotics人工智能假肢
A More Lifelike Prosthetic - BrainRobotics AI prosthetic hand
The BrainRobotics prosthetic hand is a first in its field: an intuitive AI-powered hand that allows the user to make unlimited gestures and grips. Unlike other prosthetic hands that came before it, this one employs an algorithm that allows the hand and user to learn from each other and becomes more lifelike with each use. The device also uses eight multichannel electromyography sensors in the wrist, which enable the hand to process muscle signals from the user’s arm, allowing more accurate control over grips and hand motions. Although the product is still in the testing phase, one beta tester was able to play a piano duet with great success. “We hope our invention can give amputees the ability to proudly control prosthetics just like they are using their real hands,” says Max Newlon, the president of parent company BrainCo. When available, the hand will cost $10,000 to $15,000—relatively affordable, considering similar devices can cost significantly more.
如与生俱来，可随心而动——BrainRobotics 人工智能假肢
BrainRobotics 智能假肢手开创了其领域内的先河：人工智能算法让用户可以操作无限种手势。与现有的其他机械假肢手不同，BrainRobotics 假肢手使用了一种能让用户与手互相学习的先进算法，让用户对手的操作熟练度随着使用时间不断提升。同时，该产品使用了多达8个通道的肌电信号传感器，使用户可以通过残肢肌肉做出精细的操控指令。虽然这套系统目前还在测试阶段，一位测试用户已经可以通过该智能假肢与郎朗表演四手联弹。
3. 前沿的数据存储
CATALOG DNA 数据写入器
Cutting-Edge Data Storage - CATALOG DNA Data Writer
Our digital world is creating new data by the sextillion, and storing it is costly and takes up physical space. CATALOG took inspiration from the human body’s efficient system for storing genetic information to create the DNA Data Writer, which prints data on blank, synthetic strands of DNA. The company recently printed and stored 16 gigabytes of the English text version of Wikipedia on DNA in about 12 hours—roughly 1,000 times faster than previously achieved rates. Commercial pilot testing is set for 2020.
前沿的数据存储 - CATALOG DNA数据写入器
我们的数字世界正在以10的21次方速度创建新的数据，这些数据的存储既昂贵又占用物理空间。CATALOG的灵感来自于人体高效的基因信息存储系统，并由此创建了可在空白的合成DNA链上打印数据的DNA数据写入器。该公司最近在大约12小时内在DNA上打印并存储了16 GB的英文文本版本的维基百科，这比以前达到的速度快了大约1000倍。商业试点测试定于2020年。
4. 听到你所看到的
OrCam MyEye 2
Vision Made Audible - OrCam MyEye 2
For those living with visual impairments, the OrCam MyEye 2 could be a game changer. Described as “talking glasses,” the artificial-intelligence device attaches to the frame of any glasses and can identify faces and currency or read text and information from barcodes aloud. Fitting all this power into such a small device is like “putting an elephant into a small closet,” says Amnon Shashua, inventor of the technology. OrCam MyEye 2 can also be useful for those with reading difficulties like dyslexia. A newer version, which is scheduled to come out next year, will allow users to get even more specific, like telling the machine to read only the headlines of a newspaper, or only the appetizer section of a menu. The device is available in 48 countries and has even been used in Israeli elections to help blind and visually impaired citizens cast their ballots.
听到你所看到的 - OrCam MyEye 2
对于视力障碍者来说，OrCam MyEye 2将会在未来改变现实的游戏规则。OrCam MyEye 2作为人工智能设备被称为“会说话的眼镜”，这种设备可安装在任何眼镜的镜架上并可识别面部和货币，或从条形码中读取所需的文字和信息。这项技术的发明者阿姆农·沙舒亚（Amnon Shashua）曾说过将所有这些功能安装到这种小型设备中就像“将大象放入小型壁橱”。 OrCam MyEye 2对阅读困难的人（例如诵读困难者）也大有裨益。计划于明年发布的新版本将会升级换代，用户在使用产品的过程中可达到更加特定化和具体化的功能，例如告诉产品机器仅仅阅读报纸的头条新闻，或仅阅读菜单的开胃菜部分。OrCam MyEye 2可在48个国家地区使用，甚至在以色列的选举中，此设备曾用于帮助盲人和视障公民进行投票。
5. 一步到位的华丽
Dyson Airwrap
One-Step Glam-Dyson Airwrap
“Dyson engineers always start with a problem,” says Sam Bernard, global director of the company’s personal-care division. In this case, the problem was the irreparable hair damage caused by curling irons and other hot styling tools. Dyson’s solution? Use its prowess in air technology to create a single tool, the $549.99 Airwrap, that dries and styles hair at once, no twisting or heating required. The Airwrap uses the powerful Dyson digital motor V9 to “vacuum” sections of hair, and low heat to create waves or curls. “Before the Airwrap, consumers just accepted that in order to create the style they wanted, they would need to damage their hair with extreme heat,” Bernard says. “Since the introduction of our products, they have a choice in the matter.”
一步到位的华丽 - Dyson卷发棒
戴森的全球个人护理部总监Sam Bernard说，“Dyson的工程师工作的时候总是问题导向的”。这一次的问题就是，传统加热卷发棒给头发带来不可修复的损伤。那么戴森的解决方案是什么呢？利用空气的技术来创造一个新的工具，售价549.99刀的空气卷发棒Airwrap，在干发的同时做出好看的造型，不需要加热、也不需要拉扯秀发。卷发棒利用戴森的第九代数码马达驱动康达效应，低温加热来达到卷发效果。Bernard还说“在空气卷发棒之前，用户已经接受了要想做出好看的造型就要头发极度受损的事实。自从有了这个产品，他们才有了更多选择。”
6. 收割风能
GE的Haliade-X海上风力涡轮发电机
Harnessing Wind, More Efficiently-GE Haliade-X 12 MW Offshore Wind Turbine
As temperatures rise, political pressure has grown to move the world toward clean energy. GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine, the first of which was raised this year, offers one piece of the puzzle. Each blade of the world’s largest offshore wind turbine stretches more than the length of a football field, and its height tops that of the Washington Monument. This is a significant advance: when it comes to offshore wind turbines, bigger often means better. With digital controls and other upgrades, it’s the most efficient in the industry, churning even when the wind is not strong enough to drive other turbines. Soon, GE expects it to enter service in the Northeast U.S. as well as across Europe, China and Japan.
更有效地利用风-GE的Haliade-X海上风力涡轮发电机
随着全球变暖的恶化，政治上越来越大的压力促使世界转向清洁能源。今年首次提出的GE的Haliade-X海上风力涡轮发电机了为其行业发展提供了新的解决方案。世界上最大的海上风力涡轮发电机的每个叶片的延伸长度超过足球场的长度，并且其高度超过华盛顿纪念碑的高度。这是一项重大的进步因为对于海上风力涡轮发电机，更大通常意味着更好。通过电子数据控制和其他升级，即使在风力不足以驱动其他涡轮机的情况下，Haliade-X海上风力涡轮发电机也是其行业内效率最高的。 近期内GE希望在美国东北部以及欧洲，中国和日本开始提供服务。
7. 会说话的助听器
Starkey Livio AI
A Talking Hearing Aid - Starkey Livio AI
Many people who could benefit from a hearing aid avoid it, fearing it signals infirmity. Starkey Hearing Technologies answers that fear with a device that does more than amplify sound and tone down background noise. Livio AI is embedded with sensors and artificial intelligence that allow it to stream music; verbally answer questions like a smart assistant; translate conversations into your language; detect falls (and alert loved ones); measure physical activity; and track how often you talk to other people during the day—useful for elderly users who can become isolated. Since launching in 2018, “it’s our best-selling product ever,” says Achin Bhowmik, chief technology officer at Starkey, who wears the device even though he doesn’t have hearing loss. “It’s better than normal hearing.” Livio AI is available from hearing professionals.
会说话的助听器 - Starkey Livio AI
许多可以从助听器中受益的人都会避免使用它，因为有人觉得助听器代表了身体疾病。 Starkey助听器技术通过放大声音、降低背景噪音和更多的功能来消除这种担忧。 Livio AI嵌入了许多对于孤独老人十分有用的功能，例如在线听音乐、像智能助手一样口头回答问题、将对话翻译成您的语言、跌倒检测（并通知亲人），测量日常身体活动和跟踪白天与他人交谈频率等。Starkey首席技术官Achin Bhowmik表示自2018年推出以来，“这是我们有史以来最畅销的产品”。 即使没有听力问题，他也佩戴了该设备。 “它比正常人的听力还要好。” Livio AI可从专业人士处获得。
8. 虚拟手术
Osso VR
Virtual Surgery - Osso VR
Virtual reality can be extremely useful when it comes to training—for first-time drivers, pilots and even surgeons. The Osso VR software is designed to give doctors a virtual operating-room experience. “Even after four years of college, four years of medical school and five years of residency on average, 30% of graduates still cannot operate on their own,” says Dr. Justin Barad, co-founder and CEO of Osso VR. “That’s insane.” Osso VR is now being used in hospitals around the U.S., and soon surgeons in health centers in underdeveloped countries, such as Tanzania, Cambodia and Ethiopia, will also be able to learn from leading experts from around the world without having to leave their hospitals.
虚拟手术 - Osso VR
当涉及培训时，虚拟现实对于初入职场的司机、飞行员甚至外科医生来说会大有用途。 Osso VR软件旨在为医生提供虚拟的手术室体验。 Osso VR的联合创始人兼首席执行官Justin Barad博士说：“即使经过四年的大学学习，四年的医学院学习和五年的住院医生实习期，仍然有30％的毕业生仍然无法独立做手术，这太疯狂了”。 Osso VR现在正在美国各地的医院中使用，不久之后，坦桑尼亚、柬埔寨和埃塞俄比亚等不发达国家医疗中心的外科医生将足不出户向世界各地的领先专家学习。
9. 未来的电视
LG 88英寸OLED 8K TV
TV of the Futures - LG 88 Inch OLED 8K TV
4K televisions have finally gone mainstream, and prices are falling. But another big upgrade is just around the corner: 8K displays, like LG’s 88-in. model, are trickling out and promise even better picture quality for the big game or family movie night. LG’s display is the first 8K TV with OLED technology, which allows for a higher-contrast picture and a thinner display—the LG TV is a mere 1.96 in. thick. 8K-quality movies don’t yet exist, but LG’s display will “upscale” existing video until true 8K content becomes available. LG’s Tim Alessi says that, unlike other TVs, this model’s resolution will even allow for comfortable viewing in tighter spaces. “You can get up super close to it, and you’ll still see a solid, clear, well-defined image,” he says.
未来的电视 - LG 88英寸 OLED 8K电视
4K电视终于成为主流，且价格越来越亲民。 但是另一项重大升级指日可待——8K显示器，例如LG的88英寸显示器。 这款电视可以在大型游戏或家庭电影之夜中展现出更高的图像质量。LG的显示屏是第一款采用OLED技术的8K电视，它具备更高对比度，且更薄--LG TV的厚度仅为1.96英寸（不到5厘米）。8K品质的电影尚不存在，但是LG的显示器将提升现有视频质量，直到真正的8K视频进入人们的生活。LG的创新产品总监蒂姆·阿莱西（Tim Alessi）表示，与其他电视不同，该电视的分辨率允许人们可以在狭窄的空间中也能保障观看体验。 他说：“在离屏幕非常近的情况下，你仍然可以看到非常清晰图像.”
10. 目光，为娱乐所用
Comcast Xfinity X 眼控设备
Entertainment by Sight-Comcast Xfinity X1 Eye Control
This web-based remote control for computers, tablets and TVs is designed to help those with physical disabilities, by letting users control devices with their eyes. Using their own eye-gaze software or other assistive technology, users log in to Xfinity’s free site and can surf, search and record just by looking at different buttons on the web page. For many, it will be the first time they’ve had the power to change the channel.
目光，为娱乐所用——Comcast Xfinity X 眼控设备
此项基于网络的远程控制设备及技术，可用于计算机，平板电脑和电视，旨在让用户用视线控制设备，从而帮助肢体残障人士：用户可以使用视线追踪软件或其他辅助技术，登录Xfinity的免费网站，仅仅使用目光就可选择点击网页上的各种按钮，进行浏览搜索和记录。对于许多人来说，这将是他们第一次拥有选择和改变频道的能力。
11. 升级版人造肉汉堡
Impossible Burger2.0
A Better Plant Burger-Impossible Burger 2.0
The classic veggie burger got an upgrade with the Impossible Burger 2.0, an alternative to ground beef that even chars and bleeds, despite being made entirely from plant-based proteins. Its makers have capitalized on public desire for a more sustainable burger this year, making headlines for partnering with Burger King and launching their plant-based meat at grocery chains on the East and West Coasts. The company plans to build on its product line by launching other meat alternatives, like faux chicken and fish. For now, though, “Our competition is only the cow,” a company spokesperson says.
升级版人造肉汉堡 - Impossible Burger2.0
经典的素食汉堡通过Impossible Burger 2.0进行了升级，它是碎牛肉的替代品甚至会产生炭和出血，尽管它完全由植物蛋白制成。 其制造商已经利用公众对今年可持续汉堡的渴望，发布与汉堡王（Burger King）合作的头条新闻，并在东西海岸的杂货店推出基于植物的肉。 该公司计划通过推出其他肉类替代品（如人造鸡肉和鱼肉）来扩大其产品线。 不过目前公司发言人说，“我们的竞争还只是牛。”
12. 可移动能源
We Care Solar Suitcase
Portable Power - We Care Solar Suitcase
Laura Stachel, a U.S. obstetrician-gynecologist, was observing a complicated baby delivery in Nigeria when the power went out. Electricity cuts are common in the country, which also has one of the world’s highest maternal-mortality rates. So Stachel asked her husband, a solar-power expert, to build an easy-to-use, suitcase-size solution that could run lights for a delivery room along with a fetal heart monitor for her next trip. When she returned to the Nigerian hospital with the first Solar Suitcase, the midwives begged to keep it. Now, Stachel’s NGO has shipped nearly 4,000 units to 27 developing countries, putting an end to deliveries in darkness.
可移动能源 - We Care 太阳能“旅行箱”
美国妇产科医生劳拉·斯塔切尔（LauraStachel）在尼日利亚的时候观察过一个复杂的分娩情况。这个国家停电是很常见的事情，因此也是世界上生产死亡率最高的国家之一。因此，Stachel要求她的丈夫，一位太阳能专家，建造一个便携的、手提箱大小的装置，以便下次她可随时带入产房发电，给灯和胎儿心脏监护仪提供能量。当她带着第一个太阳能手提箱回到尼日利亚医院时，助产士恳求她把装置留下来。现在，Stachel的非盈利组织已经向27个发展中国家运送了近4000台，结束了“黑暗”生产。
13. 太阳能首创
光年一号电动车
A Solar Power First - Lightyear 1
Electric cars are all the rage. But there is the problem of batteries running low far from a charging station. Dutch automotive startup Lightyear has a potential solution in the Lightyear One, a futuristic-looking electric sedan adorned with solar panels that recharge the car. Solar generates only about 7.5 miles of range every hour, but with an impressive 450 miles of single-charge range to begin with, owners won’t be relying on sunshine alone to get around.
太阳能首创 - 光年一号电动车
电动汽车风靡一时。然而在远离充电装置的地方耗尽电量却是一种担忧。荷兰汽车创业公司 Lightyear 通过其未来感十足的装备了太阳能电池板的电动车Lightyear One提出了一种潜在的解决方案。虽然太阳能每小时只能给车充上7.5英里的续航里程，但搭配上其本身的450英里单次充电航程，用户并不需要单纯依靠太阳能来使用这台车。
14. 更绿色的飞行
Eviation Alice
Greener Flight-Eviation Alice
Flying is dirty work—the aviation industry emits nearly a quarter of total transportation-related greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA. One way to clean it up could be Eviation’s all-electric Alice, an Israeli-made nine-seater meant to convince the gas-guzzling aviation world that electric power is ready for takeoff. “The real innovation is in the lightweight materials rather than the batteries and motors and controllers and all that,” says Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay. If successful, the design could pave the way for larger electric commercial aircraft. Alice, which has a range of 650 miles and should be quieter than gas-powered aircraft, begins flight testing in 2020.
绿色飞行-Eviation Alice
据EPA的数据显示，飞行是一项高污染交通方式：在美国航空工业排放的温室效应气体占了交通相关排放量的近四分之一。Eviation的全电动飞机Alice是一种潜在的解决方案。这款以色列制造的9座飞机向浊气慢慢的航空界宣告了其已准备好升空。Eviation 的 CEO Omer Bar-Yohay说道：“我们真正的创新在于轻量化的新型材料，而非电池、电极、或航电系统等”。如果获得成功，这款轻型飞机将为更大型的商用飞机铺路。具有650英里航程以及比现有飞机更低噪音的Alice将于2020年进行飞行测试。
15. 追踪水污染
Draper/Sprout Microplastics-Sensing Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Tracking Water Pollution-Draper/Sprout Microplastics-Sensing Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Take a sample from almost any major body of water, and you’re likely to find microplastics, or bits of plastic pollution less than 5 mm long. Many experts agree that microplastics are a cause for concern, as they may harm marine life or taint our fish and water supplies. But little is known about them beyond their prevalence—in an August report, the World Health Organization said getting more microplastics data is an “urgent concern.” That’s where the Microplastics-Sensing Autonomous Underwater Vehicle comes in. Designed jointly by Draper and Sprout working alongside the Environmental Protection Agency, the raylike drone is meant to swim around a body of water, collecting and analyzing samples for their microplastics content. Draper project lead Lou Kratchman says that data can be a jumping-off point for more advanced microplastics research. “We need something that’s comparable to the world Air Quality Index,” he says. “Kind of a global weather map that, in real time, we can look and see how the microplastics situation is changing.” While the drone is still a concept, a simpler prototype is already being successfully used in Hawaii.
追踪水污染-Draper&Sprout的微塑料感应自动水下航行器
从任何一片大型水域提取的水体样品中，我们都能发现塑料微粒或者小于5mm的塑料残片污染的存在。许多专家都表示，塑料微粒具有威胁水生生物安全以及污染人类食物、水源的潜力，因此需要得到我们的关注。但是人们对塑料微粒污染的了解并不多。世界卫生组织在其八月份的一份报告中提出了获取塑料微粒更多相关数据的紧迫性。全自动塑料微粒感应水下航行器就在这时登场。由Draper and Sprout 和 Environmental Protection Agency 联合开发的这款航行器可以在一片水域中潜航并收集分析其中的塑料微粒数据。Draper的项目主导Lou Kratchman表示这款机器可以作为更进一步的塑料微粒研究的跳板。Kratchman说道：“我们需要一种类似世界空气质量指数（World Air Quality Index）的参数，像全球气候地图那样能让我们实时观测塑料微粒污染的情况。“ 虽然这款水下无人机仍处于概念状态，一款相似的原型机已经成功在夏威夷进行了使用。
