1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.BZ 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,720 Come through, Chris. Yeah, cheers, mate. 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,480 Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Chris McCausland! 5 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:21,080 CHEERING 6 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,880 I suppose people will know me as a stand-up comedian. 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,960 And, of course, Strictly Come Dancing, 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:30,760 you know, where I... 9 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,120 I was all right, weren't I? 10 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,960 CHEERING 11 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,360 What people mightn't know about me is, before getting into comedy, 12 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,480 going back well over 20 years, 13 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:44,360 my background's in computers, 14 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,960 and I've got a degree in software engineering. 15 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:48,720 And I am a geek! 16 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,680 Since losing my sight, technology has been a game-changer 17 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,600 in opening up the world to me, 18 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,560 helping me to navigate the everyday. 19 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,080 Can you tell me which T-shirt this is, please? 20 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,520 But there is amazing technology out there 21 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,360 that I am yet to experience. 22 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,400 So, I'm heading to America, land of the tech giant, 23 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,760 to get my hands on some of the latest technology 24 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,120 that will be changing things for everyone. 25 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,280 From trying out a self-driving car... 26 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,320 Oh, this is bananas. 27 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:22,080 ..to finding out how AI can bring me a whole new level of independence. 28 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,000 What album's this one? 29 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:25,800 FROM PHONE: This is David Bowie's album. 30 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,600 The possibilities of the future are exciting. 31 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,600 This was considered, I thought, impossible technology. 32 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,400 Wow. I mean, so this is the future, really, isn't it? 33 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,280 But can I really put my full trust in tech? 34 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,680 Proceeding on San Francisco bicycle route 86. 35 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:44,440 Oh, we're on a bicycle route. 36 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,840 And am I ready to put more dependence on technology? 37 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:49,200 The problem with these is, 38 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,280 the last thing you need is a blind man who can walk faster. 39 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,440 We are about to find out. 40 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,080 I could do with a coffee, I tell you that. 41 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:04,560 Let's grab a coffee. 42 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:06,880 I have a degenerative eye condition. 43 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,520 I wasn't born blind - I used to be able to see - 44 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,120 but over the first 25 years of my life, 45 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:13,640 my sight deteriorated. 46 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,120 People say, "When did you go blind"? and it's difficult to say, 47 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,720 because you stop being able to do different things at different times. 48 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,000 I'm 48 now, so I've, you know... 49 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,640 It's hard to put a date on it, 50 00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:25,720 but I've been blind since about 25. 51 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,560 For a while, I had a guide dog, 52 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,520 and I also used to use a white stick, 53 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:32,480 but I wasn't very good at that. 54 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,720 I always have to trust somebody to navigate me around, 55 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:36,160 if I'm walking somewhere. 56 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,040 Up, through the door. 57 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,040 I always have to trust that somebody is giving me the correct information 58 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:42,480 if I ask them to read me something. 59 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:44,080 What have we got? What do you fancy? 60 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,040 Got sandwiches, rolls, shepherd's pie. 61 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:47,520 What sort of thing do you fancy? Oh... 62 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:49,800 See, I love an omelette and I love a shepherd's pie, 63 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,240 but I'm not sure I want to be eating one on camera. 64 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,160 It just becomes part of life, doesn't it? 65 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,640 And I suppose really, what I'm doing is I'm shifting 66 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:01,800 some of that dependence and trust over to technology. 67 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:03,760 Going back 20, 30 years, 68 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,760 somebody like myself would've had to use specialist technology 69 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,040 specifically designed to provide accessibility. 70 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:11,560 And then, the iPhone came out, 71 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,000 with a feature of the operating system 72 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,160 that reads the things out to you. 73 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,440 PHONE: Speech on. Just press record. 74 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,400 See, I mean, this is the newest iPhone. 75 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,800 It's still on there today. It's still called Voiceover. 76 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:25,920 So, you would touch an icon to activate it. Yeah. 77 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:27,640 Yeah? I would swipe through them. 78 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:30,680 Month Cal, Google Maps, Seeing AI, Aira Explorer. 79 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,080 These are all the apps I've got, but, er... ChatGPT Voice. 80 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,680 ChatGPT... ..ChatGPT, Perplexity... 81 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,400 These are all AI apps. 82 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,520 ..Instagram, four new items... Instagram. 83 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:41,400 I very rarely go on there. ..Utilities folder... 84 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,400 You know, if I want... It speaks very fast. 85 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:44,880 It does, so I've sped that up. 86 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:46,160 When you buy it, you know, 87 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,080 this is the speed it comes at in the box, yeah? 88 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,280 SLOWER: Seeing AI, Aira Explorer, X, Instagram, 89 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,440 four new items... Yeah? Yeah. 90 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,880 SLUGGISHLY: "Instagram, four new items..." 91 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:57,560 And you very quickly get used to that, 92 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,040 and it starts to drive you mad. 93 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,800 So... ..action, voices, speech volume... 94 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,920 ..so you speed it up. QUICKLY: 50, 60, 60, 70%. 95 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,240 Yeah? Yeah. Some people have it very fast. 96 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,320 PHONE SPEAKING RAPIDLY Yeah? 97 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:09,840 Let's dial it down a bit. 98 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:11,840 A phone with a glass screen and no buttons. 99 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:16,840 It seems so fundamentally exclusionary to someone who's blind, 100 00:04:16,840 --> 00:04:21,080 but it is - it became the most accessible tool I've ever used. 101 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,000 It allows you to do your texts, your emails, read the news, 102 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,520 access the train times, buy your train tickets, 103 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,160 buy things online. 104 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,800 Everything that everybody else can do conveniently through 105 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,760 the phone is accessible to me. 106 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,600 A lot of the things that people identify with blindness - 107 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:36,960 like having a white stick - 108 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,520 technology has replaced a lot of them, for me, 109 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,240 in that I don't have to go to the shop to get a pint of milk 110 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,400 and a loaf of bread, because I can have one brought 111 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,360 to the house in 30 minutes. 112 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,160 Apple made those first steps, 113 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,760 but Google soon released its own version called TalkBack. 114 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,040 Now it's not just smartphones that have accessibility features 115 00:04:58,040 --> 00:04:59,920 built in, but loads of consumer tech, 116 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:02,680 like TVs, and even games consoles. 117 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,720 It's a leveller, and that's the biggest game-changer. 118 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,800 The fact that I do everything now the same as everybody else is 119 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,840 what is exciting about it, 120 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:15,440 because before things like the smartphone, 121 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,360 "just like everybody else" was not possible. 122 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:22,680 Mainstream technology is for everybody, in a lot of cases, 123 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:24,920 and that's what's exciting. 124 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,360 It feels like we are invited into the club, you know, 125 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:29,760 the doors have been opened. 126 00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:34,760 The smartphone really started something for me, 127 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,720 and now, technology is only getting better and better, 128 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,920 offering greater levels of access and autonomy. 129 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,560 Since then we've seen a boom in technology, 130 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,120 from development of new software and apps, 131 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,160 to the rise of gadgets like smartwatches. 132 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,200 Artificial intelligence is now driving another push 133 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,400 in technological advancement - 134 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,120 which for some is frightening, 135 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,200 but for me is very exciting. 136 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:05,080 You all right, mate? You good? OK, yeah. 137 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,880 There are technological innovations happening all over the world, 138 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,200 but we are heading to America, 139 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,080 home to many of the world's biggest tech companies, 140 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,680 and some of the most exciting gadgets on the planet. 141 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,600 We are going to San Francisco. 142 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,600 We're going to go check out the latest in, erm, 143 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:25,000 what is on the horizon, 144 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,800 in terms of AI and self-driving cars. 145 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:30,200 They've actually got them! 146 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,000 I'm excited about the trip. 147 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,240 I'll be more excited when I'm at the other end of this flight. 148 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,600 I don't like the turbulence. I can't relax. 149 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,920 I can't sleep, because I can't see how normal the stewards look 150 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,040 in the cabin, you know, how much they're not bothered by it. 151 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:46,880 In my head, everybody's panicking. 152 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,880 The bay area of San Francisco is an area that's long been associated 153 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,120 with cutting-edge technology, 154 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:58,920 from the humble computer mouse 155 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,960 to the very latest in artificial intelligence. 156 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,800 Primitive forms of AI have been around since the 1950s, 157 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,280 but in the last few years, it's exploded. 158 00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:11,040 KNOCK ON DOOR DOOR OPENS 159 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:13,800 Hey, mate. Hello, how are you doing? 160 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:14,840 Yeah, come in. 161 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:16,880 Like millions of users around the world, 162 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,120 AI assistance has become part of my daily life. 163 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:21,760 What's the weather like? 164 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:23,360 FROM PHONE: It looks pretty nice out there. 165 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,840 Erm, the sky seems clear, and it looks bright and sunny. 166 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,720 Seems like a lovely day. Not raining? 167 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,440 No, no rain in sight, from what I can tell. 168 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,000 It looks like a beautiful, dry day out there. 169 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:42,000 It's certainly becoming a thing I'm using more and more, 170 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,680 you know, each day. 171 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,520 The amazing thing is, this is as bad as it's going to be. 172 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,240 It's already incredible. 173 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,320 So, for a lot of things that I would, you know, 174 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,960 I would ask my wife or my daughter, "What does this look like? 175 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:56,360 "Can you describe it to me?" 176 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,440 Whereas now, I can use AI, 177 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,400 and I can get a lot of that information. 178 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,320 So, for example, if you can't see - 179 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,440 you know, unless you can feel that something is a specific item 180 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,800 of clothing, often you have to ask people, 181 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,840 or you have to mark them in some way, you know? 182 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,240 I've spent a lifetime cutting labels on things so that I know the one 183 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,400 with the cut-off label at an angle is the blue one. 184 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:22,160 With AI, just have it open and just show, 185 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:24,400 "Is this the blue one?" "No, it's green." 186 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,320 Can you tell me which T-shirt this is, please? 187 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:28,760 Just describe it for me. 188 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:31,720 FROM PHONE: Absolutely. 189 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,400 This T-shirt is a grey one with a graphic of a cassette tape on it, 190 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,840 er, and it says "Deftones" on the tape. 191 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:39,320 Good band, good band. 192 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,600 It's pretty nostalgic and fun. Love it. 193 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:42,920 HE LAUGHS 194 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,760 It's remarkable how much it's like talking to a real person. 195 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,000 And my wife never compliments my T-shirts. 196 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,520 AI assistance like this is built on large language models, 197 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,840 a form of AI that is trained on a vast amount of data, 198 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,480 from written articles to online images... 199 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,080 The first one looks like it's shampoo. 200 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,840 ..in order to recognise the information we need, 201 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,280 and help it build realistic sentences in response 202 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,760 to questions that we ask. 203 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:16,000 Can you tell me what this is here, please? 204 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,680 FROM PHONE: Sure. That looks like a packet of decaffeinated coffee. 205 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:20,960 Which one are we wearing? 206 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:25,880 Can you look at my shirt here 207 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,600 and just tell me which colour it is that I've got? 208 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,120 And is it clean, and does it need ironing? 209 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,680 FROM PHONE: Sure, so the shirt you're holding up 210 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:36,320 looks like a dark navy colour. 211 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,920 It looks pretty clean, and there are just a few wrinkles, 212 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,280 so if you want it super-smooth, you might want to iron it quickly. 213 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:44,760 But overall, it looks great. 214 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,440 Clean, but wrinkly. 215 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,720 Whether browsing your social media feed 216 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,480 or asking your smart-speaker for a recipe, 217 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,480 most people will have used AI, 218 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,720 even if they don't know it. 219 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,080 I'm a convert to the assistance that artificial intelligence offers. 220 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,280 There are many that have concerns, though. 221 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,840 Trust, energy use, and overdependence are common arguments 222 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,840 aimed at the rapid growth of AI. 223 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,240 There have already been issues of AI learning from biased 224 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,280 or prejudiced data, 225 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,320 and there are fears that, with AI starting to create content, 226 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,680 the accuracy of information will begin to decline. 227 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:23,160 Like it or loathe it, though, 228 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,360 AI is now an integral part of technology. 229 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,760 There is now a real race to develop improvements 230 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,480 in artificial intelligence - 231 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:32,480 but it's the advances within hardware, 232 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,360 the physical products we use to access AI, 233 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:37,360 where it gets really exciting. 234 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,880 None more so than wearable tech - 235 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:41,600 and we've been given unique access 236 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,520 to one of the giants of the tech world to find out. 237 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:50,800 We are heading to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, 238 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,720 to have a little go of their new smart-glasses 239 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,840 and live video interpretation, 240 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:58,320 which sounds pretty groovy. 241 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,520 I think this is the start of what is going to be a massive game-changer, 242 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,680 you know, for anybody that can't see, really, 243 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:11,840 is using AI to describe your surroundings and what's going on, 244 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:13,600 and what you're interacting with in real time. 245 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:18,000 You know, it really is the start of mainstream technology 246 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:23,800 bridging that gap and becoming access technology, 247 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,480 you know, as well as something that everybody wants. 248 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:31,920 Unless you've been living under a rock, 249 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,480 you will know the name Meta. 250 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:38,520 The company that started in 2004 as "The Facebook" 251 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,280 was rebranded as Meta in 2021, 252 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,800 and now runs a whole host of social media platforms. 253 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,480 They are a company often criticised over privacy violations 254 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:49,880 and data management, 255 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,600 but their role in the development of technology is huge. 256 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,920 Meta is one of the biggest spenders on research and development 257 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,200 in the tech world, and in recent times, 258 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:00,800 they have moved into hardware. 259 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,040 Most exciting for me are their AI-powered smart-glasses. 260 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,000 So now, Chris, I want to take you into our Meta world. Yes. 261 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,160 THEY BOTH LAUGH I'm excited. Are you ready? 262 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,120 I'm looking forward to this, yes. 263 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:14,520 Your life will never be the same. 264 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,680 Maxine Williams has been with the company for 12 years, 265 00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:20,200 and is now Meta's head of accessibility. 266 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,080 I want to show you these glasses. 267 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,400 I'm going to give you...a pair. 268 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,240 Right. 269 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:28,320 And here we go. 270 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,560 These are special limited edition, 271 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:33,040 only for the coolest people. 272 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:34,920 HE LAUGHS 273 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,480 Well, I'm afraid I'm lowering your standards here. 274 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,640 But it's incredible how much these have taken off, isn't it, you know? 275 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:41,680 Yeah. 276 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:44,960 I think what has really appealed to people is this form factor. Mm. 277 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,800 To be able to have your hands free and navigate the world. 278 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,760 You're right. I mean, the one thing that blind people never have 279 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:52,040 is two hands free. Right. 280 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,240 You know, you're holding on to the stick, the dog, 281 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,040 another person, you know? That's right. 282 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,240 It's the AI, that's what's exciting, inside these things. 283 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,080 Absolutely. I can't wait to have a go. 284 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:02,360 All right. 285 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,640 Evolving from a social media tool and AI assistant, 286 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,440 these glasses are now part of an accessibility push 287 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:09,960 into mainstream technology, 288 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,080 using microphones, speakers, a camera, and AI 289 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,880 to provide information about the visual world. 290 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:17,520 OK, so I'll hold this... 291 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,120 Usually the information the glasses give me would be 292 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,880 for my ears only, through discreet speakers in the frames - 293 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,520 but to help you understand what's happening, we've mic'd them up. 294 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,920 Alongside the ability to listen to music, take photos of friends, 295 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,040 or ask AI about the weather, 296 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,760 these glasses have two key visual AI features. 297 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,640 The first of these is describing photos, 298 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,440 just like with a phone, but much more practical. 299 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,320 Hey, Meta. What am I look at? GLASSES CHIME 300 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,400 The glasses take a photo, and the AI analyses it 301 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:53,360 against a vast amount of data to provide a description. 302 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:54,400 GLASSES CHIME 303 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,200 You are looking at a tree and a building. 304 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,160 The building is a large, modern structure with a sleek, 305 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:01,800 glass exterior. 306 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,680 It has a rectangular shape and appears to be several storeys tall. 307 00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:07,920 The stills mode is available in the UK, 308 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,200 but what is not available at home, at the point of filming this, 309 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,320 is the second feature - live AI. 310 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:15,960 Start live AI. 311 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,360 Live AI session with video starting now. 312 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:23,360 What am I looking at now? 313 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:26,280 GLASSES CHIME 314 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,320 You are looking at a group of people, 315 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,160 some of whom are holding cameras. 316 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:32,920 They're filming me. 317 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,280 Do they look like they know what they're doing? 318 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,760 Yes. The people holding cameras appear to be professionals, 319 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,200 as they are using high-quality equipment and seem to be 320 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,160 focused on their work. 321 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,720 Well, there you go. He says you look professional. 322 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,080 Maybe this Meta AI doesn't know what it's on about after all! 323 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,120 In this mode, the camera and the microphones are constantly 324 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,720 taking in information, which means that the AI can provide 325 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,200 real-time descriptions in the moment 326 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,720 and answer any of my queries about the world around me. 327 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,320 It's pretty mind-blowing, really. 328 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,520 There's a body of water in the distance. 329 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,040 Any idea what that is? 330 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:21,160 It's a serene waterfront area with a grassy field, trees, 331 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:25,480 and a body of water in the distance, possibly a lake or a bay. 332 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:26,600 There we go. 333 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,160 I can hear a plane. 334 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,440 Yes, there's a plane flying overhead. 335 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:44,800 You can see that? 336 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,480 Yes. The plane is visible in the distance, 337 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:51,560 flying across the clear, blue sky. 338 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:57,840 When you have a disability, 339 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:00,160 you have to become dependent on other people - 340 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:01,920 and dependency can be exhausting. 341 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,760 Sometimes, y-you feel like a bit of a burden, 342 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,360 and you don't want to ask people too many questions. 343 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:11,320 You feel like you're using their time, 344 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:12,960 or you're relying on people too much - 345 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:14,720 whereas AI doesn't feel bothered, 346 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,080 and it's got as much time as it needs, hasn't it? 347 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:22,560 This is the first application of AI in a piece of hardware, really, 348 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:26,440 that is available for everyone to go and buy now that isn't a phone 349 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:28,000 or a computer, or a tablet. 350 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,000 Just by their very nature, 351 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,040 they have a usage to people like myself that goes beyond 352 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,600 what the general population would get out of them. 353 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:44,360 It's incredible, really, because I think, 15 years ago, 354 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:46,200 that wouldn't have been a consideration 355 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:47,680 from a company, you know? 356 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,720 Well, look, as exciting as this has been to get to try out the tech - 357 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,360 and I love trying out tech - 358 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:59,520 I couldn't give a hoot about flowers and bodies of water. 359 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,600 I want to go vinyl shopping and have a cheeseburger. 360 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,480 So, let's go and do that. 361 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,960 Perfect, let's go. HE LAUGHS 362 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,280 I can't believe I said "hoot". Who says "hoot"? 363 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,880 Music is a passion of mine, and has been since I was a kid. 364 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,680 Flicking through vinyls just isn't something I can do - 365 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,360 but with the hands-free form factor of these glasses 366 00:17:23,360 --> 00:17:25,360 and the built-in AI, it could be. 367 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,960 I have no idea if this'll even work, but it's worth a try. 368 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:33,840 Now where's the rock section? 369 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,800 Hey, Meta, start live AI. 370 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,560 FROM PHONE: Live AI session with video starting now. 371 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,000 What album is this? 372 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,400 FROM PHONE: This is the album The Wall by Pink Floyd, 373 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,960 a classic rock album released in 1979. 374 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:50,440 What album is this? 375 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,200 FROM PHONE: This is the album The Wall by Pink Floyd, 376 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,720 a classic rock album released in 1979. 377 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:56,760 What about this one? 378 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,960 FROM PHONE: This is the album The Wall by Pink Floyd... 379 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:00,800 Oh, I don't think it is. ..a classic rock album. 380 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,840 It's got a little bit stuck on the thing. 381 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:06,080 Huh? 382 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:09,200 Ah. 383 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:10,720 Something's not working here. 384 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:12,640 My money's on me. 385 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:16,040 It seems I'm not quite getting the angles right. 386 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,000 And what's this one? 387 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,600 FROM PHONE: This is the album Paranoid by Black Sabbath. 388 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,160 Everyone owns that. 389 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,200 What's this one? 390 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,880 FROM PHONE: This is the album Master of Reality by Black Sabbath. 391 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:30,120 There we go. 392 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:32,800 All right, they aren't perfect, 393 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:34,800 but I'm still learning, and so is the AI. 394 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,760 But the independence they could offer is definitely worth 395 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:39,320 any teething problems. 396 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:44,000 So far, I've been asking direct questions - 397 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,480 but key to the glasses is their ability to understand context, 398 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:50,560 like with dinner menus, which could help me be less dependent 399 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:52,960 on those around me - like the crew - 400 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,400 who, for tonight, are going to be dependent on me and the glasses. 401 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,760 OK, guys. Listen, you've been reading everything to me, 402 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:03,280 so I'm going to order everybody's food. 403 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:05,760 This is not an offer to pay for any of you. 404 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:08,800 THEY LAUGH OK? You'll pay for yourselves. 405 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,760 LAUGHTER CONTINUES 406 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,120 All right, let's get going. 407 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,280 Hey, Meta, what's on the menu in front of me? 408 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,720 FROM PHONE: The categories on the 409 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,360 menu appear to be starters, salads, soup, 410 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:25,760 and Clam House specialities. 411 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:27,480 Er, what salads are there? 412 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,240 FROM PHONE: The salads listed on the menu are angry shrimp salad, 413 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,040 Clam House salad, mixed green salad. 414 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:36,480 OK, who wanted a salad? 415 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:38,560 I'll have a salad, please. I'd like a salad too. 416 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,720 Well, there's an arugula salad, a Clam House salad, 417 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,720 a mixed green salad, or a Caesar salad. 418 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:46,200 I'm going to go Caesar, please. 419 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:47,760 One Caesar salad. 420 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,640 Anybody else want a salad? No? 421 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:50,880 No, I'll go for a burger. 422 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,160 Meta, can you look at the menu and tell me if there are 423 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,000 any burgers on here? 424 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,680 GLASSES CHIME 425 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:02,320 OK, there's a Clam House burger with all the usual bits on it. 426 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,600 Erm, do you want that? I'll go for that, yeah. 427 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:05,880 With cheese? Yes, please. 428 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,200 So, one of them, two salads, Caesar salads. 429 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,680 You're having a burger. Yeah. I'm having a burger, 430 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:13,760 and, erm, there you go. 431 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,000 Mr Chris. Thank you very much. 432 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,160 Please enjoy. Thank you, thank you. 433 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,000 The potential for these glasses in terms of accessibility is clear - 434 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,760 but that is balanced around the accuracy of the information 435 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,200 the AI gives. 436 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,400 The experience I've had with them, though, makes me excited for 437 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,440 what AI might be able to offer me in the future. 438 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,440 One of the draws of coming to America is to try out something 439 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,720 I've been dreaming of for years - 440 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,640 a self-driving car. 441 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,960 San Francisco was one of the first cities in the world to roll out 442 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,520 autonomous vehicles for public rides, 443 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,560 and they are now available across the city. 444 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,840 That's right, there are cars on the street here with no-one 445 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:04,440 behind the wheel, which means you can be in a car totally alone - 446 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,520 something I've never been able to do. 447 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,320 This morning, I'm heading to a cafe 448 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,280 to meet my guide to the driverless revolution. 449 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,040 Today, you're going to come with me 450 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:21,040 to take a ride in a fully-autonomous vehicle. 451 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,680 You ready, babe? Let's go. 452 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,280 Jessie Wolinsky is a partially-sighted influencer 453 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,280 and an early adopter of autonomous cars, 454 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,160 who has collaborated with Waymo, a Google spin-off company 455 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,000 who operate public rides in San Francisco. 456 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,600 So, your eyesight, you can still see something, yeah? 457 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:41,920 You're not completely blind, but it's on its way out. 458 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:43,920 Yeah, yeah, it's degenerative. 459 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:46,600 So right now, I have like a very small amount of vision, 460 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,680 kind of like I'm looking through a toilet paper roll. Yeah. 461 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,760 Erm, and that amount of vision is fairly functional. 462 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:55,720 Technology is such an enabler for us, isn't it? Oh, yeah. 463 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,360 No, I mean, I feel like there's so much technology that we rely on. 464 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:00,840 How many times are you taking 465 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:02,840 a self-driving car at the moment, then? 466 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:08,760 I've probably taken at least 200, 300 rides, maybe more. Yeah. 467 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,520 With yourself being able to see a little bit... Yeah, yeah. 468 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:14,720 ..you can find the car, and you can, you know, 469 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,800 you know where you are when you get out of the car. 470 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,000 But for someone who's completely blind... 471 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,560 Luckily the app does tell you, "700 feet to the right, 472 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,520 "600 feet, 500 feet," so it starts, like, counting that down 473 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:26,640 and letting you know. 474 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:29,120 And also, of course we can use our screen readers, 475 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:30,680 and that can audio... Yeah. 476 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:32,640 ..obviously give you that information. 477 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,320 But also, finding the car, 478 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:38,040 there is a melody that you can play on the app, 479 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,040 and it'll start playing this light tone, 480 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:42,640 and you'll be able to hear it. 481 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,400 And if you can't hear that cos it's too loud, 482 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:45,680 you can also honk the horn. 483 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,000 We do not have anything like this in London. 484 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,160 Just driverless cars, it feels futuristic to me. 485 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:53,600 It's the present here. 486 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,640 I mean, it is the future. It does feel very futuristic. 487 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:58,040 It kind of feels unreal. 488 00:22:58,040 --> 00:22:59,720 Well, I'm going to find out today. 489 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,160 I've got my phone here. I've downloaded the app. 490 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,840 It's just like any other ride-hailing app, isn't it? 491 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:06,680 Yeah, yeah, just like any other ride-share app. 492 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:08,880 You just type in your destination, and then, you're good to go. 493 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,440 FROM PHONE: Up to 100, your car can arrive in eight minutes. OK. 494 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,640 All right, well, it says we can have one in eight minutes, Jessie, 495 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:16,840 so I'll order that now. All righty, let's do it. 496 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,320 Let's get out of here. And off we go. 497 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,400 These cars are on the street for everyone to experience, 498 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,320 but they have been designed with accessibility for blind and 499 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,600 partially-sighted people in mind - 500 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,280 if you're happy to trust an AI robot driver, that is. 501 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:32,600 All righty. It's coming up on our left. 502 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:34,640 And you can see that, yeah? Yeah, yeah. 503 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,960 I can see a little bit of the door. Right, shall I slide across? 504 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,520 Yes, you can slide across. 505 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,560 Press the "start ride" button in your app. Let's do it. 506 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,400 When it's driving, is the steering wheel turning 507 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,120 like the Invisible Man's in the front? Exactly, yeah. 508 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:50,920 The steering wheel is moving normally. 509 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:52,800 It looks kind of crazy because, like, for me, I can see 510 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,160 a little bit of the steering wheel, and so, yeah, 511 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:56,520 it turns all over the place. 512 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,760 So, I mean, listen, I know this is meant to drive like a normal car, 513 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,400 but it feels like it's going at a proper speed. Oh, yeah, yeah. 514 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,960 No, it totally drives like a normal car. 515 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:06,360 It feels normal. Yeah. 516 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:08,000 Again, they're speaking to you. Yeah. 517 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,720 And they'll tell you again, like, "Oh, we're turning onto this street, 518 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:12,400 or, "We're going through a school zone, 519 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,280 "and that's why we're slowing down." 520 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,160 So, that does make me feel very comfortable, 521 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:18,120 cos it just talks to me. Yeah. No, I like that. 522 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:20,360 I like to know what's happening. 523 00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:22,520 See, there you go. 524 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:24,040 It...it's bizarre. 525 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,760 I mean, I wish I could see this steering wheel turning. 526 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,560 I think that I find the most, like, independence here, and... Yeah. 527 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,120 ..I was never able to get a driver's licence or anything like that, 528 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:34,160 so... Yeah. 529 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,400 At night, when I hail the Waymos, I'm night-blind, 530 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,000 so I can't see anything. 531 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,240 I have to use the audio cues. 532 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,160 So, I'm very, very confident that I'm able to use it, 533 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,880 even as I lose more and more vision. Yeah. 534 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:47,400 Yeah, this is me. 535 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,040 I'm heading out. 536 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,000 You're on your own now, bud. THEY LAUGH 537 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,440 This is what I've been waiting for. 538 00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:07,520 HE CHUCKLES 539 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,640 Well, this is bananas. 540 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:18,120 First time I've ever been in a car on my own...that's moving. 541 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:31,840 Proceeding on Junipero Serra Boulevard. 542 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,920 It's hard to separate the idea of just doing this as part of 543 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,040 your daily life, in a car with no driver, 544 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,360 from the novel fact that I'm in a car with no driver 545 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:45,680 for the first time. 546 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,760 So, I'm sure this becomes a little bit second nature, really, 547 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:50,480 and you just get used to it, but... 548 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:52,760 Yeah. 549 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,680 The novelty of it is, erm, is a lot. 550 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:06,880 I mean, I don't know what I expected. 551 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,080 Of course it feels like any regular journey, but... 552 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:12,640 ..it's still insane. 553 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:24,040 CAR CHIMES 554 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,240 You're here. Please make sure it's clear before exiting. 555 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,040 Well, thank you, invisible robot driver. 556 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:33,080 I'll be off. 557 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:37,200 Well, there we go. 558 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:40,360 Here you go, Chris. How was that? 559 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:43,520 It's pretty magical, really, innit? 560 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:44,920 HE CHUCKLES 561 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,920 These cars are stacked with the latest technology - 562 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:50,360 and for a geek like me, 563 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:52,920 I'm curious to find out how it all works. 564 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,600 On the outskirts of the city, just under the freeway, 565 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:57,840 lies the largest of Waymo's depots, 566 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,240 where the cars return themselves when not zipping humans about 567 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,320 from A to B. 568 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,880 David Margines is one of the company's top product directors, 569 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:10,880 and he's going to help me understand what makes this car so special. 570 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,240 It's a, you know, fairly standard mid-size SUV, 571 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:16,720 quite a stylish vehicle. Yeah. 572 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,840 We've made some changes to the vehicle to enable, er, 573 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:21,440 its functionality. 574 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,800 Across the entire vehicle, there are 29 cameras, 575 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,880 and those can do things like reading text on signs, 576 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:31,320 or understanding which lights on, say, a traffic signal are on - 577 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,200 red or yellow, or green. 578 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,960 Along the, top we have our main long-distance LiDAR. 579 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,120 It stands for Light Detection And Ranging, 580 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:41,600 and we have this LiDAR down here, 581 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,800 which can cover this whole area down near the wheel. 582 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:47,880 So, now I told you that you wouldn't be able to touch 583 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:49,840 the spinning thing right there. Yeah. 584 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,160 That must be really disappointing, since you can't see it. 585 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,320 So, I brought one... I want to touch everything, David. 586 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:55,800 Yeah, absolutely. HE LAUGHS 587 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:57,680 Well, we want to make sure that you can, 588 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,840 so I'm going to hand it to you. OK. Right? 589 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:01,840 So now, this part at the top in your left hand, 590 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:03,960 that's the part that's mounted to the car, 591 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:05,880 and then, you're able to spin this part. Ah! 592 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,200 Is it doing like a second a revolution, or...? 593 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,120 Oh, it does several times a second. Several times. Yeah. 594 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:12,080 Oh, so it's going fast? Oh, yeah, it's going quite fast. 595 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:13,960 It's literally getting updates constantly? 596 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,200 Yeah, cos we want a high refresh rate, 597 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,160 so that we can see things like motion. Yeah, yeah. 598 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,240 And that's kind of the active piece, right? 599 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:23,960 So, that's sending out laser beams, and then, it's measuring how long 600 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:26,880 it takes until it sees the reflection off of an object. 601 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:30,400 Then it uses the speed of light to figure out how far away, er, 602 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:31,640 that thing is. 603 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:35,040 And by doing that, it's able to build this 3D structure 604 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:36,600 of the environment around it. 605 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,520 Yeah, and that's where the AI comes in, to take those... 606 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,120 ..the data it's reading back. That's exactly right. 607 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:44,760 The AI model is taking the LiDAR points and the pixels 608 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:48,880 from the camera, and the radar returns, and it's using all of those 609 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,800 together to predict the behaviour of all of the objects. 610 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,280 Then we can figure out how to safely go and traverse, you know, 611 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,800 the roads near all of this. 612 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,720 Not only carrying passengers, but travelling alongside 613 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:05,080 human-driven cars, the issue of how safe they are is a big one. 614 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,200 There have already been incidents of malfunctions and collisions 615 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,000 involving autonomous vehicles, 616 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,120 which concern many about their use. 617 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:15,520 For me, though, trusting a computer in a car is not massively different 618 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,560 from trusting a driver I don't know, 619 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,040 and I'm certainly excited by the freedom of being 620 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:21,920 in a car on my own. 621 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:25,160 It won't be long till we have autonomous vehicles on the streets 622 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,440 in Britain, after the UK Government changed rules to accelerate 623 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,480 their roll-out, with trials scheduled for spring 2026. 624 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:40,640 My time in San Francisco is over, and I'm off to the east coast - 625 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,200 specifically Boston. 626 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,080 I'm here because I've been invited to the world-renowned 627 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,800 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 628 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:52,920 to meet a tech inventor who is developing wearable robotics. 629 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,880 MIT has long been associated with developments in science 630 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,840 and technology that have been integrated into everyday life. 631 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:03,040 Computer passwords, electronic spreadsheets, GPS - 632 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,400 MIT played a part in all of them. 633 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:10,960 Here we are. Second floor. 634 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,520 This is the floor of my lab. 635 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,720 Hugh Herr is a biophysicist, who is a leading figure in 636 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,160 the development of bionic limb technology. 637 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:23,440 Here's my lab. 638 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,640 This is called the Biomechatronics Group. 639 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:27,480 Erm, it's a large volume... That's a cracking name, innit? 640 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:28,960 ..really high ceilings. Yeah. 641 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,560 It's a mess, to be honest. Ha-ha! 642 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:35,160 And there's students working, and just robots and 3D printers, 643 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,040 and cameras all over the place. 644 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,960 So, the focus of this lab is we develop robots 645 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,160 that attach to humans. 646 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:44,240 So, we're obsessed with limbs. Yeah. 647 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,000 We're obsessed with arms and legs. 648 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,400 So, arms, we want to enhance people's abilities 649 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:49,720 to manipulate objects. 650 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,880 With legs, we want to enhance people's ability to run, 651 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:54,640 jump, walk, and so on. Yeah. 652 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:58,600 And we not only focus on persons with some type of limb condition, 653 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,960 but also persons with completely, quote-unquote, "normal" limbs. 654 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,280 And obviously, when you're talking about, you know, people with - 655 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,160 problem with limbs, you've lost your legs. 656 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:08,520 But I gained eight. 657 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:10,480 My closet has lots of artificial legs. 658 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:11,760 CHRIS LAUGHS 659 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:13,880 So, like, I've moved up in the world. 660 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:15,840 I was in a mountain climbing accident, 661 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:17,560 suffered frostbite to my lower legs. 662 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:21,200 Right. My biological limbs were amputated just below the knee. 663 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,040 Right. And I was fitted with artificial limbs, 664 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:27,920 and really not happy at the time with how low-tech they were. 665 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:30,320 Wooden blocks with some foam. Yeah. 666 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,360 Like, I'm not exaggerating. Yeah. 667 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,280 And I said to myself, "You've got to be kidding me. 668 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:39,280 "This is what exists in the age of space flight and the internet? 669 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,120 "Are you kidding me?" Yeah, yeah, yeah. 670 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:45,440 So really, at that time, I dedicated my life to advancing technologies. 671 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,400 Half the lab, we're trying to mitigate disability. 672 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,320 So, persons that have a limb amputation - 673 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,560 we do bionic reconstructions. 674 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,800 Or a person that suffered a spinal cord injury and has paralysis - 675 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:02,240 we build these smart, motorised exoskeletons, 676 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,800 or we stimulate the muscles to restore movement. 677 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,400 And then, the other half of the lab is augmentation, 678 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:11,400 extending human capability beyond innate physiological levels. 679 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,160 From the early development of his own prosthetic limbs 680 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:15,680 and his work with disability, 681 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:18,280 Hugh's lab has now moved into the mainstream, 682 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,520 with robotic systems that everyone can wear 683 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,040 to improve mobility - including me. 684 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:29,040 In front of you here is a mysterious black box with an exoskeleton. 685 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,160 We're actually the first group in the world to show that 686 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:36,000 we can augment human movement with a leg exoskeleton. 687 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,000 OK. So today you're, going to try this really cool hardware... 688 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,600 I'm going to try it? Yeah. OK. 689 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,000 ..that'll put energy in your step. It's super-fun. 690 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:46,080 We describe these as an e-bike for legs. 691 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:49,560 Is it? OK, let's have a go. Cool. Absolutely. 692 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:51,440 I'm excited by this. 693 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:52,920 Yeah, I think you'll love it. 694 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:54,520 HE LAUGHS The future, right? 695 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:00,040 These exo-boots are designed to make walking and running 696 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:01,440 easier for everybody, 697 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:05,320 meaning there are use cases in daily activities and rehabilitation. 698 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:09,920 Just walk normally. 699 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,920 So, they're in a trans... transparent mode. 700 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,960 So, these are learning from the way I walk? Exactly. 701 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:19,080 Collecting data, developing a model for you. 702 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,120 And is it using AI for that? Some, yeah. 703 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,280 And how do I know when it's turned itself on? 704 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,320 You'll feel it. It feels like it's doing something different now. 705 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:27,480 Yeah, maybe. 706 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:29,280 Are you feeling energy? 707 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:30,520 You're walking faster. 708 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:31,560 Ha-ha-ha! 709 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:35,200 Oh, my goodness! 710 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:37,400 OK, now we're cooking on gas. 711 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,160 I can barely keep up with you. 712 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:43,240 THEY BOTH CHUCKLE 713 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,560 It feels like there's something under my foot, but it's... 714 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,920 It's the thing on the side... Yeah, which is... 715 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:51,600 ..almost contracting and pulling my foot up. 716 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:53,920 Yeah, which is a motor and a transmission system 717 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,520 that's applying a torque, a lot of mechanical power 718 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:58,600 about your ankle joint. Yeah. 719 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:02,160 So, it's an equivalent mechanical action as your calf muscle, 720 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:03,920 so it's a robotic calf muscle. 721 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:06,600 And can we clear a space, and me just do a walk down there 722 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:08,520 and back on my own with these, yeah? Absolutely. Let's go this way. 723 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,040 We'll turn you around. Yeah, yeah. 724 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,760 Can you shout "stop" if there's a balcony or an open window? 725 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:14,640 OK. 726 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:17,160 OK, to your right. Go to your right. Good. 727 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:18,200 You're good. 728 00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:26,280 Beautiful. Give us a shout! 729 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,680 Come to me. I'm coming, Hugh! 730 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:31,200 THEY LAUGH 731 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:35,080 That's great. I mean, what a bizarre sensation. 732 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:38,240 It's quite remarkable, the, erm, sensation. 733 00:34:38,240 --> 00:34:40,800 You look like you're starting to dance. Huh?! 734 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:42,160 Are you starting to dance? 735 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,680 I spent four months dancing at the end of last year. 736 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:46,600 I, erm, I find myself just doing 737 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,080 little pirouettes at home these days. 738 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,680 But this is, erm, this is the future. 739 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,160 This is what you see... The future of human mobility. 740 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:57,400 It's exciting that this is where the future's going. 741 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,400 For me, I would love this to be matched up with something 742 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,760 that allowed me to navigate myself, as well, and solve a problem 743 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:11,520 that I have, which is getting around, independence. 744 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:15,640 I think there's always something to be said for matching technologies 745 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:19,080 together to solve problems that maybe people hadn't considered 746 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:20,760 when they developed them. 747 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,120 It's exciting, and this is just the start of it. 748 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,640 Pioneering tech that can help outside the body is one thing. 749 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,480 But there is a large field of work looking at using tech 750 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:31,960 inside the body. 751 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:34,880 There have already been trials of chips that can be implanted 752 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:37,560 to treat specific conditions - including sight loss, 753 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:40,440 where they have enabled people to regain a small amount of sight, 754 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:44,000 which is something that I wouldn't consider - yet. 755 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,920 There is a world where technology could restore eyesight, but I... 756 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,080 I think it's one of those things that it would have to be... 757 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,600 ..it would have to be good enough to be life-changing. 758 00:35:54,600 --> 00:36:00,880 It would have to be enough to provide true...independence, 759 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:02,280 make a real difference. 760 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,960 When you're in the last dregs of your eyesight, you know, 761 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,120 you're always trying to cope with something that 762 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:10,480 isn't good enough any more. 763 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:12,760 If you were to say, do you want enough sight back 764 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:14,120 that I had when I was 20? 765 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:17,880 Not really, no, because, you know, having to depend on 766 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:20,360 a small amount of eyesight... 767 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,560 ..can be more problematic than it's worth. 768 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:27,480 Here at MIT, they have made a breakthrough that could change 769 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:29,000 health care for all of us. 770 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:32,800 Led by Professor Deblina Sarkar, a trans-disciplinary innovator, 771 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:35,520 they are bridging the gap between nanotechnology 772 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,000 and synthetic biology. 773 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,600 At the Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek lab - what a name - 774 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:45,280 Deblina and her team are using the very latest in nanotechnology 775 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,240 to do something only previously conceived of 776 00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:50,200 in science fiction movies. 777 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:54,280 Here, they are developing minuscule devices that are smaller 778 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:57,720 than a human cell, and invisible to the naked eye. 779 00:36:57,720 --> 00:37:01,160 The aim is to inject them into the body to treat various conditions 780 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,200 without the need for surgery. 781 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:05,440 It's the coolest name for a lab, first of all. 782 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:06,520 Oh, thank you so much. 783 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:09,520 Nano means small, and cybernetic means chips that work with 784 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,080 the human body - and biotrek, I'm guessing, 785 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:15,120 means they travel inside the body. Am I close? 786 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:19,480 Er, you're very, very close, yeah. THEY BOTH LAUGH 787 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:22,240 So, you're probably one of the first person to, you know, 788 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:24,840 get the name, like, right. 789 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:28,360 I've been practising it outside for three hours. Oh! 790 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:34,560 So, yeah, nano means small - specifically it means nanometre. 791 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:37,960 Yeah. So, if we take a strand of hair and divide 792 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,280 the thickness 10,000 times... 793 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:41,920 A 10,000th of a hair? 794 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:45,400 It's very, very tiny, things which you cannot see with the naked eye. 795 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:48,120 Wow. I mean, so this is the future, really, isn't it? Yeah. 796 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:54,400 Actually, the goal of my lab is to fuse these nanoelectronics 797 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,640 with biology for health care. Yeah. 798 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:02,360 Specifically to reduce human suffering and treat diseases, er, 799 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:04,920 such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's. 800 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:09,760 The hope is that the devices Deblina is creating can be targeted 801 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:12,800 to specific parts of the body, travelling through the bloodstream 802 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:15,480 and implanting themselves where needed, 803 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:19,000 then tuning the body's electrical signals to restore the function 804 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:22,720 of damaged cells, and potentially slow the spread of disease. 805 00:38:22,720 --> 00:38:25,240 So far, it's only been tested in animals, 806 00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:28,600 but the possibilities of this tech are revolutionary. 807 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:33,040 Our first thing that we are doing 808 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:36,080 is treat diseases related to the brain. 809 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:38,040 Brain cancer, for example. 810 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,120 What we have shown in our animal work is that, 811 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:43,960 by precisely modulating bioelectricity... 812 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,040 You stop it growing. ..in the tumour environment, 813 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,560 you can actually completely halt the growth of tumour. 814 00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:51,040 I want to scale this technology and get it to clinic 815 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:55,520 as soon as possible, but we are also doing it, like, 816 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,800 very responsibly, as well. 817 00:38:57,800 --> 00:38:59,920 We really want to make sure that, you know, 818 00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:04,120 when you go to clinical trials, you know, it's something... 819 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:05,920 Best chance of success. ..that can really work, right? 820 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:07,280 Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 821 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,800 Now it's time, really, to scale it up... Yeah. 822 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,640 ..do the implementation now, like, get the FDA approval, 823 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,320 so that we can start the clinical trials, we believe, 824 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:17,560 in the next three years. 825 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:18,600 Three years? Yeah. 826 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,840 This is a documentary in itself, isn't it? 827 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,200 While her early work has related to cancers, 828 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:28,080 another area that Deblina is researching is using 829 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:30,840 these nano-devices to treat sight loss. 830 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,640 I've got an eye condition, a disease - 831 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:38,080 so the retinal cells die off slowly over time. 832 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,960 So, these nanochips that you're creating, 833 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:45,400 would they almost be something 834 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:51,400 that would replace photocells in the eye, or...? 835 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,440 If you're talking about my condition... 836 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:54,760 Yeah, absolutely. 837 00:39:54,760 --> 00:40:02,520 Because these devices can harness this light that falls on the eye, 838 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:05,440 they can convert it into electrical signals, 839 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:07,080 which can be sent to the brain. 840 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:10,080 So, though those specific cells are destroyed, 841 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:14,880 we can actually send information a person would otherwise see 842 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:16,080 to the brain. 843 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:19,440 So, it totally bypasses those degraded cells. 844 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:23,760 It is possible that a person can still get the vision back, 845 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,960 even when those cells have been destroyed. 846 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:29,680 Each of these devices or chips 847 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:33,920 would almost individually replace photoreceptor cells? 848 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:37,920 Yes. So, a lot of them would be sent in... 849 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:39,840 Yes. ..to attach to a retina. 850 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:44,120 Yeah. The resolution we can get is, in fact, even better than what 851 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:49,000 a person with eyesight can, you know, resolve. 852 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,920 So, you're saying not only do you reckon, 853 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,760 at some point in the future you could restore my vision, 854 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,680 but you could make my sight better than everybody else's? 855 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:01,880 Exactly! You can augment humans beyond what biology provides. 856 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:03,240 And we can do other things - 857 00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:05,880 like we can add night-vision, for example. 858 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:07,960 BOTH LAUGH 859 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:10,880 It does sound like crazy science fiction, though. 860 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:14,080 It's like... Yeah. ..to say we've got devices 10,000th the size of - 861 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:18,200 the width of a human hair, you can put it in the body, 862 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:19,640 it knows where it's going, 863 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:21,960 it knows what it's doing when it gets there... Yeah. 864 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,960 ..and it can fix problems, make you see, 865 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,160 make you think better, cure diseases. 866 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,760 Deblina and her team are yet to undertake human trials, 867 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:34,120 but if they can show the same encouraging results 868 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:37,680 they did in their animal work, then this could be game-changing - 869 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:39,640 not just for me, but for all of us. 870 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:43,320 And that is something I did not expect to find when I set out. 871 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:45,200 I've always been of the opinion that, 872 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,040 if you're going to restore sight, you need to do it biologically, 873 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:51,640 because you're restricted by technology, you know? 874 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:54,760 You don't want something that's going to be obsolete. 875 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:58,960 Erm, but I'd never really considered that technology could be used 876 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:01,080 on a cellular level. 877 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:02,840 Erm, so it-it's... 878 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,920 It's something I'd never considered in that regard before. 879 00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:09,280 I came into this thinking it was the far future - 880 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:12,280 and it's not as far as we thought, is it? 881 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:14,120 It's kind of just around the corner. 882 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:20,720 We've looked at everything that's there at the minute, 883 00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:22,360 and what we are on the cusp of. 884 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:24,560 And the thing about all of this technology, 885 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:26,000 it's an enabler, isn't it? 886 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:28,800 It gives you independence and autonomy. 887 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:33,480 For me, it makes the differences of disability so much smaller. 888 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:36,680 And if you can achieve things and do things on your own - 889 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:38,200 and when I say on your own, 890 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:41,520 the extension of AI and computers counts as on your own - 891 00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:43,800 then that's a good thing, isn't it? 892 00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:47,960 Are you excited about the possibilities of the future? 893 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:50,160 I mean, yeah. Let's do another documentary, 894 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:51,640 and we'll come here and, erm, 895 00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:55,480 we'll let her inject me, high-resolution night-vision, 896 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:57,720 and then, I'll kick your arse at Laser Quest. 897 00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:02,120 If you still thought that your smartphone was just for 898 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:03,680 taking photographs or sending texts, 899 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:05,720 then you haven't been paying attention. 900 00:43:05,720 --> 00:43:08,280 Explore more with the Open University by scanning 901 00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:10,560 the QR code that is on your screen now, 902 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:11,960 or by visiting... 903 00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:20,280 ..where you can learn about how existing smartphone features 904 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,360 designed for greater accessibility can benefit everybody. 905 00:43:24,680 --> 00:43:25,720 Bang!