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Batman-style 'smart' underpants could end the misery of back pain for millions of people.
蝙蝠侠式“智能”内裤或许可以结束数百万人背疼的痛苦。
Inventors have developed briefs that contain wearable technology designed to get rid of pain in the lower back.
发明者已经研制出了一种内裤，该内裤运用了可以消除腰部疼痛的可穿戴技术。
Experts said many potential solutions for back pain are unproven, unworkable or just plain unattractive.
专家称，很多可能消除背痛的办法都是未经检验、不可行或者不美观的。
Now a team of engineers from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee hope to change that with a design that combines the science of biomechanics and advances in wearable technology to create a smart, mechanized undergarment.
现在美国田纳西州范德堡大学的一个工程师团队有望通过将生物力学与先进的可穿戴技术结合起来，制造一件智能的，机械化的内衣来解决腰痛的问题。
More than one in two adults (between 60 and 80 percent) suffer low back pain in their lifetimes and the condition is estimated to cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity every year.
超过半数的成人（在60%至80%之间）一生中都会经历腰痛，据估计，这种病痛每年会消耗数十亿的医疗保健费用，还给生产力带来损失。
Lead researcher Karl Zelik, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, started exploring wearable technology solutions after suffering back pain himself from repeatedly lifting his young son.
首席研究员卡尔-泽里克是机械工程学的一名助理教授，他因为经常抱举年幼的儿子而感到腰痛，这之后他就开始探索运用可穿戴技术解决这一问题。
'I'm sick of comic book characters like Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne being the only ones with performance-boosting supersuits. We, the masses, want our own,' Professor Zelik explained.
泽里克教授解释道：“只有钢铁侠、蝙蝠侠等漫画人物才能穿戴提升性能的超级服装，这让我受够了。我们这些普通人也想拥有属于自己的超级服装。”
'The difference is that I'm not fighting crime. I'm fighting the odds that I'll strain my back this week trying to lift my two-year-old.'
“区别在于我不是为了打击犯罪。我是为了这周举起我两岁的儿子时不扭伤腰。”
Tests so far show that the smart clothing relieves stress on the lower back.
目前的测试表明该智能内衣减轻了腰部所受压力。
The device consists of two fabric sections, made of nylon canvas, Lycra, polyester and other materials, for the chest and legs.
该装置由分别穿戴在胸部和腿部的两部分织物组成，每一部分由尼龙帆布、莱卡、聚酯等材料制成。
The sections are connected by sturdy straps across the middle back, with natural rubber pieces at the lower back.
这两部分由穿过后背中部的结实带子和腰部的天然橡胶片连接。
The device can be controlled by an app the team created - users tap their phones to engage the smart clothing wirelessly via Bluetooth. It can also be controlled by a light tap to the chest.
该团队研发的应用可以控制这套装备。用户可以通过蓝牙无线操作，轻触手机就能使智能内衣上下接合。用户还可通过轻触胸部织物进行操控。
It is designed so that users engage it only when they need it.
这样的设计可以让用户根据自己的需求连接设备。
The user just double taps their shirt, or their smart phone, to engage the straps.
用户只要轻触两下上衣或智能手机就能将带子连在一起。
When it is turned on, the elastic straps tighten so when the user completes a task, like lifting a heavy object, some of the pressure is diverted from the lower back to the straps.
当装置启动时，弹力带就会收紧，因此当用户完成任务的时候，比如举起重物，腰部所受的力就会部分转移到带子上。
And when the task is done, another double tap releases the straps so the user can sit down, and the device feels and behaves like normal clothes.
当任务完成后，再轻拍两下，带子就会松开，这时用户就可以坐下，智能内衣也就和一般的衣服没什么两样了。
Eight subjects tested the device leaning forward and lifting 25lb and 55lb weights while holding their position at 30, 60 and 90 degrees.
八位试验者保持在弯腰30度、60度和90度时举起25磅（约合11.3公斤）和55磅的重物，来测试该装置。
Using motion capture, force plates and electromyography, which records the electric activity of muscle tissue, the team showed the device reduced activity in the lower back muscles by an average of 15 to 45 percent for each task.
研究团队用运动捕捉、测力板和肌电图来记录肌肉组织的电活动，结果显示，在每一项任务中，智能内衣把腰部肌肉活动平均减少了15%至45%。
'The next idea is to find out if we can use sensors embedded in the clothing to monitor stress on the low back, and if it gets too high, can we automatically engage this smart clothing,' Professor Zelik said.
“下一步我们想看看能否在衣服中嵌入传感器以监测腰部的受力，如果受力过大，智能内衣能否自动启动，”泽里克教授说。
The study's co-author Dr Aaron Yang said the focus of the new technology is not on treating those with existing back pain but on prevention by reducing stress and fatigue on the low back muscles.
研究报告的合著者亚伦-杨博士说，这项新技术的重点不在于治疗那些已经有腰痛的病人，而是通过减少腰部肌肉的受力与疲劳来预防腰痛。
He said: 'I see a lot of healthcare workers or other professionals with jobs that require standing or leaning for long periods. Smart clothing may help offload some of those forces and reduce muscle fatigue.'
他说：“我看到许多医疗从业者或其他行业的人需要长时间站立或弯腰工作。智能内衣可以减轻一些受力和肌肉疲劳。”
The award-winning design was unveiled at the annual meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics in Australia.
这项获奖的设计在澳大利亚举办的美国生物力学协会年度会议上首次亮相。
