TRIZ - finding (and making) advances in technology

TRIZ is a way to get ideas about future technologies

. . . But why call it TRIZ?

. . . . . . because it stands for Теория решения изобретательских задач

. . . . . . . . . (of course - what else could it stand for?)

. . . . . . transliteration: Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch

. . . . . . translation: Theory of Decisions about Inventor's Problems

. . . TRIZ tries to make getting new ideas about technology a systematic process

. . . TRIZ was created by Genrich Altshuller

. . . . . . He registered his first invention at age 15

. . . . . . At 20 he invented a way to escape from submarines

. . . . . . . . . (Apparently this did not help the crew of the Kursk)

. . . . . . . . . . . . length: 154m long

. . . . . . . . . . . . height: four stories

. . . . . . . . . . . . was the world's biggest attack submarine

. . . . . . . . . . . . apparently a torpedo exploded, the sub sank to the bottom, about 350 feet down, and 2 min. 15 sec. later several more torpedoes exploded. Some crew survived both explosions but perished later without escaping.

. . . . . . Altshuller worked as an invention inspector for the Soviet navy

. . . . . . . . . (Does this make him the world's second most famous one?)



TRIZ is a compendium of several related methods and approaches

. . . see e.g. http://www.amsup.com/images/triz/triz.gif

. . . see e.g. http://www.mazur.net/triz/contradi.htm


Let's look at TRIZ - and also apply to your topics

. . . One aspect is the natural evolution from doing one key task and "branching out"

. . . . . . pencils that not only write, they erase, store, don't need to be sharpened, clip on, etc.

. . . . . . From keyboards to foldup keyboards, ergonomic keyboards, what other kinds?


Also from TRIZ: usability, aesthetics become factors later

. . . Early cars: "you can get any color car you want as long as it's black"



TRIZ also has a set of 40 Principles of Invention

. . . the 40 Principles of Invention
. . . (see e.g. http://www.triz40.com/aff_Principles.htm)

. . . . . . "Segmentation": break something unitary into parts, modules, pieces, etc.

. . . . . . . . . E.g. replace large truck with a tractor+trailer design (is that good?)

. . . . . . "Taking out": remove a part

. . . . . . . . . E.g. put a noisy air compressor outside the building where the air is used

. . . . . . . . . E.g. Use the bark but not the dog as part of a burglar alarm

. . . . . . "Local Quality": make something that is uniform, nonuniform

. . . . . . . . . E.g. refrigerator with freezer, moist cold bin for veggies, dry cold bin for meat, etc.

. . . . . . "Assymetry": make something that is symmetric, assymetric

. . . . . . . . . E.g. make a round rod have a flat part so a knob can turn it without slipping

. . . . . . "Merging": assemble similar objects into a larger assembly

. . . . . . . . . E.g. make a network of PCs

. . . . . . . . . E.g. 3 wheels more stable than 2 more stable than 1

. . . . . . . . . You can get emergent properties!

. . . . . . "Universality": make one thing do more than one thing

. . . . . . . . . E.g. pencil can erase, store, attach as well as write

. . . . . . "Nested Doll": (like those Russian dolls)

. . . . . . . . . E.g. set of measuring spoons

. . . . . . "Anti-weight": counter heaviness with flotation

. . . . . . . . . E.g. non-sinking boats; balloons; airplane wings and boat hydrofoils

. . . . . . "Preliminary anti-action": counter bad effects of good things somehow

. . . . . . . . . E.g. lead aprons at the dentist

. . . . . . . . . E.g. slow-release medications

. . . . . . "Preliminary action": do something to an object before it is needed

. . . . . . . . . E.g. put glue on paper before selling it - stickers! Tape!

. . . . . . . . . E.g. sterilize surgical instruments for next time - autoclaves, etc.

. . . . . . "Beforehand cushioning": have backup systems incorporated in case of failure

. . . . . . . . . E.g. emergency parachutes, fire escapes, parking brakes

. . . . . . "Equipotentiality": compensate for gravity

. . . . . . . . . E.g. spring-loaded cafeteria dish dispenser

. . . . . . "The other way round": reverse the action; go upside down; make something fixed, movable (or the reverse)

. . . . . . . . . E.g. rotate part instead of tool; treadmills; escalators

. . . . . . "Spheroidality": change from flat or angular surfaces to curved

. . . . . . . . . E.g. domes and arches; ball-point pens instead of quills

. . . . . . "Dynamics": make it movable or flexible

. . . . . . . . . E.g. adjustable car seats; medical scopes in flexible tubes

. . . . . . "Partial or excessive actions": Do a little too much or too little, then fix

. . . . . . . . . E.g. put a bit too much on your plate, then leave a little; almost fill your tank, then top off

. . . . . . "Another dimension": use the 3rd dimension or 4th, etc.

. . . . . . . . . E.g. 3D TV; add wings to car; 2-sided screen; double toothbrush; dump truck

. . . . . . "Mechanical vibration": cause oscillation/vibration

. . . . . . . . . E.g. electric hedge trimmer/carving knife; gall stone destruction; ultrasonic neurostimulation

. . . . . . "Periodic action": keep repeating

. . . . . . . . E.g. hitting nail with hammer; warbling siren

. . . . . . "Continuity of useful action": eliminate breaks

. . . . . . . . . E.g. night light; auto time sharing

. . . . . . "Skipping": do it so fast that harm is averted

. . . . . . . . . E.g. flash freezing; heated ice cream scoop

. . . . . . "Turn Lemons into Lemonade": use bad effect for a good purpose

. . . . . . . . . E.g. make/save money by recycling (reuse blank side; sell cans)

. . . . . . "Feedback": improve performance by examining the effects

. . . . . . . . . E.g. hard to spend money in late spring here; cruise control

. . . . . . "Intermediary": link/separate 2 things with a go-between

. . . . . . . . . E.g. potholder; nailset; shuttle diplomacy

. . . . . . "Self-service": something serves itself

. . . . . . . . . E.g. fertilize with grass clippings; pot liquor to improve flavor

. . . . . . "Copying": save with inexpensive copies

. . . . . . . . . E.g. VR instead of reality; photos; music on CD instead of live, etc.

. . . . . . "Cheap short-lived objects": throw it away afterwards

. . . . . . . . . E.g. paper plates; disposable diapers; anyone remember returnable bottles?

. . . . . . "Mechanics substitution": get rid of moving parts or other objects

. . . . . . . . . E.g. CD instead of vinyl record; acoustic pet fence

. . . . . . "Pneumatics and hydraulics": use gas and liquid instead of solid parts

. . . . . . . . . E.g. gel-filled footwear soles; propane instead of logs

. . . . . . "Flexible shells and thin films": get rid of heavy, solid things

. . . . . . . . . E.g. paper instead of slates; balloons

. . . . . . "Porous materials": make nonporous things, porous

. . . . . . . . . E.g. save weight by making it fluffier

. . . . . . "Color changes": change color or transparency of object or environment

. . . . . . . . . E.g. use red light to see nocturnal critters in a zoo

. . . . . . . . . E.g. use differently colored markers for writing

. . . . . . "Homogeneity": make interacting objects of the same material

. . . . . . . . . E.g. cut diamonds with diamond dust

. . . . . . . . . E.g. make artificial organs out of person's own cells

. . . . . . "Discarding and recovering": it disappears or changes itself

. . . . . . . . . E.g. biodegradable plastic bags; mechanical pencils

. . . . . . "Parameter changes": change properties of a substance

. . . . . . . . . E.g. heat food to cook/kill germs

. . . . . . "Phase transitions":

. . . . . . . . . E.g. freeze liquid center, then dip in warm chocolate

. . . . . . . . . E.g. air conditioning works by vaporizing/condensing a liquid

. . . . . . "Thermal expansion": things expand/contract with temperature

. . . . . . . . . E.g. make thermostats that bend and curve as temperature changes

. . . . . . . . . . . . We could do this in this class fairly easily!

. . . . . . "Strong oxidants": use oxygen-enrichment

. . . . . . . . . E.g. medical use; match heads and rocket fuel

. . . . . . "Inert atmosphere": use chemically inactive stuff

. . . . . . . . . E.g. store priceless artifacts in argon or nitrogen

. . . . . . . . . E.g. add filler when making pills so you can pick them up

. . . . . . "Composite materials": use multiple materials in a substance

. . . . . . . . . E.g. fiberglass; reinforced concrete