《时代》周刊评出2014年度最佳发明 （四）

个性化药盒

T.J. Parker grew up in a family that owned and operated a pharmacy, he knows firsthand how confusing it can be for people to track which meds to take when, especially if they fill multiple prescriptions. That’s why the e-pharmacy he runs now, PillPack, doesn’t traffic in bottles. Instead, every two weeks, patients are sent a dispenser, which has their medication—all of it—sorted into a ticker tape of tearable packets, organized by date and time.

T•J•帕克在一个经营药房的家庭中长大。对于人们要记住什么时候该吃什么药是多么难的一件事——尤其是如果同时要吃多种药，他有切身感受。这便是为什么他现在经营的电子药房不销售整瓶药的原因。作为替代，药房每两周会向患者寄送一个分药器Pillpack药盒，里面的药物都按日期和时间分装在一撕即开的纸袋中。

14. Bananas that Prevent Blindness

预防失明的香蕉

In sub-Saharan Africa, up to 30% of kids under age 5 are at risk of going blind—among other conditions—for one simple reason: they don’t get enough eye-nurturing vitamin A. But what if the bananas that make up a lot of their diet could be re-engineered to deliver it? Australian biogeneticist James Dale and his team began developing a vitamin-A-enriched “superbanana”. “These bananas could potentially solve” a major health problem, Dale says.

在撒哈拉以南的非洲地区，多达30%的5岁以下儿童存在失明危险，原因包括一个简单的事实：他们摄入可保护视力的维生素A不够多。如果在他们饮食中占很大比重的香蕉被改造为含有维生素A，情况会怎样呢?澳大利亚遗传生物学家詹姆斯•戴尔和他的团队开始培育一种富含维生素A的“超级香蕉”。戴尔称，“这些香蕉有可能解决”一个重大的健康问题。

15. The Wheel that Gives Bikers a Boost

为骑车人提供助力的轮子

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.

我们知道骑自行车对身体和环境都有好处。但骑着车到处奔波似乎是件苦差事，尤其在拥有丘陵地形的大城市。为减轻这种负担，美国马萨诸塞州的超级步行者公司开发了可加装到大多数自行车后轮上的“哥本哈根轮”，它带有可重复充电的电动马达。根据由智能手机应用输入的骑车人偏好，马达可在整个骑行过程或仅在上坡时提供助力。传感器对道路状况、气温和坑洼进行监测，以便与骑车的人分享有关最佳线路的实时信息。

16. The Seamless Sign-Language Translator

天衣无缝的手语翻译器

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.

对千百万聋哑人来说，日常交流通常需要昂贵的人工手语翻译和冗长的书写。Uni装置是一台带专用附件的平板电脑，它利用运动感应摄像头和语音识别技术，把美式手语实时翻译成口语，并把口语转换成文字。