A research group from Waseda University has come up a robotic bear that flips over people's heads in their sleep to open their airways.

日本早稻田大學的一個研究小組發明了一種機器熊，可以在人們睡覺時翻轉他們的頭部，以保證呼吸道暢通無阻。

 

The bear is used as a pillow, but has a built-in microphone.

這種熊其實是一個枕頭，不過裝有內置的擴音器。

 

As soon as Jukusui-kun detects a loud snore, his paw reaches up (gently, at least in the brief video demo on display), and pushes the sleeper's head to one side.

只要Jukusui-kun（這款機器熊的日文名字）檢測到響亮的鼾聲，它就會抬起爪子（輕柔地，至少在展示的短片上看來如此），把睡覺的人的腦袋推到另一邊。

 

The motion should push sufferers of sleep apnoea - the loud form of snoring that can be dangerous not only to relationships but to health - into a position where they no longer snore.

這個動作幫助了那些睡眠窒息患者——巨大的鼾聲不僅危及人際關系，更加危及健康——使他們能夠不再打鼾。

 

The bear was shown off at the International Robot Show in Japan. Jukusui-kun means "deep sleep" - and the robot is targeted specifically at snorers whose snoring inhibits their blood oxygen level, with a separate hand monitor sensing when blood oxygen levels drop.

這款機器熊已經在日本國際機器人展上亮相。Jukusui-kun一詞在日文中的意思是“深度睡眠”——這款機器熊是專門針對打鼾者設計的，打鼾會抑制人體血液中的含氧量，機器熊的一個“熊掌監控器”能夠檢測血液含氧量是否下降。

 

The only problem is that not only do they have to sleep on a bear-shaped pillow with jointed robotic hands, they also have to insert their hand into another bear-shaped monitor which monitors blood oxygen.

唯一的問題是，打鼾者不僅需要睡在一個接有機器手的熊形枕頭上，還必須把手插進另一只熊形監控器里，以檢測血液中的含氧量。

 

Monitors are also built into the sheet under the sleeper - the idea being that electrical cords would disturb sleep.

監控器也被安置在睡覺的人身下的床單里——人們認為它的電子芯片可能會干擾睡眠。

 

The bear waits until low blood oxygen and loud snores indicate that the person sleeping on Jukusui-kun is snoring loudly, then the paw strikes.

直到血液中較低的含氧量和響亮的鼾聲表明睡在Jukusui-kun上的人正鼾聲大作，機器熊才會伸出爪子移動。

 

The bear is not yet on sale - and whether or not a robotic paw reaching up to turn one's head over is any more effective than one's partner shoving the person remains to be seen.

這種機器熊尚未上市銷售——機器熊用爪子翻轉頭部是否比伴侶直接推搡更加有用，還有待觀察。