Editor:  Toru Nakagawa 
(Professor Emeritus, Osaka Gakuin Univ.)
Last Updated:
   Jan. 10, 2019
http://www.osaka-gu.ac.jp/php/nakagawa/TRIZ/eTRIZ/eP/

    visits since Aug.  , 2014

(1) Full use of the present site (New information, General index, Searching, etc.)
(2) TRIZ references, links, and software tools
(3) TRIZ news, activities, and conference reports

(4) TRIZ papers and articles

(5) TRIZ case studies of application and promotion
(6) TRIZ lecture notes and course materials
(7) Documents of TRIZ/CrePS methodologies
(8) TRIZ Forum (communications, discussions, questions, etc.)


Editor: Toru Nakagawa 
(Professor Emeritus, Osaka Gakuin Univ.)
http://www.osaka-gu.ac.jp/php/nakagawa/TRIZ/eTRIZ/

Top page ; This page in Japanese
for Children and Highschool students for Students and the General public for Engineers (Introduction) for Practitioners

 

General Index  (A) Editorial (B) References Links News & activities Software tools (C) Papers, case studies, articles, Lectures, course materials   (D) Forum General Index 
Home Page New Information for children and highschool students for students and the general public for engineers (introduction) for Practitioners CrePS System Documents USIT Manual & Case Studies WTSP (World TRIZ Sites Project) Search in this site Home Page

 

 


Introduction (Toru Nakagawa,  Oct.  6, 2014)

This page intends to be a guide to the present site "TRIZ Home Page in Japan" for the people who are working for research, application, promotion, proliferation, etc. of methodologies of creative problem solving.  The topic is now expanding actively from TRIZ as the core.

The present site has posted many articles for these 16 years since its establishment in November 1998.  A few thousands of HTML and PDF files are accumulated.  All these areticles are tabulated systematically in the 'General Index' page in categorized lists and are accessible with one-click hyperlinks.  Nevertheless, due to such a volume, new readers feel the site unfriendly and even frequent readers find it difficult to access appropriate articles to read.  Thus, corresponding to four types of readers, I have newly made four Entrance pages of this site.  They are 'for Children and Highschool students', 'for Students and the General public', 'for engineers and Researchers new to TRIZ', and 'for Practitioners and Experts'.  The present Entrance page 'for Practitioners and Experts' is positiond at the top level of the four.   

This page shows selected articles which are important and useful for Practitioners and Experts.  Please refer to the articles in other three Entrance pages, although some articles are shown in multiple Entrance pages..  For keeping the Entrance pages compact, there are many more useful articles missed in the selection.  Please refer to them by use of the General Index pages which keep records of all the articles.

Please send me your contributions via email, including questions, requests, opinions, experiences, case studies, news, articles, papers, etc. 

The following is the table of contents of this page.  Clicking the   button of each category, you may be guided to the list of selected articles.  The articles are recommended for the entrance purposes as shown in the brief introduction.  You can access them directly by clicking the   buttons. 

  (1) Full use of the present site (New information, General index, Searching, etc.)    

  (2) TRIZ references, links, and software tools    

  (3) TRIZ news, activities, and conference reports    

  (4) TRIZ papers and articles    

  (5) TRIZ case studies of application and promotion    

  (6) TRIZ lecture notes and course materials    

  (7) Documents of TRIZ/CrePS methodologies    

  (8) TRIZ Forum (communications, discussions, questions, etc.)    

Each article is characterized with the marks in 5 different colors:   ( old or not classified).
The  mark means a reccommendation for this Entrance papge. 
Hyperlinks to each article is shown with the icons: English HTML page, English PDF page, English brief introduction page, and Japanese HTML page.
Even though I am making efforts for bi-directional translation between Japanese ans English and for posting the both versions, some of the articles (unfortunately many introductory articles) are posted only in Japanese.  And some others are posted fully in Japanese translation, while in English only brief introducitions are posted for respecting the copyrights of the original publisher/conference/Web-site.
In ( ) shows the date of posting/updating in the present site.

 

Top of this page Top of the selected articles (1)Full use of the present site

(2) References and links

(3) News and activities (4) Papers and articles
(5) Case studies (6) lecture notes (7) Documents of methodologies (8) Forum

Japanese page

 


For Practitioners and Experts: A list of selected articles posted in this site

(1) Full use of the present site (New information, General index, Searching, etc.)

  (1) Purposes of this Home Page (on the 15th Anniversary) (Toru Nakagawa)   (Nov. 17, 2013)

This site is to promote the understanding and real usage of TRIZ by openly publishing information and communications related to TRIZ on a not-for-profit basis.  Though I have been operating this site as a volunteer, this site is not a personal site but a public forum to be composed of the contributions by readers, as you see already.  Most pages are published in Japanese and in English in parallel for the purpose of mutual understanding and collaboration between Japanese and overseas TRIZ learners/practitioners.  I envisage that Pubic Web Sites built in different TRIZ Communities will form A Global TRIZ Community with much reduced language barriers .  Since last year I have been proposing to establish a General methodology for creative problem solving & task achieving by integrating various creativity methods including TRIZ/USIT .  I am going to widen the scope of this Web site gradually in future.  

  (2) Operation Policy of "TRIZ Home Page in Japan" (Toru Nakagawa)  (Apr. 9, 2012)

Operation policy as a public Web site is written, including: Ways of accepting contributuions, Assignment of copyrights, Handling of copies of articles and their distribution, Request of voluntary support for translation work, Update announcements, Accesss point to us, etc. 

 Editorial:  An Advice for Searching Pages in This Web Site (Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 27, 2015)

Try to use the following alternative retrieval methods depending on what sort of pages you want:
(a) Top Page (for New Information (with introductions) within 6 months),
(b) Four Entrance Pages (for Children, for Students, for Engineers, and for Practitioners),
(c) Categorized General Index Pages (Editorial, References, Papers, Forum),
(d) New Information accumulated (for all the pages listed in the chronological order since 1998)
(e) Any relevant pages (use the links in the texts and in the link tables), and
(f) Site Search with Keywords (the present page, by using any keywords).

  New Information and Archives (since 1998)

All the articles since the start of this site are recorded in the chronological order with brief introductions.  Main and subsidiary pages (e.g., slides, PDFs, English/Japanese pages, etc.) are acessible with one click. The archives may be accessible throug the top part of the 'New Information' page.

   (5) General Index

 All the articles are listed in categorized tables and are accessible with one clicks.  Kept up to date.  The 4 main pages are:
      Parent & (A) Editorial ;
      (B) References, links, news, etc. ;
      (C) Papers, case studies, lectures, etc. ;
      (D) Forum, conference reports, communications, etc.  

  (10)  Index page of 'Letters from Readers' pages  (Last update:  Nov. 27, 2014)

Communications which I received from Readers and are suitable for open discussions are posted in the pages of "Letters from Readers".  Such pages both in English and in Japanese are indexed here since 2013.  Older pages may be found in the 'General Index' page. 

  (6) Site Search in the "TRIZ Home Page in Japan"  (Feb. 20, 2013)

Keyword search by using Google Custum Search Engine. 
In English:  Search for English pages:
In Japanese: Search for Japanese pages: , Search for English pages )

  (7) Four Entrance pages (for easier access to selected appropriate articles)

 Entrance page C: Let's enjoy 'Think & Try' ! (for Children and Highschool students)

 Entrance page S:  For solving problems creatively (for Students and the General public) 

 Entrance page E:  Methods of creative problem solving (for Engineers and Researchers novice to TRIZ) 

 Entrance page P:  Practices and methodologies of Creative problem solving (for Practitioners and Experts)   


(2) TRIZ references, links, and software tools

  TRIZ References: Books, etc. (Jul. 10, 2008)

Top page of TRIZ Refereneces in this site.  Enlgish page was last updated in 2005, while Japanese page in Jul. 2008.  30 Japanes books related to TRIZ are listed. (Sorry but not updated well in this page.)

TRIZ Textbooks in Japanese:  Table of Contents of the books (Osamu Ikeda and Toru Nakagawa)   (Jul. 10, 2008)

Table of contents of TRIZ textbooks are listed here. Currently covers the 30 Japanese books shown in the above list.

  Announcement: Publications of Book Series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits" by CrePS Institute (Toru Nakagawa) (Feb. 16; Mar. 10; Aug. 29, 2014; Apr. 25, 2015)

In Feb. 2014, Nakagwa started the publication of TRIZ books from CrePS Institute (Director: Toru Nakagawa).  On the basis of former publication (or preparation for publication) by Sozo Kaihatsu Initiative, Ltd. (SKI), five books were already published by Aug. 2014.  They are available in the form of Print on Demand and digital down loading from the DLmarket site in Japan.  The page shown here is the parent page of the publication annoncements, containing a table of publications and the guide for purchasing them. The books are published in Japanese, but many relevant documents of the books are posted in English as well as in Japanese.
The Book Series are now available also at Amazon.co.jp Market Place for the standard price plus 259 yen for shipping; no delivery out of Japan. (Apr. 25, 2015)

  Announcement: Publication Announcement of the Revised Japanese Edition: Darrell Mann's "Hands-On Systematic Innovation with Matrix 2010" (Toru Nakagawa) (Feb. 16; Mar. 10; Apr. 17, 2014)

Vol. (1A) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits".  Soft cover B5 size, 502 pages, 7000 yen+tax.  (Former Japanese Edition (supervising translator: Toru Nakagawa) was published in 2004 from SKI.) 
The new Japanese Editon replaces the original Altshuller's Contradiction Matrix with the up-to-date Mann's Matrix 2010, under the approval of the author and with the revision of text in Chapter 10 at the minimal level. -- I think Mann's HOSI is still the best textbook on modernized TRIZ (or Systematic Innovation, in his words). 

  Announcement: Publication Announcement of the Japanese Edition: Darrell Mann's "Matrix 2010: Re-updating the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix" (Toru Nakagawa) (Apr. 17, 2014)

Vol. (2A) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits".  Soft cover B5 size, 154 pages, 2600 yen+tax.  (Former Japanese Edition "Matrix 2003" (translator: Toru Nakagawa) was published in 2005 from SKI.).
'Contradiction Matrix' was originally built by G. Altshuller by early 1970s in the form of 39×39 after tremendous efforts.  Altshuller himself was not satisfied with its effectiveness and did not include it in ARIZ since mid '70s.  Since '90s, the Matrix has become popullar in the western world, but it has been used in the old form because of the prohibitive difficulty of revising it.  Darrell Mann et al (CREAX and later Systematic Innovation) started the big project of updating Contradiction Matrix in 2000; they analyzed all the US patents granted since 1985 with full use of modern IT tools.  Their Matrix 2003 is of size 48×48, while Matrix 2010 size 50×50.  Categorization into parameters has become easier and the tool's recommendation of Principles more illustrative to apply. The contents of the Contradiction Matrix should also evolve, as the progress in science and technology, Mann says. -- We should use the updated Matrix instead of the old one.  This is the way of appreciating and furthering the vision and philosophy of our TRIZ Father, I believe.

  Announcement: Publication Announcement of the Japanese Edition: Larry Ball's "Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms -- Illustrated Course Material from Novices to Experts" (Toru Nakagawa) (Jun. 30; Jul. 28,, 2014)

Vol. (3) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits".  Soft cover B5 size, 208 pages in full color, 4200 yen+tax.  Japanese translation by Toshio Takahara and Toru Nakagawa.  (Previous CD-R edition was published by SKI in 2009).
The author has reorganized all the components of TRIZ tools and constructed an overall process of product development in accordance with the in/out relationships of information.  The principal stages should be: Business and market needs => What system does => Identify pivotal functions => Idealize functional components => Idealize attributes of functional components.  During the processes of idealizing the functions and attributes, there appear various problems and contradictions, for which TRIZ tools can be used effectively.  The author describes these procedures with a large number of illustrative figures of examples.  He also illustrated many more ways of solving Physical Contradictions than classical TRIZ. -- The textbook is easy to understand and enjoyable for beginners, and yet is challenging for experts. 

Note: Vol. (3S) is "Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms (for Novices)".  Concise and simple edition, as specified by the author.  Soft cover B5 size, 56 pages in full color, 1200 yen+tax.

  Announcement: Publication Announcement of the Japanese Edition: Umakant Mishra's "Treasury of Inventive Ideas for Information Technology & Software - Classified with TRIZ Inventive Principles" (Aug. 29, 2014)

Vol. (4) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits".  Soft cover B5 size, 430 pages, 4000 yen+tax.  Supervising translator: Toru Nakagawa.  (Publication prepared by SKI in 2011).
This book is principally dedicated to many people involved in IT and software, not knowing of TRIZ.  The author collected about 3000 cases of IT/SW solutions from US patents and others, and interpreted the essence of their solution ideas and categorized them with TRIZ 40 Principles.  In each of 40 chapters, a Principle and examples of its application are explained in an way easy to understand for IT/SW people.  -- Mishra has turned a huge complex accumulation of technical knowledge into a treasury of essence of ideas.  -- I built 'Index of IT/SW technologies/techniques classified and organized hierarchically. 

 TRIZ Forum: Letters from Readers:  Introduction to A New Publication: "TRIZ 40 Principles" by Yoshinori Takagi (Yoshinori Takagi; Toru Nakagawa)  (Jan. 8, 2015)

"TRIZ 40 Principles" is an excellent new book in Japanese authored by Y. Takagi and published by Discover 21, Inc., Tokyo. The book is very well organized and written, and has been accepted popularly as one of the best sellers in the Engineering/Patents & Invention genre in Amazon.co.jp.  Congratulations!!  Unfortunately, however, in the belt and in the Preface of the book, the descriptions look too much journalistic/sensational, used to be typical in late 1990s in Japan, and contain several misleading catch copies in relation to the TRIZ history in the former USSR.  Nakagawa sent a comment on them to Mr. Takagi for the purpose of preventing them from being spread to readers new to TRIZ. 

  TRIZ Links: Selected TRIZ Links in Japan and in the World (Toru Nakagawa) (Apr. 13; May 4, 2008)

The pages of TRIZ (and relevant) Links were rebuilt (after 8 years) in Aug. 2008 after much efforts of survey and compilation. 100 Links in Japan were compiled and annotated in Japanese, and Selected 30 Links in Japan are shown in the Japanese page, and Selected 10 Links in Japan in the English page.  In the world (outside Japan) 120 Links were compiled and annotated in English, and Selected 30 Links in the world are shown in the Japanes page while Selected 50 Links in the world in the English page. -- It is desirable to update these pages, by getting someone's voluntary help.

Extended 100 TRIZ Links in Japan (Toru Nakagawa) (Apr. 12; May 4, 2008)

Extended 120 TRIZ Links in the World (Toru Nakagawa)  (May 3, 2008)

Forum: From the Editor: Global Network of Public Web Sites in TRIZ: A Proposal for Building A Global TRIZ Community (3) (Toru Nakagawa)  (Oct. 27, 2010)

A poster proposal at ETRIA TFC 2010.  This is a vision and proposal for building a Global TRIZ Community effectively. My proposal is: (1) Let's build many Public Web sites in different TRIZ communities, and (2) set both outward-looking and inward-looking windows on them for overcoming the language barriers, and (3) form an autonomous global network of them in the Internet.  This vision was obtained through my 12 years of operation of this Web site "TRIZ Home Page in Japan", and advocating it since 2007.

  TRIZ Software Tools (Toru Nakagawa)  

Parent page of the information related to TRIZ software tools.  It is desisrable to have introductroy articles of software tools of various vendors and academic developers, e.g., Invention Machine Inc., Ideation International Inc., CREAX, Systematic Innovation, etc.  However, except my very early technical report on TechOptimizer 2.5, very few articles have been introduced here, because the high prices of commercial software tools make us (or myself) difficult to use and evaluate and because the vendor's information is usually provided as advertisement and not suitable for posting in this site.  I think we need to find some appropriate ways of providing useful and objective information of various tools. 

Southbeach Forum on Southbeach Notation and Modelling: A Forum for Introduction, Communication, and Evaluation (Edited: Toru Nakagawa)   (Jun. 9; Aug. 4; Oct. 3, 2013)

SouthbeachSolution Ltd. (UK) has developed a software tool for generalized modelling by getting stimuli from TRIZ sotware tools.  It has defined a notation for modelling and made a covenient software tool for modeling various types of models in a universal way.  The cost is 98 pound.  This page intends to be a discussion forum on Southbeach Modelling, including its visual language, software tool (Southbeach Modeller), modelling methods, and their applications. I believe it worthwhile to introduce the Southbeach Modelling widely and to try to use it in various cases of problem solving and group decision making. This page will post introductory information from the developer and various communications and reports from users, including myself.

 Paper: Creativity Tool and methods:  Introduction to Visual Thinking Software 'Fuda-Yose Tool' and Its Web site 'Thinking School I' (Akihiro Katahira)  (Jan. 18, 2015)

A handy software tool for drawing and handling labels smoothly on Excel sheets for supporting 'Visual Thinking'.  Information in Excel cells can be converted with a click into labels, and such labels, connecting lines, and enclosures may be moved around smoothly on the sheet.  The use of the software stimulates users' thoughts in idea generation, document composition, discussions in a group, etc.  The author has also built a Web site describing various methods for generating thoughts in a systematic manner.  

 


 

(3) TRIZ news, activities, and conference reports

  TRIZ News and Activities (Toru Nakagawa) (Up to date)

Parent page on TRIZ News and Activities in Japan and in the world.  Kept up to date (even though not so active). 

 TRIZ News and Activities in Japan since 2013 (Toru Nakagawa)

News and activities of various organizations in Japan (including Japan TRIZ Society) are posted here together.

  Japan TRIZ Society, NPO: News and Activities (2010 - 2012) (Toru Nakagawa) (Nov. 15, 2012)

News and activities of Japan TRIZ Society for the 3 years are recorded here in detail in an objective manner with the intention of complementing the Official Home Page of JTS.  During the period Nakagawa serves as the Board Member and Program Chairperson of the Japan TRIZ SYmposium. 

  (former) Japan TRIZ CB Officil Pages (2005 - 2009)  (Feb. 22, 2010)

This is the Official Pages of Japan TRIZ CB (i.e., Collaborative Board of TRIZ Promoters and Users in Japan), operated by Toru Nakagawa inside the "TRIZ Home Page in Japan".  Japan TRIZ CB's activities (2005-2007), especially 1st to 3rd Japan TRIZ Symposia, are posted in detail.  During 2008-2009, the activities by Japan TRIZ Society (4th-5th Japan TRIZ Symposia) are also posted here. 

  MATRIZ (International TRIZ Association) and Russia: Its News and Activities (Up to date)

MATRIZ was establisshed in 1989 in Russia with G. Altshuller as the initial Presedent.  Its activities were initially limited inside Russia (or former USSR) and by Russian TRIZ experts emigrated to US and Europe.  But recently Its activities has been spreading in various countries in the world. 

  AI (The Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies) and USA: Its News and Activities (Up to date)

The Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies was established in 1998 in USA under the approval by G. Altshuller himself.  It held the international conferentce TRIZCON in USA every year leading TRIZ in the western world.  After a few years of low activities of TRIZCONs, AI is currrently trying to be active again with renewed home pages and monthly Webinar series, etc.

  ETRIA (European TRIZ Association) and Europe: Its News and Activities (Up to date)

ETRIA was established in 2001 by TRIZ leaders in five European countries.  It has held 'TRIZ Future Conference (TFC)' every year since then in October-November.  TFC was held in different countries in EU and tries to have both academic /scientific and practical/technologicalaspects. 

  Asia, etc. in the World: News and Activities (Up to date)

Other countries in the world are introduced in this page.  Asian countries, especially Korea (most active in big industries), Taiwan, Malaysia, and China, are active in TRIZ, and we in Japan should learn from their activities. Iran is remarkable in their TRIZ proliferation by use of TV, newspapers, etc.   Australia, Mexico, Brazil, etc. are also working in TRIZ.

TRIZ Forum: Conference Report (29) : Personal Report of The 13th ETRIA World TRIZ Future Conference (TFC 2013) (Toru Nakagawa) (Nov. 17, 2013) (Dec. 9, 2013)

Held by ETRIA and ENSAM-ParisTech on Oct. 29-31, 2013, in Paris.  The 3 days conference had 8 invited talks and 72 presentations, with about 150 participants from about 30 different countries.  I attended and presented a paper at the conference. The official Web site of the conference is:   In my Personal Report (of 5 pages), I have listed up 37 presentations of interest with brief introduction and categorized them according to their topics.  I am planing to post several selected papers in English and in Japanese translation here.  

-- I attended and presented all the 13 ETRIA TFC conferences since 2001 and wrote Personal Reports of them in English (and in Japanese) to review and introduce presentations which were interesting to me. Here are the links to my Personal Reports of TFC:  2001 ; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004 ; 2005 ; 2006 ; 2007 ; 2008 ;   2012 (only in Japanese) ; 2013

  TRIZ Forum: Conference Report (28) : Personal Report of The 9th TRIZ Symposium in Japan, 2013 (Toru Nakagawa) (Nov. 17, 2013) (Dec. 9, 2013)

Held by Japan TRIZ Society on Sept. 5-6, 2013 in IMS, Tachikawa, Tokyo.  The 2 days conference had 6 invited talks and 23 presentations, with about 140 participants.  I attended and presented a paper at the symposium.  In the official home page of Japan TRIZ Society, you can read the slides of all the invited talks and contributed presentations both in Japanese and in English . I am posting my Personal Report (of 3 pages), introducing selected 12 presentations briefly.  The Symposium was prepared and operated well and was a success (in the domestic sense).  Two important issues of the present Symposium were the shrinkage in the international nature and the reducing in the presentations by Japanese major companies. 

-- Nakagawa was the Program Chairperson of Japan TRIZ Symposia from 1st (2005) through 8th (2012), and besides the offitial announcements wrote 'Personal Reports' of the Symposia in English (and in Japanese) for reviewing and introducing (almost all) the presentations to the world TRIZ community.  Here are the links to my Personal Reports of Japan TRIZ Symposium:  2005 ; 2006 ; 2007 ; 2008 ; 2009 ; 2010 ; 2011 ;  2012 -- ; 2013

Personal Report: 4th Global TRIZ Conference in Korea (GTC 2013) (Jul. 2013) (Toru Nakagawa) (Aug. 4, 2013)

GTC 2013 was held by KATA (Korea Academic TRIZ Association) in Seoul on Jul. 9-10, 2013.  Being invited for a Special Invited Talk, I visited Korea for the first time.  About 230 participants from 9 countries other than Korea; 39 contributed papers were presented.  Many presentations on real TRIZ applications were given by industries including Samsung and POSCO.  The Conference was active and well organized with much fruits.   Written only in Japanese.

  Forum: Conference Report (17): Personal Report of TRIZCON2007: The 9th Annual Conference of the Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies (Toru Nakagawa) (Jul. 3, 2007)

Held at Louisville, KY, USA, on Apr. 23 - 25, 2007.  App. 70 participants, 22 papers published in the Proceedings.  I reviewed all the papers and reported in English (summary alone in Japanese).  A Keynote Lecture was given by Alla Nesterenko (Russia) on her experiences of teaching school children (K-12) on the basis of TRIZ.  Eexcellent case study papers were presented by Gunter Ladewige et al. (Canada) and by Tzu-Chang Chen (Taiwan). It is a pity that contributions from US industries and US academia in research are decreasing for these several year in TRIZCON even though contributions from Asian countries are increasing.

-- I attended and presented at TRIZCON almost every year from 1999 to 2007 and wrote 'Personal Reports'.   Here are the links:  1999 ; 2000 ; 2001  ; 2002 --; 2003  ; 2004  ; 2005 ; 2006  ; 2007 

  Forum:  Report of A Personal Trip to TRIZ Mother Countries (Russia & Belarus, Aug. 1999) (Toru Nakagawa)  (Sept. 10, 1999)

I made a personal trip to Russia and Belarus for two weeks to meet about 20 TRIZ specialists. I wanted to learn how TRIZ has been developed so far and is being extended further currently in its home countries, and also to overcome so limited channels of introducing TRIZ in Japan due to the language barriers. I visited 4 cities, Minsk, Sankt Peterburg, Petrozavodsk, and Moscow. Here are the section titles of the Report:
    (1) Activities of Minsk Center of TRIZ-Technologies;
    (2) TRIZ School in St. Petersburg;
    (3) Moscow TRIZ Center;
    (4) Mr. Genrich Altshuller's life and his devotion to TRIZ;
    (5) The Altshuller family;
    (6) Training on TRIZ;
    (7) Understanding the Classical/Technical TRIZ;
    (8) Extension of TRIZ application to scientific and biological fields;
    (9) Extensions of the TRIZ applications to services, business management, etc.;
    (10) Education of TRIZ to Children;
    (11) International Association of TRIZ;
    (12) Language Barrier and Necessity of Translation;
    (13) Impression of Russia and Belarus as a tourist

Paper: TRIZ and innovation culture at Samsung Electro-Mechanics Company (SeHo Cheong; Vasily A. Lenyashin; Alexander T. Kynin; Naum B. Feygenson; YongKwan Lee; Seungheon Han)     (Jul. 10, 2009)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008 by the TRIZ team in Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Korea.  Korea, especially Samsung group, seems to be most active in the world in promoting TRIZ in industries.  This paper was presented by the manger who leads the Corporate R&D Institute of the company and takes care of the innovation methods including TRIZ.  It attracted much attention during the Symposium.

  TRIZ Paper: TRIZ Promotion: Effective strategy to introduce and propagate TRIZ into companies based on the bad and good experiences in Korea (Kyeongwon Lee)  (Apr. 2; Apr. 9, 2014)

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2013.  In the initial stage of introducing TRIZ in Korea (ca. 1996 - 2005), TRIZ was not accepted widely because of various barriers and bad experiences, the Author says.  The situation was changed by the success of practical industrial examples developed in Samsung by Russian TRIZ experts employed at TRIZ promotion department.  Executives of Samsung recognized the success, and promoted to develop education and training programs and expand the application of TRIZ to real projects. Such TRIZ activities were expanded to other big industries in Korea, and were carried out with much enthusiasm as a big movement in Korean industries.  Cases of success in real projects are the key to propagation of TRIZ, he says.  (According to ETRIA's request, links to PDF files of English paper is closed at moment.)
-- At the end of this page, I made a bibliography of about 40 papers related to TRIZ activities in Korea and posted (or introduced) in the present Web site.   

  TRIZ paper: TRIZ Activities in Iran: Transfer to a new nationwide paradigm by TRIZ application and promotion (Mahmoud Karimi and Sara Salimi) (Sept. 19, 2011)

Keynote Lecture presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010 by Mahmoud Karimi (Iranian Institute of Innovation & Technological Studies (IIITS), Iran).  Mr. Karimi got interested in TRIZ around 1999.  In 2004 he started publishing a column on TRIZ and creativity every week in a newspaper and also in a weekly magazine.  IIITS made a TV lecture series of 5 volumes (35 min. each) and broadcast them several times.  Furthermore, since 2007, he has broadcast live TV Talk Shows more than 160 times (30 min. each) on a few TV channels.  It is really amazing that TRIZ is now widely known among intellectual people in Iran!! Thus he talks about 'transfer to a new nationwide paradigm by TRIZ application and promotion'.

TRIZ Forum: Visiting Iran for PSST2012 Conference, February 2012 (Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 31, 2012) (Apr. 9, 2012)

Last February, I visited Iran and presented a Keynote and a research paper at the PSST 2012 Conference held in Tehran on Feb. 22-23.  This was my first trip to Iran, and I accompanied my wife Masako.  We were warmly accepted by the Iranian group of TRIZ promoters and enjoyed much in Tehran and the old capital Isfahan.  In contrast to our previous images of Iran formed through newspapers and TVs in Japan, I have found different faces of the country and its people.  Thus, I am reporting my personal experiences and impressions during the visit, along with some pictures.  The page is composed of: History of communications with Iranian TRIZ group since 2006, Decision of the visit, Trip outline, Report of PSST 2012 Conference, About the TRIZ promoting group in Iran, Experiences and impressions in Iran.

Communication: TRIZ Situations in China (Xian-yong Zhou)     (Nov. 13, 2011)

A brief but valuable report from mainland China by a faculty member of Southwest Jiaotong Univ.  TRIZ was introduced into China about 1998, but was known to only limited number of academic people for next 9 years.  In 2007, the TRIZ situation has greatly changed when the Ministry of Science and Technology recognized TRIZ as the Innovation Method and started its promotion actively.  Two provinces, Heilongjiang and Sichuan, became the 'Pilot Provinces' of innovation methods, and Innovation Method Society (IMS) was established under the Ministry for the purpose of research, development, and penetration of Innovation Method (i.e., TRIZ).  At least three conferences/seminars in China are operated for high level communications on TRIZ, though not yet international. -- We need to watch the rapid progress of TRIZ in China.

  TRIZ Promotion: Malaysia TRIZ and its strategies (TS Yeoh) (Apr. 6, 2013)

Keynote Speech presented at Malaysia TRIZ Conference 2012 on Nov. 7, 2012 by Dr. TS Yeoh (MyTRIZ President; Intel Malaysia).  He talked about their strategies of proliferating TRIZ in Malaysia. MyTRIZ (Malaysia TRIZ Innovation Association) was formed in 2010 and then the crucial foundation of the movement was built in the form of MOU signed by the three parties: Ministry of Higher Education (governing universities), Multimedia Development Corporation (promoting ICT as a government agency), and Intel Malaysia (well experienced in TRIZ). They agreed to cooperate in proliferating TRIZ among the nation, and to set their initial target to train university lecturers.  Universities set up the training opportunities and Intel sends its TRIZ experts as trainers without charge.  They have trained 1057 lecturers already as the MATRIZ Level 1 practitioners.  His slide conclude with the statements: "Collaboration worked! Implementation progressing well.  Ride momentum and stay focused."

   Conference Report (31): Personal Report of ETRIA TFC 2016: Introductions of  All the Individual Papers (50 papers) (Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 30, 2017)  

Introductions of all the 50 papers presented at ETRI TFC2016 are posted here in English. Each paper is introduced in 1 to 4 pages (in A4) using authors slides. They are categorized according to their topics. 

A. Methodology of TRIZ (6 Papers) (Mar. 30, 2017)  

B. Integral Use of TRIZ with Relevant Methods (11 Papers) (Mar. 30, 2017)  

C. Case Studies in Industries (9 Papers) (Apr. 24, 2017)  

D. Promotion of TRIZ in Industries (5 Papers)  (Jun. 4, 2017)  

E. Usage of TRIZ in Education and in Academia (5 Papers)   (Jun. 4, 2017)  

F. Patent Studies  (1 Paper)   (Jun. 21, 2017)  

G.  Applications to Soft & Non-technical Areas  (7 Papers)   (Jun. 21; Jul. 18, 2017)  

 

(4) TRIZ papers and articles

  Creative Design Methodology and the SIT Method (Roni Horowitz and Oded Maimon) (Mar. 8, 2000) (Mar. 23, 2000)

This paper was presented at DETC'97 (ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference 1997) on Sept. 14-17, 1997 by Dr. Roni Horowitz and Prof. Oded Maimon (Tel-Aviv University, Israel).  When I wrote an email to Dr. Horowitz for asking information about SIT (Systematic Inventive Thinking), he sent me this paper together with his PhD Thesis.  SIT was developed in Israel by extracting the essence of TRIZ, and it triggered Ed Sickafus to develope USIT.  This paper clearly explains the basic concepts and procedures of SIT.  It is very interesting that this paper states that 'the two jointly sufficient conditions of inventive solutions' are 'Closed World Condition' (i.e., not introducing new types of objects) and 'Qualitative Change Condition' (i.e., necessity of qualitative change in the problem characteristic function with respct to some attribute)'.  The authors 'proved' this statement by the experiments with engineers, where the 'Inventiveness' of solutions is not defined by words but is found understood in consensus by many engineers when many different solutions are shown to them. -- Full paper is posted in Japanese translation by Nakagawa, while in English only Nakagawa's introduction is posted. 

  Paper: Reorganizing TRIZ Solution Generation Methods into Simple Five in USIT (Toru Nakagawa, Hideaki Kosha, Yuji Mihara) (Sept. 18; Nov. 19, 2002)

Paper presented at ETRIA TFC 2002. TRIZ Solution Generation Methods (including Inventive Principles, Inventive Standards, Trends of Evolution, and Separation Principle) have been reorganized in the frame work of USIT, forming a simple and powerful system of solution methods. -- This is an important paper for the extension of USIT methodology in Japan.  We say USIT is not a 'simplified TRIZ' but an easy-to-apply, 'unified TRIZ' in its next generation.

    Knowledge Base:  USIT Solution Generation Methods -- Simpified System by the Reorganization of TRIZ Solution Generation Methods (Toru Nakagawa, Hideaki Kosha, Yuji Mihara) (Sept. 18, 2002)

Appendix of the paper presented at ETRIA TFC 2002. A simple system of USIT Solution Generation Methods, having 5 main Operators and 32 sub-operators, which has been enhanced by the reorganization of whole TRIZ Solution Generation Methods.

  Simplified version

USIT sub-operators are described in a slide each, for USIT beginners or for summary.

  Standard version  

USIT sub-operators are explained in one to sevral slides each, for studying USIT in the standard way.

  Extended version  

USIT sub-operators are explained with full description of TRIZ subprinciples/submethods; for serious TRIZ/USIT students

 

 

 

  Paper:  USIT Operators for Solution Generation in TRIZ: Clearer Guide to Solution Paths (Toru Nakagawa) (Oct. 18, 2004)  (Nov. 16, 2004)

Presented at ETRIA TFC2004.  In place of the 4-box scheme of probelm solving in TRIZ (and in science/technology in general), a 6-box model is demonstrated to represent the USIT problem solving procedure.  USIT Operators are the key to this logical procedure of creative problem solving.

   Paper: Updating TRIZ: 1985-2002 Patent Research Findings (Darrell Mann and Simon DeWulf)  (Apr. 16, 2003)

Presented at TRIZCON2003.  Excellent and ellaborate work carried out by the authors at CREAX.  All US patents granted during 1985-2002 were carefully analyzed to modernize the whole TRIZ knowledge bases.   Method of research and its results concerning Level of Invention, Trends of Evolution, and Inventive Standards are illustrated.

  Paper: Updating the Contradiction Matrix (Darrell Mann and Simon DeWulf) (Apr. 16, 2003)

Presented at TRIZCON2003, Japanese translation by Nakagawa. On the basis of the Patent Research, the Contradiction Matrix has been completely modernized in its contents, in its parameter set (now 48 parameters), in its user-interface, etc. The Matrix ("Matrix 2003") is now customizable, e.g. to software development field.

  Paper/Proposal: 'Technological Methodologies on Development and Design Processes' for Empowering Manufacturing:  Its Scope and Significance and the Necessity of Teaching It to Engineering Undergraduates (Toshihiro Hayashi) (Mar. 3, 2004)

Presented at Panel Discussion of 2003 Faculty Conference of All Japan Electrical Engineering Departments/Colledgs, held on July 24, 2003 in Akita.  For empowering the technology/product development, the author advocates the necessity of 'Process Engineering Methodologies' which support and lead the development process in general without restricted to specific disciplines of science and technology.  He is now leading the promotion of QFD, TRIZ, Taguchi Method, CAD/CAM/CAE, etc. corporate-wide in Hitachi.  This also reflects the proposal by a new academic/industrial movement in Japan to establish/promote the "Transversal Foundation in Science and Technology".

  Introductory/ProposalViewing MOT from the Standpoint of Development & Design Engineers: Management of Development Process Based on Technology (Toshihiro Hayashi)   (Jul. 20, 2005)

Published in "Management Systems" (Journal of Japan Management Engineering Society), Vol. 14, No. 1 (Apr. 2004).  It is not MOT (Management of Technology) but 'Management of Development Process Based on Technology' (MOT) that is necessary for manufacturing industries in Japan, the author advocates. The author proposes to develop a wider-scoped methodology for development and design, including the scope of TRIZ.

Paper  :Success through Integration of TRIZ, DFSS, and Strategic Management (Johannes Pfister) (Jul 18, 2006)

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2005.  On the basis of over 30 years of experiences as a consultant, the author Johannes Pfister (Inter Quality Service AG, Germany) has evaluated a large number of techniques/methodologies for developing products and services, and then has shown recommendable techniques and their relations in several intensive diagrams for major stages of development.  -- Important paper/document worthy of close examination.   ==> See Nakagawa's introduction in Personal Report of ETRIA TFC 2005

Keynote Lecture: Innovation of the Integrated Product and Process Development by WOIS -- Contradiction Oriented Innovation Strategy (Hans-Juergen Linde and Gunther Herr) (Oct. 2, 2006; Oct. 5, 2006)

Keynote Lecture presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006.  Professor Linde (WOIS Institute Coburg, Germany) has been working to apply and extend TRIZ further in their own ways.  The principal aim of WOIS is to find strategic directions for the development of new products and processes by analyzing the evolution of the technical systems, and to make a breakthrough to the contradictions blocking such directions.  Thus they show how to make an Innovative Shortcut.  Slide PDF (15 MB)  .

  Keynote Lecture: A Simple Theory Underlying Structured Problem-Solving Methodologies -ASIT, TRIZ, USIT (and others) (Ed Sickafus) (Jun. 24, 2007)

Ed Sickafus is the original developer of USIT, and gave this Keynote lecture at 2nd Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006.  Excerpt of his abstract is: ”Structured problem-solving methodologies, such as ASIT, TRIZ, USIT and others, are made easier to learn and practice through a simple theory. Such methods have a common basis in creative thinking but engage various forms of structure to achieve their goals. ... This talk is a theoretical discussion of how we think as we progress along the path from problem definition to innovative solution concepts. It will be seen that our two brain hemispheres provide near instantaneous insights that are both logical and intuitive. By understanding their fortes we can best use our cognitive resources. Some surprising insights are presented. ..."   The lecture was excellent but 'unusual', and gave us a shock  in our standard way of thinking.  Please read his paper and his slides .

Keynote Lecture:  Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms (Annotated slides, etc.) (Larry Ball)    (Feb. 27, 2008)

Annotated Slides of the Keynote Lecture Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007.  Larry Ball's Illustrated Course Material "Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms" were published in the TRIZ Journal and then have been reposted in "TRIZ Home Page in Japan" in Japanese translation  by Toshio Takahara and Toru Nakagawa. The course material is unique in its general structure and very attractive with a plenty of illustrated examples. Since the material has the volume of 160 pages, it is nice to listen to the author explain the general concept of the course material and his ways of applying TRIZ to real problems.
On our request, the Author Larry Ball (Honeywell, USA) has kindly provided us with the full annotation of his Keynote presentation slides. This annotation is very helpful for us to understand the Author's thoughts in the lecture.   Please refer to: Nakagawa's introduction (excerpt from Nakagawa's Personal Report)   and Annotated slides of the Keynote Lecture   .

  TRIZ Introduction Paper:  "Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms" and Its Further Development (Larry Ball)  (Jun. 30, 2014)

A 7-page Preface newly written down by the author for the Japanese Edition of his book "Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms".  He has decomposed all the TRIZ tools together with various other methods related to product development and market development, and has reorganized them into an integrated process with the aim at clarifying the input/output information of processes and constructing a logically integrated process.  The Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms advises us to turn from 'selling what we can make' to 'making what we can sell'. 

  Paper: A New Paradigm of Creative Problem Solving (3) Six-Box Scheme in USIT (Toru Nakagawa)    (Nov. 1, 2006)

Presented at ETRIA TFC2006.  The 'Six-Box Scheme' which I have been advocating as a new paradigm of creative problem solving is illustrated.  The first half of the presentation explains the concept of the Six-Box Scheme, while the latter half describes the comparison of 'the Four-Box Scheme paradigm with traditional TRIZ' and 'the new Six-Box scheme with USIT' from 6 viewpoints.  Full paper and slides in English, while slides in Japanese. The paper presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006 forms a complementary pair with this paper

  Slides: A New Paradigm of Creative Problem Solving (3) Usage and Significance of the Six-Box Scheme in USIT (Toru Nakagawa)    (Nov. 1, 2006) 

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006.  The 'Six-Box Scheme' which I have been advocating since 2 years ago is presented with illustrations.  The first half of the presentation explains the concept of the Six-Box Scheme, while the latter half demonstrate two everyday-life case studies, i.e. 'How to fix a string shorter than the needle' and 'A system for preventing from our leaving things behind'.  Slides in English and in Japanese.  Forms a complementary pair with the paper presented at ETRIA TFC 2006.

  TRIZ/USIT Paper: Extension of USIT in Japan: A New Paradigm for Creative Problem Solving (Toru Nakagawa)   (Sept. 18, 2008)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008.  I have reviewed how USIT was introduced in Japan and has been extended in Japan for these 10 years. (1) I introduced USIT into Japan as an easy-to-learn TRIZ.  It forms a basis of my 'Slow-but-Steady Strategy' of introducing TRIZ into Japan.  (2) We reorganized all the solution generation methods in TRIZ into the framework of USIT and constructed a system of USIT Operators, having 5 principal methods and 32 sub-methods.  This makes USIT a next-generation TRIZ, forming a basis of 'Steady Strategy' of penetrating TRIZ in Japan.  (3) Data-flow representation of USIT gave the concept of 'Six Box Scheme', which has been realized as a New Paradigm for Creative Problem Solving.  (4) Teaching to university students and training of industrial engineers have been established, and applications to real industrial projects have been carried out in companies.  With all these activities, USIT has been contributing to promote TRIZ in a way easy to learn and apply, i.e. a unique feature of the TRIZ community in Japan in comparison to other countries. 

  TRIZ Paper:  A Brief History of TRIZ (Valeri Souchkov)   (Nov. 16, 2008)

Originally posted in the Web Site of ICG Training & Consulting, May 2008. This article describes when and how the so many tools and methods of TRIZ have been developed.  The works and events are summarized in the chronological manner, for the whole range of the TRIZ methodology up to the recent days.  A valuable article for mid- to upper-level TRIZ learners.  Japanese translation by Nakagawa is posted in this Web site.  The English page gives the introduction and a link to the original version in the ICG Web site.

Keynote: Directions for Future TRIZ Development and Applications (Sergei Ikovenko) (Mar. 8, 2009)

Keynote Lecture presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008.  Dr. Ikovenko (GEN3 Partners / MIT, USA) talks about the overview of TRIZ.  In the global scale, TRIZ is still in the Infancy stage in its S-curve.  Any product/service in the Infancy stage should find its proper niche for supporting its growth.  For TRIZ, the proper niche is the problem solving in technologies, without doubt.  Thus we must make TRIZ strong and successful in such an area.  For this purpose we need to have the eyes of business managers in technology.  The concept of Main Strategic Parameters of Value (MSPV) is useful.  There are some more research directions in TRIZ.  All together, TRIZ is proceeding towards 'the Science of Innovation'. -- This Keynote gives a clear view of the future of TRIZ.

  Keynote Lecture:  TRIZ: Necessary But Not Sufficient: Customers And Theories Of Everything (Darrell Mann)  (Apr. 18, 2010)

Keynote Lecture by Darrell Mann (Systematic Innovation Ltd, UK) presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009.  This Keynote starts with the questions 'why more than 90 % of projects fail to deliver their products to the market' and 'why more than 90 % of products fail in the market'.  The Author's main postulates are 'Innovation happens when the Voice of the customer matches with the Voice of the system', and 'Understanding the Voice of the customer is crucial for the innovation, but TRIZ lacks in such a method'.  Thus he proposes a new general scheme for revealing the real Voice of the customer, on the basis of his team's 8 years of research.  It has 3 steps: (1) To identify the desired functionality.  (2) Combination of (a) to understand the change in population, (b) to understand the characteristics of the generation of customers, and (c) to consider the characteristic behaviors of customers.  (3) To understand many relevant trends of the market and the enforcing and conflicting relationships among such trends, and finally to consider the desires of solving the contradictions between trends as the Voice of the customers.  The Author tries to make this scheme general by adopting some 'Theories of Everything'; particularly Generation Cycles in (2b) and Spiral Dynamics in (2c) and by considering 1000 trends in (3).  The Author's endeavor to distill the essences from numerous methods and business books is amazing, and has resulted an interesting presentation of all insights at one place in the form borrowed from the Periodical Table of Atoms.  Slides in PDF   and Nakagawa's introduction . --  An excellent lecture from which we can learn a lot. 

Keynote Lecture:  Use of TRIZ for Prediction of the Future of Technological Systems (Boris Zlotin and Alla Zusman)  (Jun. 9, 2010)

Keynote Lecture by Boris Zlotin (Ideation International Inc, USA) presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009.  Mr. Zlotin was a follower and coworker of Mr. Altshuller for many years and is a prominent TRIZ Master.  He has been working on the present topic of technology prediction for over 30 years and has developed the Directed Evolution methodology.  Here he talks about the problems in technology prediction, the philosophy and methods in the Directed Evolution with some examples.  Technology prediction is still, or ever more, important issue in industries and in TRIZ research. -- Slides PDF (links to Official site of Japan TRIZ Society) , and Nakagawa's introduction .

Japan TRIZ Symp. 2008 Presentation:  The General Picture of TRIZ From the Viewpoint of Changing Objects
― A Method of Resolving Differences Based on the Concepts of Functions and Process Objects Part 3 ― (
Toshio Takahara) (Jul. 10, 2009)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008 by Toshio Takahara, an independent TRIZ thinker in Japan.  "Differences" is the gap between the desire and the reality.  We want to resolve the differences in all the activities of goal setting, problem recognition, designing, problem solving, etc.  The author has been constructing his own theoretical framework for handling the difference resolution and has developed his way of diagrammatic representation of such systems and activities.  His 14 papers written since 2003 were posted last year in this Web site .  The author wants to summarize his work in this presentation. -- The slides with narration notes may be easiest for you to understand the author's thoughts.

Paper:  The Role of TRIZ in the System of Monozukuri Solution Methods (Osamu Kumasaka, Fumiko Kikuchi, Akio Fukushima) (Jul. 11, 2010)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009 by Pioneer Corp. This is an excellent work based on an intensive wide-scoped research for many years and has been posted and used in their intranet home page. 'Monozukuri' is the Japanese word for 'making things' in a wide sense, including all the processes of planning, designing, manufacturing, production, etc. The Authors have built an Index Matrix for finding useful methods/tools from the current phases of jobs of Monozukuri. The key idea of making the Index Matrix is to list up the engineers' intentions/questions along the phases of the whole Monozukuri process. The table is as big as (37 questions) x (73 methods/sub-methods). 8 methods are listed in TRIZ and another in USIT. 

Paper:  Interconnectivity and White-Space Opportunity: Bringing Together Forecasting and Scenario Planning to find Innovative Opportunities (Davide Russo, Caterina Rizzi, Tiziano Montecchi) (Jul. 11, 2010)

Presented by Davide Russo (University of Bergamo, Italy), at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009. In this Symposium, two presentations were given by an Italian group, Gaetano Cascini, Davide Russo, et al, .on the topic of technology forecasting. They aim at building a repeatable and objective methodology for technology forecasting. Their approach is based on the method called 'Network of Evolution Trends'. In the present paper, Russo et al. try to provide a visual synthesis of a system in all its evolution steps, design variants and future potential configurations. They use a framework named 'Knowledge Mapping' for representing existing knowledge and for identifying what should be done in future.

  Keynote Lecture: General Theory on Powerful Thinking (OTSM): Digest of Evolution, Theoretical Background, Tools for Practice and Some Domain of Application (Nikolai Khomenko) (Sept. 19, 2011)

Keynote Lecture by Nikolai Khomenko (Insight Technologies Lab, Canada) presented at Japna TRIZ Symposium 2010.  OTSM was originally envisioned by Altshuller in mid 1970s and has been developed by Nikolai Khomenko since mid 1980s for extending TRIZ out of technology area into a general, area-free theory for developing tools of solving non-typical problems creatively. Khomenko's lecture summarizing his 25 years of research is introduced here with a clear framework of OTSM: (a) Key problems for OTSM, (b) Axioms in OTSM, (c) Main models of OTSM, and (d) OTSM tools.  In the current stage of OTSM, complex and large-scale problems can be handled with OTSM-TRIZ Problem Flow Network (PFN) approach, Khomenko says. He also discussed about the education of creativity. 

  Introductory articles: Solving Problems and Achieving Tasks with TRIZ!! Perspectives and Applications of TRIZ (Toshihiro Hayashi, Manabu Sawaguchi, Toru Nakagawa, Setsuo Arita, Kazushi Tsuwako, Keiji Inoue, Kimihiko Hasegawa, and Teruyuki Kamimura)   (Feb. 20; Mar. 22; May 19, 2013)

Published in "Standardization and Quality Control" (JSA), Vol. 66, No. 2 (2013). The Japanese Standards Association (JSA) published its monthly magazine as a Special Issue on TRIZ, containing 8 TRIZ papers in 53 pages. JSA is a semi-official organization for promoting standardization, e.g. ISO and JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), and QC. On the request by JSA, the Board Members of Japan TRIZ Society wrote down a set of introductory papers.  Under the permission by JSA, all the 8 papers were posted in this site.  Two of them are shown below.

  Introductory article: The Role of TRIZ -- Techniques of Problem-Solving and Task-Achieving in the Design and Development Processes (Toshihiro Hayashi)   (Feb. 20, 2013)

The first article in the TRIZ Special Issue.  Hayashi describes the position and roles of TRIZ:  In the processes of designing and developing products and services in technology, we should use not only methods and knowledge in the subject fields but also various techniques commonly useful in any field.  TRIZ is one of such universal 'Design & development process engineering techniques', especially for solving problems and achieving tasks in technological fields. 

  Introductory article: What is TRIZ -- Its Basic Concepts and Principal Tools (Manabu Sawaguchi)   (Mar. 22, 2013)

Published as 2nd article in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal "Standardization and Quality Control", Vol. 66, No. 2 (2013).  The author introduces basic concepts of TRIZ and principal tools, in the scope of classical TRIZ (and some of its revised forms).  He shows a lot of small examples for illustrating the concepts. 

  Introductory article: TRIZ -- Recent Approaches and Activities in Japan and in the World (Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 22, 2013)

The 3rd article in the TRIZ Special Issue of "Standardization and Quality Control" (JSA).  The present paper describes my perspective views on different approaches and activities of TRIZ in Japan and in the world since 1990s, i.e. after TRIZ was introduced into the western world. Evolution of TRIZ in its methodological contents is described first from the global viewpoints.  Then I explain various activities of penetrating TRIZ in different countries in the world and in Japan.  

  Introductory article: TRIZ Application 1: Innovative Solution to Technological Problems by Effective Use of TRIZ (Setsuo Arita and Kazushi Tsuwako (May 8, 2013)

The 4th article published in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal. Hitachi Group companies have been most active and successful in Japan to apply TRIZ in their real projects, of over 4500 cases since 1997. An application case is demonstrated here; for recovering the damage on the coded surface of a hard disk they got an TRIZ solution of smashing out the extrusion with the HDD head itself. Another case presented by Dr. Hong-Wook Lee (Hundai-Kia Motors, Korea) at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010 is also introduced here for illustrating a process of circumventing others' patents on variable-ratio engines and developing an new scheme step by step.

  Introductory article: TRIZ Application 2: Easy Practice of Applying TRIZ -- Concepts and Application of USIT (Unified Structured Inventive Thinking) (Toru Nakagawa) (May 8, 2013)

The 5th article published in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal.  In the present article I explain USIT on the basis of my current understanding of it as the new paradigm of creative problem solving. Two case studies demonstrate the USIT process; one is the improvement of a filter for separating plasma from blood, while the other is developing a new type of 'Mom's bicycle for safely carrying two children'.

  Introductory article: TRIZ Application 3: Integral Use of TRIZ and VE for Creating New Values -- Development of Comfortable Toilet Spaces in Railway Cars (Keiji Inoue)   (May 19, 2013)

The 6th article in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal.  This work was originally presented in Nov. 2003 at Japan VE Association Conference, and its slides were posted in this site on Jan. 28, 2004.  The author's group were engaged in developing a new design of toilet spaces in Shinkansen.  Their design has already been realized in new cars of Bullet trains of JR East (covering Tokyo and northern part of Honshu).  I actually got on such a train a year ago and was amazed with its nice design of the toilet space, much different from the typical ones in the Bullet trains running between Tokyo and Osaka.  The author's group was using VE for a long time and introduced TRIZ newly for the purpose of foreseeing the future.  The paper describes their integral use of VE and TRIZ; an excellent case study report on both the process and the resultant information. 

  Introductory article: TRIZ Application 4: Strategic Application of TRIZ for Constructing Intellectual Properties for Winning in Business (Kimihiko Hasegawa)   (May 19, 2013)

The 7th article in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal.  This article describes the strategic importance of constructing IP properly.  It describes how one can think of the circumventing other's patents, and then how one should build patents which cannot be walked around.  

  Introductory article: TRIZ Application 5: Application of TRIZ to Risk Management for Avoiding Unexpected Dangers (Teruyuki Kamimura)   (May 19, 2013)

The last article in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal.  After the March 11 Japan Disaster due to the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant accident, we have realized the importance of risk management. We had big weak points not only in our attitudes but also in the conventional methods of risk foreseeing and management.  Since many years ago TRIZ has developed the subversion analysis method for foreseeing risks, where failures of a system are found to occur by trying to 'invent' the ways of causing failures.  Anticipatory Failure Determination (AFD) developed at Ideation International is described well in this article. 

   TRIZ Paper: Red, Green, and Blue - Situational Improvement Using Southbeach (Howard Smith)    (Jun. 9, 2013)

Published originally in BPTrends (Business Process Trends), Jan. 4, 2011 and posted as a White Paper in the site of Southbeach Solutions Ltd., UK.  English version and its Japanese version are posted in the present site.
The present paper describes the basic language implemented in the Southbeach Modeller  and also the philosophy and application of the modelling method.  'Situation' (in the title) means the present world of interest containing various problems, targets, and contradictions.  For representing it, the author uses diagrams with boxes and arrows.  Boxes represent things and facts while arrows the relationships between the boxes.  Red shows something harmful (such as problems), while green something useful (such as solutions).  The situation can be represented with diagrams made in various perspectives and then analyzed. 
-- I am most impressed with the present paper in the point that the modelling method allows to represent different and conflicting views and opinions with the diagrams and to guide the group of different people toward alignment for improving the situation.  The author explains such a process convincingly (or 'logically') by using a number of examples. He talks about contradictions and problem solving in common cases in the business field instead of technological field.  I feel his explanations fresh and insightful, and are easy and convincing for people in non-technological fields.  The present modelling method/tool can be used universally with a large range of methods and techniques for problem solving and group decision making. 

  TRIZ/USIT Introduction: Lecture: TRIZ: Problem-Solving Methodology for Innovation (Toru Nakagawa) (Jan. 9, 2012)

Invited Lecture at Faculty Development Seminar of NAIST (Nara Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). To about 80 faculty members I talked about TRIZ/USIT in a compact way for 50 minutes.  "A methodology for creative problem solving has been established in the form of  TRIZ/USIT and penetrating in the world; it can be applied to real problems in R&D in industries and in graduate schools, and can be incorporated into education in universities and graduate schools to empower for innovations." 

Paper: For Establishing General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving & Task Achieving (Toru Nakagawa)   (Jun. 22, 2013)

Presented at 3rd Forum on Knowledge Co-Creation (FoKCs) to mostly non-TRIZ audience.  My main points are:  'A general methodology' of creative problem solving is not established yet.  Even though there are a large range of individual techniques and approaches, we need a good framework to integrate them.  For such a framework, I propose to overcome the conventional 'Four-Box Abstraction Scheme' (which is used not only in TRIZ but also very widely in science and technology) and to introduce the 'Six-Box Scheme' which was found in USIT.  Using the Six-Box Scheme as the basic framework, we will be able to build a general methodology for creative problem solving.'

TRIZ/USIT/CrePS Paper: General methodology for creative problem solving and task achieving (CrePS): Its vision (Toru Nakagawa)  (Oct. 3; Oct. 25, 2013)

Presented at the 35th Conference of Japan Creativity Society (mostly non-TRIZ audience) and at ETRIA TFC 2013.
By introducing the 'Six-Box Scheme' as a new paradigm, various approaches of creative problem solving, including TRIZ, can be integrated smoothly into a unified system, i.e., a general methodology, of rich techniques of creative problem solving.  The methodology consists of three major parts:  (a) Initial part (from Box-1 to Box-2): in the 'Real World' we should grasp a problem and make a clear focus on it.  (b) Main part (from Box-2 through Box-5): in the 'Thinking World' we should analyze the problem, understand the present system, make images of ideal systems, generate ideas for new systems, and then build them up into conceptual solutions.  (c) Succeeding part (from Box-5 to Box-6):  in the 'Real World', we should implement the conceptual solutions into specific real solutions in our new products/services. -- We, together with you, can establish such a general methodology, and by handing it out to many different people in the country and in the world, it can be applied to various problems in different fields in the whole country and in the whole world to obtain creative and peaceful solutions. -- This is the vision and message of these papers.

  TRIZ Paper:  Methodology: From Altshuller’s 76 Standard Solutions to a new Set of 111 Standards (Davide Russo and Stefano Duci)  (Apr. 30, 2014)

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2013 by the TRIZ group in University of Bergamo, Italy.  This is an excellent paper which has reorganized the Su-Field Modeling and the Inventive Standards by following and extending  the original Altshuller's intention: First, in place of the Su-Field representation, the authors adopted the commonly used concepts of functional analysis for modeling the minimal system with the two substances (Tool and Object) and the interaction (action or function) between them.  Then the problem situations are classified into the cases of 'Harmful/Excessive action' and 'Insufficient/Missing action' (besides the cases of 'Measurement/Detection' and 'Incomplete minimal system').  Solution strategies for the 'Harmful/Excessive action' are expressed with 6 different verbs: 'Deflect', 'Block', 'Make unable', 'Make insensitive', 'Combine (the system)', and 'Reduce' the harmful action. Similarly for 'Insufficient/Missing action' the strategies are expressed with different 6 verbs.  Such strategies are called 'Actions'.   The Actions can be applied onto the elements of the minimal system in only 4 ways; they are 'Add a substance', 'Modify a substance', 'Add a Field', and 'Modify a Field'.  These 4 ways are named 'Suggestions', and are described in more detail by using the information contained in the original 76 Standards. In this manner, the present authors have proposed a new, reorganized system of Standards, composed by 25 'Action-Suggestion' pairs of solution strategies.  
-- The new system has a simple overall structure and easy-to-understand description of individual Standards.  I wish that the world TRIZ community accept this new system for wider penetration.  Full information is posted in Japanese, but in English only Nakagawa's introduction is shown without links to paper and slides yet, waiting for ETRIA's approval.

-- CrePS/TRIZ/USIT Paper:  General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving & Task Achieving (CrePS): Reorganizing Various Application Cases and Their Methods in the ‘Six-Box Scheme’ (Toru Nakagawa)  (Nov. 7, 2014)

Presented at (A) Japan TRIZ Symposium 2014, (B) Japan Creativity Society Conference 2014, and (C) ETRIA TFC 2014.  My main message is: "We can establish the General methodology CrePS on the basis of TRIZ/USIT research by reorganizing a wide variety of problem solving methods in the 'Six-Box Scheme'".  The on-going research activities for developing CrePS are: (1) To make course materials of CrePS case studies. (We should just use case studies already published.) (2) To understand different methods (including TRIZ) and to describe them in the framework of CrePS. (3) To relate CrePS to various activities in the 'Real world'. (4) To categorize various purposes of CrePS application, and to recommend concise CrePS processes for each category.  (5) To proliferate the vision of CrePS. 

-- Innovation Paper:  Rethinking Innovation (The Blue LED case and Paradigm Disruptive Innovation) (Eiichi Yamaguchi)  (Dec. 10, 2014)

Tonight (Dec. 10, 2014), three Japanese researchers, Prof. Isamu Akasaki, Prof. Hiroshi Amano, and Prof. Shuji Nakamura are jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources".  Congratulations!  -- Here are two papers by Prof. E. Yamaguchi, in Japanese (2004) and in English (2006), which formed the basis of his book "Innovation -- Paradigm Disruptions and Fields of Resonance" (NTT Press, 2006) (in Japanese).  He investigated the innovation process of blue LEDs and argues that the LED innovation is not the type of Christensen's Disruptive Innovation (of decreasing the performance for some other needs/purposes) but the type of Paradigm-Disruptive Innovation (by disrupting/changing the basic/physical paradigm).  He discusses how such paradigm change can be achieved, and why big excellent companies often fail in front of such a paradigm change. -- This is an important paper for understanding the essence of innnovation process.

 TRIZ Paper:  Symbolize TRIZ 40 principles (Yoshinori Takagi)  (Jan. 8, 2015)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2012. The Author devised hand-script symbols of TRIZ 40 Principles by arranging the style of the principle number to represent the meaning of the principle, in order to make it easy to remember the principles and their numbers in pairs.  By using them repeatedly, one can remember the principles by heart and can use, say, the Contradiction Matrix fluently and take notes of principles coming out in mind while reading technical documents, he says. 

 TRIZ Paper:  SUGOROKU of TRIZ Inventive Principles ~ 40 Principle Symbols Arranged on 9 Windows ~ (Yoshinori Takagi)  (Jan. 8, 2015)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2014. The 40 Inventive Principles are classified into 9 groups for easier teaching.  Groups of 4 principle are formed from the top, and the 8th and 9th groups are made with 6 principles.  The Author has given names to the nine groups, then arranged them in the 9 windows (3x3), and made the path of going through them in a way like a sugoroku game. How to teach and utilize the principles and their symbols is illustrated vividly.

 TRIZ Paper:  Finding the needs of customer by the SN Matrix and TRIZ process -- The functional approach for connecting methods and 7 solutions -- (Takashi Ogata, Kazuhiro Fujikawa, Hiroyuki Tsuchiya)  (Jan. 18, 2015)

The authors pursue for the methods of linking their technological seeds (S) with their customers needs (N), in order to provide new products/services of attractive quality and to reveal some hidden needs of customers.  A tabular format 'SN Matrix' is to describe their aims and means consistently in terms of 'functionality'.  For each function, their own goal/current levels of realizing the function, competitors' technology, customers' requirements, priority, etc. are described.  The SN Matrix is consistently applicable in the 7 categories of problem solving processes (or 'solutions').

 TRIZ Paper: Social application:  Applying the Business Management Related Evolution Trends (Hisataka Izawa, Ikuo Yoshizawa, et al.)  (Mar. 27, 2015)

The 6-membered B&M Study Group of JTS reported last year how to generate 'hit products/services' and found the tool of 'Trends of evolution (TE)' effective.  So they tried to make it more useful:
(1) They have made a booklet in Japanese for introducing the Trends of evolution in Darrell Mann's book ("HOSI for B&M").
(2) They have clarified the relationships of TE with several other methods often used in the B&M fields: e.g., Nonaka's SECI model, 4 viewpoints in the Balance-score cards, and SWOT.
(3) They made a case study of applying TE: 'To transfer the technologies of some abandoned business for starting a new business model of servicing the technologies.'

  Methodology of Creative Problem Solving: TRIZ and Its Extension ~ Scientific Methods for Innovation ~ (Toru Nakagawa)  (Apr. 12, 2015)

The 57 slides given in a lecture for 90 minutes as an overview.  I first describe that the basic Four-Box Scheme of Abstraction which is generally assumed in the current science and technology has a limitation and that many conventional 'Creativity methods' address with different partial aspects without having a sound overall view.  As new scientific approaches to inventive thinking, I explain TRIZ first and then USIT.  On the basis of them, the Six-Box Scheme was newly formulated as the paradigm for 'General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving' (CrePS). 

  Fundamental Theory:  A Note on a Method and Granularity in the Structure of the World (Toshio Takahara)  (Apr. 12, 2015)

This 8-page paper intends "To understand the world in a consistent manner, to realize the real basis of our human ways of living, and to establish a general and logical methodology for such a study."  As the basis of his logic, the author builds the concepts of 'existing things' and their relationships, and also the ways of describing the whole world, which contains technologies, institutions, and persons.  For such a description, he finds the necessity of 'radical enumerative thinking' (i.e., a clearer extension of 'systematic thinking') and expressions of contradictions (i.e., a clear extension of 'problems'). He also extends the logics of dialectics in a much wider meaning.  Then he considers the basis of person's recognitions and actions and derives how the person decides them, with a range of consideration (i.e. granularity) and with a logic for solution (i.e., a thinking method). He discusses further basis of the person, i.e., the person's attitudes.  (English translation is not ready.)

  CrePS/TRIZ/USIT Documents:   USIT Process Documents (Index): USIT: A Concise Process of Creative Problem Solving in the 'Six-Box Scheme' (Toru Nakagawa)  (May 25, 2015) (Jun. 26, 2015)

The index page of the documents related to USIT, conaining the indexes of the following 4 items:.
(A) USIT Manual, (B) USIT Case Studies, (C) USIT Operators, (D) USIT References

   USIT Manual (Toru Nakagawa)  (May 25, 2015) (Jun. 26, 2015)

Manual of the USIT process has been described in the form of 31 slides along its steps.  The USIT process is now fully described by use of the consistent demonstration of a case study and instructions and remarks on the USIT concepts and its thinking process.  Examples of USIT usage in the 'Collection of USIT Case Studies' are described along the steps of the 'USIT Manual' so that you can understand USIT fully in its variety of usage.  The Manual is posted both in HTML (with images) and in PDF .

  USIT/CrePS paper:   Subconscious Problem Solving Using Hazy Heuristics (Ed Sickafus) (Aug. 25, 2015) ; (Jul. 29, 2015);

The standard methods of problem solving we learn are structured and logical.  However, while we are studying them, we often get frustrated with the tediousness of the process interfering with our inventive thinking, he points out.  Such a difficulty gradually disappears when we master the method fully and we find ourselves using some shortchts.  And "The 'Ah-ha!' ideas always come out of the subconscious. Invention is not done by the conscious, but done by the subconscious", Sickafus says. Since the shortcuts are apparently based on the activities of our sub conscious, we should evaluate them positively.  For enhancing the subconsciou activities in our brain, we should choose the form of information to be handed on to the subconscious; instead of specific and logical information, generalized (or purposefully-vague) keywords and images are more suitable as metaphores, he says.  -- This paper looks quite unusual at first, but it corresponds to the old saying "Enter the Form, and Leave the Form". 

 General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving: TRIZ/USIT/CrePS: A guide to Papers & Presentations by Toru Nakagawa (May 2015 - Mar. 2016) (Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 3, 2016) 

A guide to Nakagawa's papers and presentations for 8 months.

  Six-Box Scheme: New Paradigm for Creative Problem Solving (Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 3, 2016) 

Keynote Lecture for 60 minutes at ICSI 2015 at Hong Kong.  While showing examples of USIT process, I talked here mostly on the concepts of the 'Six-Box Scheme', which was derived from USIT and forms the new paradigm of 'General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving' (CrePS).  This reflects my research history for these 18 years since I first met TRIZ in 1997.  47 pages of slides. 

 USIT Case Studies in the Six-Box Scheme - Understanding Various Examples of Creative Problem Solving in the New Paradigm - (Toru Nakagawa) (May 8, 2016) 

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2015. Recent development of creative problem solving methods is explained from my viewpoint, i.e., conventional --> TRIZ --> USIT --> CrePS.  The 'Six-Box Scheme' (realized first in USIT) can be the new paradigm for integrating TRIZ and many other creative problem solving methods together into the CrePS Methodology.  And USIT is a concise process for carrying out CrePS.  So in 2015 I made the USIT Manual and A Collection of USIT Case Studies.  A seminar class on 'A Large Variety of Writing Instruments: Studying the Evolution of Technology'is illustrated.

 USIT: A Concise Process for Creative Problem Solving Based on the Paradigm of the Six-Box Scheme - USIT Manual and USIT Case Studies - (Toru Nakagawa)   (May 31, 2016) 

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2015. Presentation slides , Extended manuscript , Final paper published in the ETRIA Journal, INNOVATOR .  The USIT process development is described in the perspective of the on-going establishment of the General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving (CrePS).   USIT is now fully documented in the forms of the USIT Manual and USIT Case Studies, and is explained here in a compact way. 

 CrePS Introductory: Fuda-Yose Tool and Visual Thinking: Development, Operations, and Usage of the Fuda-Yose Tool and Practices of Visual Thinking with It. (Akihiro Katahira and Toru Nakagawa)    (Jul. 31, 2016)   (Aug. 6, 2016)  

A series of introductory articles on the Fuda-Yose Tool and its usage jointly authored by Katahira and Nakagawa.   

Part 1:  Development, Operations, and Usage of the Fuda-Yose Tool.  (Akihiro Katahira)  (Jul. 31, 2016)   (Aug. 6, 2016)  

The Fuda-Yose Tool is a software tool for drawing diagrams, using the Microsoft Excel worksheets as the platform, for the purpose of supporting/enhancing user’s Visual Thinking.  It was developed by Akihiro Katahira and has been improved recently. The up-to-date version of the Fuda-Yose Tool (in English) (currently version 5.00e) may be downloaded without charge at Katahira’s ‘site  .  It was designed with emphasis on handy and quick responses instead of rich and advanced functionality.      
The diagrams are composed of three basic components; i.e., ‘Labels’ (= rectangles holding descriptions of keywords and sentences), ‘Enclosures’ (= round-cornered rectangles with header keywords/sentences for enclosing several Labels), and ‘Lines/Arrows’ (for connecting Labels/Enclosures for showing some relationships).  Also the ‘Cells’ (= the original tabular units of Excel worksheets) may be used for containing data.  Labels/Enclosures and Cells are interchangeable with a click of a command.  Various original Excel functions may be used in the Fuda-Yose Tool and all the diagram elements drawn by the Fuda-Yose Tool can be handled in Excel as usual.  Basic ways of using the Tool are explained with illustrations.  

Part 2: Practices of Using the Fuda-Yose Tool:  Practices by Katahira  (Akihiro Katahira) (Jul. 31, 2016)   (Aug. 6, 2016)  

Once users understand the basic operation of Fuda-Yose Tool, they can arrange and move around the visual components on the diagram, and may get triggers of various ideas which may help them stimulate, enhance, and deepen their thoughts.  Users may use the tool freely in various ways so as to match their own purposes and situations.  Such flexible ways of supporting user’s thinking are called here the ‘Fuda-Yose Method’.

Katahira mostly uses the Tool in two types of situations.
(1) In personal situations, for getting triggers of ideas and organizing own thoughts.  The process is explained, with particular attention to possible multiple viewpoints in arranging/moving Labels in the diagrams.  Two examples of diagrams are shown.  The second diagram is to think over ‘what is the Fuda-Yose Method’ repeatedly from time to time. 
(2) In a meeting situation, any opinions and comments are recorded in Labels and the Fuda-Yose diagrams are projected on a screen for sharing the discussions among the members.  This helps people much to share communication and form common understandings.  Four real case studies are shown for (a) forming common understanding, (b) revealing the causes, (c) promoting the understanding, and (d) idea generation for improving the instructions.     

 Basic theory:  Radical Enumerative Thinking and Contradiction of Unity for World View, the Way of Life and the Future of Human Being (Toshio Takahara)   (Oct. 19, 2016) 

Most significant here is the concept of Contradictions, especially "Contradiction of Unity".  Examples are: purpose and means; recognition and action; emotion and logic; contents and form; unity and diversity; “centralize” and “spread”; “spread” and “deepen”; analysis and synthesis; “think” and “learn”; modesty and criticism; love and liberty.  -- Every pair is a big theme worthy of a PhD thesis, or more. 

 Business TRIZ Introductory: Breakthrough Thinking with TRIZ for Business and Management: An Overview (Valeri Souchkov; Japanese translation: Toru Nakagawa)  (Nov. 23, 2016)  

Japanese translation of an introductory article by Valeri Souchkov is posted in .  This article introduces TRIZ and its use for business and management to the ordinary business people in plain words without any prerequisite.   He puts stress on the way of thinking rather than tools.  His way of using TRIZ for business and management has been proven to be easy to learn and effective to apply. 

    CrePS Research Note: Six-Box Scheme Representation of Published Papers (1) 18 Papers by Toru Nakagawa (2000 - 2016) (Toru Nakagawa)  (Dec. 27, 2016)  

The Six-Box Scheme is a new paradigm of creative problem solving, which I found in 2004 in my study of TRIZ and USIT and I have been promoting activiely in a much more general context since 2012.   For the purpose of demonstrating the Six-Box Scheme, I have been trying till recently to make new case studies where various types of problems are solved along the Six-Box Scheme with some methods like USIT.   The demonstration has been proceeding only slowly with a limited number of case studies.  I now realize, however, that almost all serious intellectual activities and their results can be described properly in the Six-Box Scheme. Thus, I have described my 18 papers, which I published at international/domestic conferences every year since 2000, in the overview format of the Six-Box Scheme.  They are shown here together with their Abstracts.  The Six-Box Scheme representation plays the role of a template for describing intellectual activities/works, just like the standard format for filing patents. You may understand, I hope, the concept of the Six-Box Scheme, ways of representing works in the Six-Box Scheme overview, and also a history of my work for developing them.

  Basic Theory: ‘The Fourth Collection of Papers Written by Toshio Takahara (2016 - 2018) : "Theory of Resolving Differences (4) Radical Enumerable Thinking and Contradiction Model for the Way of Life" (Aug. 30; Oct. 10, 2018)

"TRIZ Home Page in Japan" has been publishing all the papers presented by Toshio Takahara since 2003, resulting 47 papers in total for these 15 years.  This 4th Collection covers all the 11 papers published by the author from 2016 to 2018 in relation to TRIZ in a wider sense.  Most of them are written in Japanese and some in English.  The author is trying to think over everything radically, generally, and systematically for building his original system of theories.  Thus he defines/re-defines various concepts and terms, which make his theory not easy to understand for readers at first.  For getting introduced, you may read the introductions (or Editor's note by Nakagawa) to the the Collections (1) (2) and (3). 

  Basic Theory: "A Working Research Note on Philosophy (2018): A Note on the Principle of Way of Life of Homo Sapiens Based on Contradiction Model and Radical Enumerable Thinking " (Toshio Takahara) (Aug. 30; Sept. 1; Oct. 10, 2018)

This is an up-to-date working research note written by Toshio Takahara in Japanese for the purpose of describing his system of theories as closely as possible.  Because of its big volume (over 80 pages), it is published here in four parts besides a top page.  Abstract written by the author in English (in 5 pages) is posted.
Concept of Radical Enumerable Thinking (RET) and Contradictions (especially the Contradiction of Unity) are his main methods for investigation.  His up-to-date understanding (in Mar. 2018) of these concepts are described in Part 1 and Part 2.  Then in Part 3 he writes, Objectization (= analysis, seeing objectively, individualization, liberty, criticism, etc.) and Unification (= synthesis, taking subjectively, integration, love, modesty, etc.) should be used repeatedly, hierarchically, with nesting, etc. for the purpose of Resolution of Differences (i.e., problem solving, task achieving, etc.).  And it forms the basis of our ways of living, he says.  He also writes often about the importance of understanding the overview of human history (and its significance), such as the significance of the beginning of barter, and of agricultural revolution and industrial revolution as energy revolutions.  In its Part 4, he writes a preparatory discussion on post-capitalism.  The author describes his various insights clearly.

  Top page (Abstract, Table of Contents, Conclcusion, References) (Aug. 30; Oct. 10, 2018)

  Part 1. Radical Enumerable Thinking (Mar. 2018)  (Aug. 30; Oct. 10, 2018)

  Part 2. Contradiction Model (Mar. 2018) (Aug. 30; Oct. 10, 2018)

  Part 3. World View and Value Generating Sense of Object (Liberty) and Sense of Unity (Modesty and Love)  (Aug. 30, 2018)

  Part 4. On Artificial Intelligence, Logics in the Universe, Unified Theory of Humans, and Preparation for Post-Capitalism  (Aug. 30; Oct. 10, 2018)

   TRIZ Paper: How TRIZ can contribute to a paradigm change in R&D practices? (Denis Cavallucci) (Dec. 13, 2018)

Keynote Lecture and Advanced Tutorial presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium in Sept. 2012.  English page: Keynote Paper , Tutorial Slides .  the full paper is posted newly in Japanese translation. The full paper of the Keynote Lecture is excellent.  INSA Strasbourg in France has been operating a regular graduate course at the Master and PhD levels specialized in TRIZ, as one of the few universities in the world.  Professor Cavallucci's group started with classical TRIZ, introduced OTSM while inviting Nikolai Khomenko, and then built their own IDM (Inventive Design Method) so as to handle real complex problems in industries.  There are five limitations in TRIZ for such a purpose, he says, and IDM is desigened to overcome them.  They also built the STEPS software for implementing their methodology.  The full paper seems to be his representative work describing his methodology thoroughly and systematically and guiding their further development. 

   TRIZ Paper: Computational Creativity: Path to Future Civilization (Valeri Tsourikov) (Jan. 10, 2019)

The author raised Invention Machine Inc. and built the TechOptimizer software  which fully implements knowledge bases and tools of TRIZ.  It contributed much to the sensational debut of TRIZ in late 1990s in US, Europe, Japan, etc.  He developed semantic analysis methods of natural language and made it practical to process huge volume of patent and scientific/technical documents and output the essence of knowledge in compact and usable forms.   Artificial Intelligence (AI) is his specialty; and he developed a concept of 'software which assists inventions' and implemented it into a prototype ; his thoughts, however, seemed to be too early at that time.   In 2001 he left IMC, and never appeared in the TRIZ community for many years.
In 2014 he gave a Keynote lecture at MATRIZ TRIZfest conference, with the slides posted here.   "Artificial Intelligence is surely going to supercede human brains. It is natural and inevitable. AI will supercede much higher pretty soon.  AI techniques will handle not only practical and formalizable jobs (as many people say) but also creative jobs like inventions (in contrary to sayings by many) much better than human brains.   As the results of my research for these 20 years, I have already built such a prototype. " he says.  His presentation slides are posted here in English and in Japanese translation.


 

(5) TRIZ case studies of application and promotion

Application case studies:

  TRIZ promotion and case study: Promotion of TRIZ in Panasonic Communications Company and a Case Study: Developing an Electronic Whiteboard in Half-Sized Packaging (Kazuya Yamaguchi and Narumi Nagase)      (Nov. 27, 2003) 

Originally presented at 4th IM User Group Meeting in Japan held by MRI.  Yamaguchi, being in the position responsible for technolgoy process innovation in PCC, definitely found the usefulness of TRIZ and started and led the installation/application of TRIZ for these two years.  TRIZ has been applied to a large number of products already.  Case study of an electronic whiteboard is described in detail.  Discussion at the presentation session was taken note by Toshio Ooura (NEC) and is really exciting to read.

  Case Strudy of TRIZ + VE: Case Study in JR-East of Promoting and Applying A Value Improvement Methodology: Unification of TRIZ-DE and VE. -- Development of Confortable Toilet Space in a Railway Car (Keiji Inoue, Masao Matsuno, Yuichi Hamamoto and Shuji Tanaka  (Jan. 28, 2004)

Originally presented at 36th All Japan VE Conference 2003 by the group of R&D Center, East-Japan Railway. TRIZ'  9-window method and Trends of Evolution concepts are used together with the VE method.  Future 10-year vision of confortable toilet space has been developed for JR's famous bullet train 'Shinkansen'.  This demonstrates a new TRIZ-based method for developing products with clear future visions.

  USIT Case Study:  A System for Preventing from Our Leaving Things Behind: A Case Developed at the 2-Day USIT Training Seminar (Toru Nakagawa)   (Feb. 1; Jun. 29, 2006)

Originally posted here in Japanese and later presented at TRIZCON2006.  A detailed and vivid report of problem solving at the 2-Day USIT Training Seminar conducted by the present author in September 2005 in a multi-company situation.  A group of three engineers of different companies and two graduate students worked on this case.  Images of the 10 big sheets of paper generated by the group are shown and the processes of such generation are described.  This is a problem for planning/designing a new product, related to processes of time change, in the field of both software and hardware, and necessary to build up a whole solution concept; USIT has been applied smoothly in such a problem.

  Presentation:  A Novel Joint Structure To Realize Welderingless Pipe Structures (Minoru Yokouchi)    (Nov. 29, 2006)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006.   Takano Co. Ltd., a manufacturer with 65 employees in Nagano Prefecture, started to develop a new product of their original ideas.  Beginning with idea generation of what to make, they made progress step by step to solve difficulties in developing a new product of pipe-frame structures without weldering.  Their whole process of development including effective use of TRIZ has been presented in detail.  It is an excellent report of case study and received very high appreciation at the Symposium. 

  TRIZ Case Study: TRIZ Application in Device & Manufacturing Electrostatic Discharge Control (Teong-San Yeoh (Intel, Malaysia))   (Apr. 5, 2007)

Presented at TRIZCON2006.   Due to getting smaller and smaller, semiconductor devices face with the increasing risk of being damaged by Electrostatic discharge (ESD).  ESD control need to be installed in the devices themselves and also in the manufacturing and handling processes.  The present paper reviews the existing techniques with the eyes of TRIZ, and explains them in terms of TRIZ 40 Inventive Principles.  The paper is a nice case study to understand a specific field of (empirical) technology on the basis of TRIZ.  This approach seems to be effectively applicable to various fields, e.g., engineering, agriculture, health care, software development, business and management, etc. 

  TRIZ Case Study Paper:   New Motor and TRIZ Evaluation (Vratislav Perna, Bohuslav Bušov, and Pavel Jirman (Czech Republic))   (Aug. 17, 2007)

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2006.  This is a paper on an amazing invention and its evaluation with TRIZ.  The invention is a new type of Motor (in its basic meaning of 'generating motion') which does not use electricity.  The invention is 'A new type of Motor having two (or multiple) rotors of nonlinear spiral teeth'.  Though ordinary combustion engines generate reciprocal motions of a piston, the new motor generates rotational motions of shafts directly.  By applying a part of this invention concept, pumps and screws (or marine propeller) can be realized.  In fact, the authors built a new type of marine propeller and demonstrated it successfully in a public experiment.  The area of application of this invention is supposed to cover combustion engines, Diesel engines, rotary engines, turbines, electric motors, pumps, compressors, vacuum pumps, propellers, marine propellers, etc. -- Reading this brief introduction, you must feel confusing, puzzled, and unbelievable; then why don't you read the original paper three times closely. -- Full paper   and Nakagawa's introduction

  TRIZ Case Study Paper: Super Effects: The Synergistic Effects of TRIZ (The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving): Significance of the Insulated Wirebonding Technology X-Wire (Gunter Ladewig (PRIMA Performance Ltd., Canada) and Robert Lyn (Microbonds Inc., Canada))   (Sept. 13, 2007)

Presented at TRIZCON2007.    In semiconductor devices, the performance of the chip is limited by the interconnection between chips and between chip and substrate.  The current wirebonding technology with non-insulated wires uses only the peripherals of chips for the connection.  More advanced technology is currently the Area Array Flip Chip.  With reference to the TRIZ Trends of Evolution (especially the Geometrical Evolution of Lines), the phase of 2D lines/curves has not been fully deployed and skipped without solving contradictions, the Author says. They have developed the insulated wires, developed a kit to use the insulated wires on the ordinary widely-spread wirebonding equipments.  Their new technology ('X-Wire') can make wirebonding densely and freely without worrying about shortening. The new technology would make a lot of chain reactions of benefits (so called 'Super Effects') in the semiconductor industries, the Authors expect.  It is remarkable that TRIZ has given a clear guideline in the technology development.  Nakagawa evaluated this paper highly in his Personal Report of TRIZCON. 
-- Note (Oct. 9, 2014): After 7 years since this presentation, the X-Wire technology seems not adopted so widely. This might be a case that the inertia of technology is so large that new and good methods can not change its direction, or can not achieve an innovation/Super-effect.

  TRIZ Case Study: Application of TRIZ to Manufacturing Phase -- Case Study of Eliminating Defects in Printer Assembly Process -- (Yosuke Koga (Panasonic Communications Co)) (Dec. 23, 2007)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007.  This case study is impressive in many points: (1) achieving to solve a big problem in a short time by generating many solution ideas, (2) deriving effective measures, (3) executing many measures at once, etc. In the photos of the slides we can see that people seriously got involved in this project and had experienced the change in their mind. This is also an excellent case study for stepping up the TQC style activities into much elaborated one with the philosophy of TRIZ. 

TRIZ Case Study: Introduction of the Activity to Promote TRIZ for Engineer and its Application Examples in Hitachi GST (Toshihiro Arisaka, Kazushi Tsuwako, Hiroyuki Suzuki)   (Mar. 9, 2008)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007.  Hitach group has been promoting TRIZ in a company wide scale since 1997.  For making TRIZ easy to access for engineers working in the field of HDD (Hard Disk Drive), the Authors made a table of converting technical terms in HDD into the Contradiction Matrix parameters and listed application examples in HDD area in correspondence to 40 Inventive Principles.  The paper demonstrates two interesting case studies of applying TRIZ: A hardware error recovery mechanism using low RPM operation, and a new design in an actuator mechanism. 

  Paper: Case Study of Introducing and Applying TRIZ to Real Projects for Obtaining Results (= Benefits): Innovating the Product Development Process by use of QFD, TRIZ, and TM together (Tomohiko Katagiri, Toshiaki Tsuchizawa, and Takeshi Yamanouchi) (Apr. 21, 2009)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008.  Koganei Co. is a manufacturer of aero pneumatic equipments, having about 800 employees.  Under the severe competitive situations, the Authors were convinced  2 years ago with the needs of innovating their product development process.  Thus the Authors started to introduce and apply the set of QFD, TRIZ and TM (Taguchi Method) to their three pilot projects.  It is interesting that the company requested only one consultant to guide the team in all the three methods.  The users, not the consultant, reported their current activities and achievements vividly.  Only 4 slides are translated into English from the 28 slides in Japanese. 

  Paper:  Case Study of Introducing and Applying TRIZ to Real Projects for Obtaining Results (= Profits)  (Part 2): Having Used QFD → TRIZ → TM, What are the Results? (Tomohiko Katagiri, Toshiaki Tsuchizawa, and Shuichi Hosaka) (May 9, 2010)

The Authors introduced TRIZ together with QFD and TM and applied them to the real project of developing a new product, i.e. a high-speed response pneumatic air valve. They have tried to capture real voices of customers with QFD.  The technical problems thus assigned were challenged by the Authors with TRIZ. Some of the new solution concepts obtained with TRIZ were beyond their experiences and expertise. Thus for minimizing the risks in the new product development, they applied TM (Taguchi Method) in designing the test parameters and used CAD/CAE software for the simulation testing of various design choices. The report describes details of the newly developed product, in its performance, inner structure, cases of applications, etc.

  TRIZ/USIT Case Study: Applying TRIZ/USIT to A Social & Technical Problem: Auto-locking Door System of Apartment Building (Toru Nakagawa and Arata Fujita)  (Sept. 13, 2007) (Mar. 2, 2009)

Earlier version presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007 and Revised version presented at ETRIA TFC 2008, as an extension of Fujita's Bachellor Thesis at OGU.   It is a well-known security problem that unauthorized persons can enter the auto-locking entrance door of apartment buildings just by following the preceding residents.  Students' discussions were facilitated with TRIZ/USIT to tackle this problem.  We found three root causes: the door is closed slowly for safety reasons, residents allow unauthorized persons to enter, and there is no effective social rule to follow when two parties happen to meet at the entrance door.  Solution ideas were generated step by step by discussions.  A concept of an IT-based logical door system was built to monitor the number of persons who were authorized and also the number who entered.  Any group leader has to authenticate himself and to declare the number of accompanied persons whenever the door is open or not.  With the new design choice in technology, all the associated psychological and social problems have been solved, hopefully. 

  Case study:  USIT Approach for Compact Umbrella (Kouichi Nakamura, Yuji Mihara, et al.) (May 7, 2009)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008 by a 7membered working group of MPUF (Microsoft Project Users Forum) USIT/TRIZ Study Group.  The working group, composed of voluntary engineers coming from different companies, worked to apply USIT to a real problem by about 20 times off-line meetings.  The problem is 'how to fold the wet compact umbrella easily'.  By virtue of rich backgrounds of members, they applied USIT and other methods, including QFD and TOC, together to the problem and also generated a lot of ideas stimulated with various products and techniques.  They have demonstrated several interesting prototype models of novel 'compact umbrella' at the Poster Session, attracting much attention by the participants. -- Their solutions tend to be unique and not practical to be adapted in the current system, in Nakagawa's feeling.

 Application case:  Usage of TRIZ and USIT in Developing a Novel Duplex Printing Machine (Hiroshi Kanno) )   (Dec. 30, 2009)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008.  This is an excellent case study paper which reports on the development of a duplex printing machine 'RICOH Satelio Duo 8' with the help of TRIZ and USIT.  The digital duplicator uses the mimeography, which uses the pseudo drying of printer ink due to penetration into the paper fibers.  Thus the paper having printed fresh on a side can not be printed on the other side without making the printer roller dirty.  This problem has long made a dual printer impossible.  On learning basic TRIZ, the Author got the idea of using only one printer drum for printing the both sides and challenged the development of the dual printer.  After various trials, the SLP modeling helped to solve the dirty-ink problem by developing a beads-roller.  Author also learned USIT later and used it for solving many subsequent problems.  The new dual printing machine thus developed with relatively simple modifications has doubled the throughput. 

    Presentation:  "Application of TRIZ to Noise and Vibration Problem Solving -- Fusion with Traditional Theoretical and Empirical Approach -- (Masao Ishihama (Kanagawa Inst. of Tech.) (Dec. 30, 2009)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008, The Author writes in the Abstract: "Conventional textbooks on noise and vibration (NV) control almost always describe analysis methods only and don’t provide methods of solving problems. On the other hand, handbooks contain solutions of “specific” problems, but they don’t necessary give readers solutions to general problems. In this study, the author tries to connect NV theory with TRIZ idea of solving problems for giving engineers rules of thumb of NV technology. This method converts specific concrete problems into abstract general problems by sorting symptoms by frequency, time dependency, etc. Then these general problems are placed in suitable categories classified by equation of motion in NV theory. Then rules of thumb described with problem solving manner is given."  -- The paper of this work has been accepted for publication in International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration (IJVNV).  Thus the presentation slides are now posted here in English and in Japanese.

  TRIZ Paper:  The potential of OTSM-TRIZ as a frameworking method for modern regional, integrated energy planning and modeling (Atom Mirakyan, Nikolai Khomenko, Laurent Lelait, Igor Kaikov) ( Jun. 9, 2010)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009 by a research team of European Institute for Energy Research, Karlsruhe, Germany.  As the goal of  a regional (i.e. sub-national) integrated energy planning, the project states that the plan must be "environmentally friendly, technically reliable, institutionally sound, socially acceptable, cost-effective, and supporting long-term regional sustainable development".  The project must manage a complex and large-scale task which involves not only technical issues but also social, economic, and many other issues.  The present paper has introduced the OTSM-TRIZ methodology as the framework of planning. The authors represent, in the form of a network flow diagram, the routes from the reality to most desirable solutions, and reveal the barriers/contradictions which are solved with TRIZ.  They have a practical overall process model for preparing, analyzing, prioritizing & decision-making, and implementing & monitoring, to be carried out in cooperation with other groups of people including decision makers.  --  This paper is an nice introduction to the OTSM-TRIZ in its practical and advanced form.

   TRIZ Case Study: Real-Time and Realistic 3D Facial Expression Cloning Jung-Bae Kim, Youngkyoo Hwang, Won-Chul Bang and James D.K. Kim (Samsung Electronics, Korea))   (Sept. 19, 2011)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010.  The Authors wanted to develop a software method for cloning the user's facial expression vividly onto his/her avatar in the virtual world. Two methods were known: precise Motion-capture method uses many markers and is expensive; while vision-based method is convenient without markers but inprecise. The Authors' solution is to separate various feature parameters by their nature. Parameters different for each user are measured by vision and fixed beforehand, while the parameters dependent on time for a user are traced real time by the vision method. This solution is cheap, convenient, and precise.

  TRIZ Case Study: Concept Development of a Variable Compression Ratio Engine Using TRIZ (Hong-Wook Lee, Won Gyu Kim, Myung Rae Cho, Jin Woo Cho, Sang Hee Lee (Hyundai-Kia Motor Co., Korea)) (Sept. 19, 2011)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010.  An excellent record of TRIZ thinking for developing improved solution concepts further and further.  The Authors learned the merits of Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) Engines, which are of course patent protected. Thus they circumvented the patents by use of Trimming, strengthen the resultant idea with 'Antidote', solved a secondary problem with ARIZ, and extended the concept further with the use of Function oriented search.

  TRIZ Paper : Scheme of 'New Product and Service' System Creation Using TRIZ -- Search for a Creating Method of "New Product and Service" System by Analyzing "Hot Sellers and Services" Using TRIZ -- (Ikuo Yoshizawa, Hisataka Izawa, Fumiko Kikuchi, Yasuo Moriya, Osamu Ikeda)  (Dec. 23, 2013)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2013 by the members of 'Business and Management TRIZ Research Subcommittee' of Japan TRIZ Society. The study group workd for these 4 years on this topic.  In the field of business and management application of TRIZ, the authors have chosen, as a model of their case study, the success of Yamato Transport Co.'s "TA-Q-BIN" (Door to Door parcel Delivery Service) business .  The authors studied to identify contradictions in the historical situations around the business; they also evaluated the present stage of evolution in several aspects of the business and estimated the next future stage of evolution.  -- This is a valuable case study of applying TRIZ to business problems; the case is of special interest as a unique service business developed for these 40 years in Japan.  The presentation has 50 slides with rich contents. 

 TRIZ Paper: Industrial application:  Development of a Spinning Top by TRIZ & TM & Simulation -- Challenge at All-Japan Koma Taisen -- (Tomohiko Katagiri (IDEA), SWCN)  (Mar. 7, 2015)

'All-Japan Manufacturing Industry Koma Taisen (Spintop battles)' was first held in Feb. 2012 and second in Feb. 2013. See .  The koma (or spintop) must be smaller than 20 mm in diameter and be turned by fingers without using any tool.   There is no limit in the weight, length, shape, materials, etc.  
This paper explain the processes of considering various contradictions in the design and examining different design prototypes by use of Taguchi method and simulations.  The SWCN's koma (named 'cat's punch') was extraordinary in its shape; just after turning, the koma opens its 3 arms for hitting out the competitor, and it won the second place at the Second All-Japan Koma Taisen.

  A Collection of USIT Case Studies (Toru Nakagawa)   (Jun. 26, 2015)

Case studies published so far in different places are collected here, and are shown in a table.  Individual case studies are described in full extent in a consistent format according to the USIT Manual .   Each case study is shown individually in an HTML page containing four slides (3 introduction slides and 1 overview summary slide in the 'Six-Box Scheme') and in a PDF file of the whole set of slides. 

No.
Theme

Features

 
Case Study described by:
1.
Sewing

How to fix a string shorter than the needle

Whole USIT Process is well illustrated for a familiar problem

Toru Nakagawa
 (May 25, 2015)
(Jun. 26, 2015) 

2.
Stapler

How to prevent a staple from being crashed

A familiar problem was solved by finding the real root cause and by using the SLP method

Toru Nakagawa
 (May 25, 2015)
(Jun. 26, 2015)
3.
Toilet

Saving Water for a Toilet System

Example of catching big problem in daily life as physical contradiction, and solution

Toru Nakagawa
 (May 25, 2015)
(Jun. 26, 2015)
4.
Picture

Picture Hanging Kit Problem

A standard USIT Case Study on a familiar problem, easy to understand for everybody and yet deep in thoughts

Toru Nakagawa
 (May 25, 2015)
(Jun. 26, 2015)
5.
Porous

Increase the Foam Ratio of Porous Polymer Sheet

A real problem in the field of chemical engineering is solved with the Particles Method

Toru Nakagawa
 (May 25, 2015)
(Jun. 26, 2015)

 Keynote: TRIZ for Science: Evolution of Scientific Instruments & Methodology of Inventiveness in Applications to Science (Andrei A. Seryi, UK)   (Oct. 17, 2017)

This Keynote (having 110 slides) contains detailed figures of scientific instruments for high-energy physics.  Though it may be difficult to understand the background physics, the essential points of discussion are described clearly and plainly for people having interest in science in general.  E.g., be careful (and needs methodology) in the prediction of future, evaluate different research directions not only for fundamental knowledge but also for usefulness and the costs.
Author's insights of using TRIZ are deep.  In explaining Inventive Principle 35 'Parameter change', he demonstrates (in place of simple parameters volume V and surface area S) the ratio V/S inspires us much more while changing the parameter value.  He also mentions that Cloud chamber and Bubble chamber, both for detecting high-energy particles, are an example of TRIZ concept of 'System and Anti-system' and that if scientists were familiar with the concept, Bubble chamber could have been invented much earlier. 'Transition to super-system' is also an important TRIZ concept in understanding the evolution of systems.  New methods/tools are implemented as a system by assembling many components, and then they become useful only when working as a part of larger systems (i.e., super-system) for social, business, technical, etc. purposes. 
"TRIZ can be very useful for science, as an inspiration, as a very efficient toolbox, as a way to connect different disciplines, as a new way to see the world" -- This is the conclusion by Professor Seryi. 

 

Case Studies of Promotion of TRIZ

  TRIZ promotion and case studies: TRIZ in Fuji Xerox Corp.: Promotion activities and four typical cases of applications (Shigeru Kasuya and Yoshiya Imoto) (Mar. 28, 2002)

Presented at 2nd IM User Group Meeting in Japan held by Mitsubishi Research Institute on Sept. 13-14, 2001 at Moriyama, Shiga, and contributed to this site in Jan. 2002.  It is remarkable that in a Japanese company TRIZ has been adopted well and their real cases of applications are publicly posted in this Web site.  The article is composed of five PDF files of prensentation slides:

Main part:  TRIZ promotion activities in Fuji Xerox Corp.
Case study A:  Application of TRIZ to solve the darkening problem in a fluorescence lamp.
Case Study B.  Application of TRIZ to solve a trouble in implementing a flexible board for photo-electricity conversion. 
Case Study C.  Cost-down of a part of the copier. 
Case Study D.  Creative policy making for human-power development.

  TRIZ promotion and case study: Installing TRIZ in Nissan Motors Company (Takahisa Hirade and Akira Mochizuki)   (Nov. 27, 2003) 

Presented at the 4th IM User Group Meeting in Japan, held by MRI on Sept. 10-12, 2003 at Shirahama, Wakayama, and contributed to this site in Oct. 2003.  For installing TRIZ, they first formed a voluntary core group in Intellectual Property Division, then gradually trained IP specialists into TRIZ keypersons, and are now applying TRIZ/USIT in the research, technology, and production divisions.  Medium-term goal is to train all the IP employees capable in TRIZ.

  Case Study:  Practicing TRIZ: from the activities at Panasonic Communications Co.(Narumi Nagase) (Feb 7, 2005)

Presented at  Knowledge Creation Symposium 2004 held by MRI.  Six essentials in practicing TRIZ: (1) Clearly defined target; (2) in-house group capable to discuss on TRIZ seriously; (3) struggling with real problems; (4) producing our own successful cases; (5) improving the methodology further and further; (6) strong mind not to give up.  --  An impressive presentation by the young leader of the in-house TRIZ promotion group of PCC.

  Introductory/Guide: Practices of USIT 2-Day Training Seminars (For Wider Penetration of Easy-to-Learn TRIZ) (Toru Nakagawa) (Jul. 20, 2005)

The USIT 2-Day (or 3-Day) Training Seminars have been carried out by the present author 20 times so far. Practices and principles of the training are described here in detail. 15 to 25 engineers (may mostly be novices of TRIZ/USIT) take part in the training and try to solve three real problems in group practices by following the USIT procedure. In addition to in-house training in industries, the training has been re-started in an open way with the participation of people coming from multiple companies. Some practical and easy-yet-effective ways of applying USIT are described for the seminar graduates.

Paper: Back to Creatability (Klaus-Juergen Uhrner)  (Apr. 4; Apr. 25, 2006)

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2005 by K.-J. Uhrner (KACO GmbH + Co.KG, Germany).  The company having about 800 employees is a subsidiary of Brazilian automobile company.  The author has been using TRIZ since 1996 and four other engineers joined since 2000.  The author has analyzed the 165 inventions made in his company for these 30 years and has demonstrated the effects of TRIZ on them.  The average number of inventions per year raised from 3 to 9.4 after the introduction of TRIZ.  The qualities of the inventions were evaluated with the criteria of 'Levels of Innovation', a refinement of Altshuller's criteria.  The average level of their inventions has been found to have made a jump from 2.4 to 3.4 by the effects of TRIZ.  -- This is an amazing paper demonstrating the effects by plotting the 165 cases on two types of graphs.  Nakagawa wrote an introduction with the title of "Benefits of TRIZ Have Been Proved with Real Industrial Data of Inventions".  Those who believe it shall be saved! 

  Keynote Lecture: "How Should We Utilize TRIZ for Managing Industries? (Kazuya Yamaguchi)   (Oct. 2, 2006)

Since 2001, the author has been leading a new division for introducing 'scientific methodologies' for the technology R&D into his whole company, Panasonic Communications Co.   He first introduced the Taguchi Method, then TRIZ, and then QFD.  He has trained and establish several tens of members who work as in-house consultants for applying the methodologies to their real projects.  His current goal is to pursue Quality of Management by extending the use of these methodologies.  The author enthusiastically talks about these methodologies and his activities for promoting them in the Matsushita group companies.

  Lecture: Promotion and Application of TRIZ in High-Tech Companies: Lectures by a TRIZ Expert Who Guided Samsung Electronics, Korea (Valery Krasnoslobodtsev (TIC, USA))    (Nov. 1, 2006)

Presented at TRIZ Special Open Seminar held by IDEA Co. on August 28, 2006 in Tokyo.   The Authro, Valery Kraev, led the introduction of TRIZ into Samsung Electronics in Korea with a splendid success.  Part 1 "For Managers" is especially interesting.  The best key which removed the barriers against TRIZ penetration was the fact that they applied TRIZ to the real industrial problems, built solution prototypes in 3, 4 months, and demonstrated the results effectively.  The fact moved the top managements, engineers, and later Six-Sigma specialists.  Part 2 "For Engineers" describes the methodology base on ARIZ and demonstrates 3 case studies in Samsung. All the slides in English are posted here in the PDF format, while those in Japanese translation (translated by Nakagawa) are posted in the Web site of IDEA Co. (and also in the present site) and a brief introduction is given in the Japanese page of this site.

Invited Talk:  TRIZ activity in Corporate R&D Division −Application to system, method, and software technology − (Yojiro Fukushima (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.))   (Mar. 8, 2009)

Invited Talk presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008.  The Author has reported on his 5-years experiences of applying TRIZ to 150 real projects in the field of IT and software.  The TRIZ team gives TRIZ trainings to engineers and also guides/supports engineers in real job projects.  In the early stages of planning, problem definition, problem analysis and solution generation, the TRIZ team guides the engineers with TRIZ and some other tools.  Such projects have to pass the interim review and final review by the managers and staff of the division; this scheme makes the TRIZ application serious and practical so as to fit with the organization's policies.  They have applied TRIZ in a flexible manner adopting it into IT/software fields.  The TRIZ team is the first eager readers of Japanese draft version of Umakant Mishra's book "TRIZ Principles for Information Technology". -- Fukushima's presentation is amazing in the new field of TRIZ application, i.e. IT/software. 

Japan TRIZ Symp. 2009 Paper:  Practical Use of Scientific Creative Techniques for the Development of Telecommunication Devices (Takahiro Shoji and Yosuke Koga (Panasonic Communications Co.))  (May 30, 2010)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009. Panasonic Communications Company (PCC) introduced TRIZ since 2001 and has been actively useing the integrated set of scientific techniques including QFD-TRIZ-Taguchi Method (as well as CAD/CAE) in a company-wide scale.  The company has applied TRIZ most actively and widely in Japan. Nevertheless, engineers in development projects are apt not to use such TRIZ-based scientific techniques because of being too busy to apply them in their orthodox forms.  Thus the Authors made the methods 'scalable' corresponding to the demands of the projects and easier to apply.  The new method has a process of 3 main phases: (1) First, to generate many fundamental (or preliminary, existing) ideas of functions and to make a tree-style Function Map.  (2) Then, to select the areas for addressing the solution efforts and to force the members to create new/inventive ideas in managed brainstorming sessions. (3) Finally, to evaluate various ideas generated so far and to enhance the highly-evaluated ideas by combining subsidiary ideas, thinking deeply, and looking from competitors' eyes, etc. and to make them the solutions for possible implementation and patent filing. This method, though not appearing like a TRIZ any more at first sight, is firmly underlaid by TRIZ.  The industrial TRIZ practitioners have really digested TRIZ into a new form for real applications.  

   Presentation:  Development of a meeting tool that supports TRIZ leaders -- 9windows board -- (Rikie Ishii (IDEAPLANT)) (Sept. 30, 2010)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009.  The Author is the leader of 'Miyagi TRIZ Study Group', which has been working to penetrate TRIZ into local industries including SMEs.  For supporting TRIZ beginners to apply newly learnt TRIZ methods to their problems, the Author has developed simple tools.  The most popular one among them is the "9windows" tool to be used in the idea generation meeting for new product development.  It is like a 'white map' of 9 windows, having the framework and simple remarks. 

  Paper:  Education with TRIZ: For New Perspectives (Toru Nakagawa)  (Dec. 30, 2010)

Invited Lecture presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010.  This discusses the perspectives of education with TRIZ in Japan.  (1) For introducing TRIZ into the education (and research) instead of 'teaching TRIZ', we should better teach the thinking ways with TRIZ and related methodologies in a wider scope.  I have shown a number of case studies in Japan (including my own) and overseas.  (2) For introducing TRIZ into the secondary/elementary education, we have to be very thoughtful about the maturing processes of students/children and adapt the contents and styles of teaching to them.  Japanese TRIZ community is still poor in the experiences of education at such levels, and hence should collaborate with people/organizations who have been working for creativity and science/technology education outside TRIZ. 

  Invited Lecture:  TRIZ for Managers -- Approach and Management Using Scientific Methods -- (Kazuya Yamaguchi)  (Dec. 30, 2010)

Invited lecture presented at Jpana TRIZ Symposium 2010.  During 2001-2007 at Panasonic Communications Co.,, the Author promoted the company-wide introduction and application of 'scientific methods' for product development.  He recommends four methods, i.e., QFD, TRIZ, Taguchi Method, and CAE/CAD/CAM, together instead of TRIZ alone, saying "Application of TRIZ is effective because we apply it to the right targets and right problems revealed by QFD at the preceding stage; and we are safe in generating new and creative solution concepts because we have Taguchi Method and CAE, etc. at the subsequent stage."  He says these scientific methods are tools for gaining profit, business operation itself, and management itself!. -- This lecture gives us very clear and powerful messages on the basis of his clear understandoing of the methodologies.

  TRIZ Paper: A Practical-type Approach Applying TRIZ to the Mind Field - Toward the Establishment of a TRIZ Mind Training - (Hideto Sanjou, Yukie Hanaoka)   (Sept. 25, 2011)

Presented at Japan TRIZ SYmposium 2010.  The Authors working for 'Mind Training', e.g., employee training in companies, eliminating individual’s worries, etc., have met TRIZ and incorporated it well. They have rephrased TRIZ 40 Inventive Principles into Mind Principles, and applied them to the training of people to overcome their psychological inertia. Further interesting extension of this work was presented in a Poster Session by Y. Hanaoka and H. Sanjou .

  TRIZ Promotion: Approach of Reverse TRIZ Using Industry System Newspaper Articles (Hisataka Izawa, Narumi Nagase, Shusei Kunitomo (Sony Corp.))    (Sept. 25, 2011)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010.  For promoting TRIZ in the company, the Authors found the up-to-date technological/business articles in industry-oriented newspapers are useful.  They reviewed and analyzed such articles from the TRIZ viewpoint and introduced/distributed them regularly with the intranet Web site and in training seminars. 

  TRIZ/USIT Paper: Creative Problem-Solving Methodologies TRIZ/USIT: Overview of My 14 Years in Research, Education, and Promotion (Toru Nakagawa)  (Mar. 13,; Mar. 23, 2012)

On the retirement of OGU, I wrote an overview of my activities for the 14 years at OGU (from Apr. 1998 to Mar. 2012) and published it in "The Bulletin of the Cultural and Natural Sciences in OGU", March 2012 Issue. The core of my working activities has been the research on TRIZ and USIT. Attending and presenting at international conferences on TRIZ every year, I extended USIT (i.e. a unified and simplified TRIZ) further to find a new paradigm called 'Six-Box Scheme' for creative problem solving. I have been teaching on this theme in a lecture class and also in 3rd and 4th year seminars ( besides several other classes on ordinary information science), resulting in several successful case studies of solving familiar problems. I have been working also for the promotion of penetration of TRIZ and USIT.  Establishing a public Web site "TRIZ Home Page in Japan", organizing Japan TRIZ Society, and operating 'TRIZ Symposium in Japan' annually are my main activities for social promotion of methodologies of creative problem solving. -- I am grateful to all the people who have been supporting me for these years.

  TRIZ Forum: What Should We Do for TRIZ to Penetrate into Younger People? -- Education and Training of Problem Solving with TRIZ for Younger People – (Toru Nakagawa) (Dec. 5, 2012)

This is an introductory presentation as the coordinator at the Session of Special Interest Talks in the Symposium.   Abstract and the presentation slides in PDF are posted.

  Promotion Case Study: Establishing TRIZ in a global company (Pauline Marsh (BAE Systems, UK), Karen Gadd (Oxford Creativity, UK))    (May 29; Aug. 4, 2013)

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2012.  This is the first and detailed report of the 14 year experiences of establishing TRIZ in a global company, BAE Systems, in UK.  TRIZ has been introduced and promoted steadily since 1998 and are used company-widely.  By selecting proper methods (including TRIZ) and proper instructors, and by incorporating the courses in the already established HR programs, promoters within BAE made TRIZ available to any individuals and teams as they needed.  The BAE promoters initially organized and participated the TRIZ workshops for themselves, and at some important occasions they checked the real outcomes of the method and of the trainings. The consultants at Oxford Creativity operated workshops for practical problem solving; they are regular 5-day courses designed to be taken as five 1-day courses as well.  In the workshops, they first gather initial ideas from everybody by a brainstorming, openly discuss good and bad points of the ideas, and set them all aside with the labeling of 'BAD solutions' for the purpose of exploring for BEST solutions with TRIZ.  Their workshops are always fun and enthusiastic, they say. The authors repeatedly write that 'Individual TRIZ tools are simple and straightforward, and they stimulate your thinking'.  They strove to persuade engineering managers for making TRIZ available to the whole engineers in the divisions; they have found that challenging real difficult problems to solve with TRIZ is most effective for convincing the managers.  The present paper is full of lessons based on their experiences. 

  TRIZ Paper:   Now, Once again, 'There is no TRIZ that doesn't work' - As a core technology for solution - (Hajime Kasai)   (Dec. 9, 2013)

Presented at Japan TRIZ SYmposium 2013. The phrase "There is no TRIZ that doesn't work" is the motto of IDEA Inc., a Japanese consulting firm specialized in TRIZ since 2003.  The author, one of the consultants of IDEA, has experienced 119 cases of applying TRIZ to real projects.   He is disclosing his application methods in accordance to six types of problems, i.e., Problem solving, Performance improvement, New method identification, Cost reduction, Reduction in size and weight, and Product planning.   The methodology uses various selected tools in TRIZ, and depending on the requirements uses QFD at the preceding stage and Taguchi Method at the subsequent stage.   The author has set up customized full processes by selecting suitable tools for the 6 types and calls them as 'solutions'. -- I noticed that this presentation coincides with my proposal of CrePS in several points.

  TRIZ Paper:  Lean-TRIZ instead of TRIZ-Lean (Christian M. Thurnes (Univ. of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Germany) and Frank Zeihsel (Synnovating GmbH, Germany))  (May 31, 2014)

Presented at ETRIA TFC 2013.  In many companies in Germany the "Lean" (or Toyota's production/development system) has been introduced actively.  Though Lean and TRIZ have the targets in common, Lean practitioners rarely use TRIZ.  Is there any way to integrate/cooperate the two methodologies, or for TRIZ to play a significant role in the Lean situations?   First the authors tried the "TRIZ-Lean" approach, where they explain TRIZ principles with the ideas and examples in Lean.  But Lean practitioners rarely found its significance, saying "Lean is good enough without TRIZ".  Then the authors found a new approach, "Lean-TRIZ", i.e., in the Lean prevailing situations they used TRIZ for supporting Lean.  For example, the problems recognized as 'necessary wastes (NVA)' in Lean are defined as contradictions in TRIZ and are solved with ordinary TRIZ tools.  On the occasions of 'events' in Lean, they carried out short TRIZ sessions/workshops for solving such problems.  This approach has been evaluated positively by Lean practitioners.  -- This paper reflects the discussions and practices in the methodological as well as practical aspects, and shows us insightful directions for promoting TRIZ in the real world. 
-- Full documents are posted in Japanese translation, but only Nakagawa's introduction in English because the slides and the paper are not yet publicized by ETRIA. 

 TRIZ Paper:  TRIZ marketing for the Ubiquitous concept ~ So that anyone uses TRIZ anywhere anytime ~ (Shigeru Kasuya)  (Feb. 10, 2015)

Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2014.  Responding to the TRIZ users' apparent/hidden needs, the author tries to make TRIZ inexpensive and ubiquitous, with the slogan of "Anyone can use TRIZ anywhere anytime."  He presents 10 examples of such solutions:  Smart phone version of 40 Inventive principles (1 screen/principle); 40 Inventive principles adapted for the IT/software field; understanding various other methods in relation to TRIZ (e.g., Osborne's Checklist, NM method (by Masakazu Nakayama), Wai-gaya meeting at Honda, Goal deployment, QC story approach, etc.).  

   Generalized structure of social revolutions (Tetsutarou Yasuhira)  (Feb. 10, 2015)

The author describes the processes of big social changes, or revolutions, in a general and conceptual way.  Since TRIZ tries to identify and solve contradictions to proceed for ideality, we know that we can apply TRIZ not only to technological problems but also non-technological, human, and social problems. 

 TRIZ Paper: Industrial application:  How to Lead Beginners to TRIZ at the Place of Practices (Shigeru Hisanaga)  (Mar. 27, 2015)

A crucial key to the success of TRIZ practice is to adopt the approach and tools which fit well with the needs and intentions of the TRIZ users, especially TRIZ beginners. The author reviewed their 250 projects carried out in DENSO and characterized them with 3 types of needs (i.e., Want many ideas, Want a good solution, and Want to reconsider from the root) and with 2 types of intentions (i.e., Out of vs. Within the present constraints).   For each category of 3x2, the authors examined the TRIZ tools applied, and have summarized the TRIZ tools recommendable in each of the 3x2 categories of beginners' needs and intentions.

 TRIZ Paper: Industrial application:  One Method for Expanding TRIZ Application -- Applying TRIZ to Products that TRIZ can Hardly be Applied to -- (Yoshiharu Isaka)  (Mar. 27, 2015)

In the areas of 'Utility engines' for example, some standard products have been delivered for decades without much change, because of no change in the requirements for basic usage as the power supply in the working machines for agriculture, forestry, etc. Isn't there any room for applying TRIZ?  The key is to find the 'sales points' which can convince the target users, i.e., the person in charge of selecting the engine in the working machine manufacturer. Thus one should think of various functions and features as the 'sales points' by using some idea generation methods. This is the 'Theme definition' stage in the problem solving process.  Then TRIZ will help to generate some methods for realizing the functions/features.

 TRIZ Paper: Social application:  Proposal for a New Life Style of the Elderly People (Part 1) (Kimihiko Hasegawa, et al.)  (Mar. 27, 2015)

The 8 engineers of IP Creation Study Group discussed freely about what they should work on next.  And they decided 'The aged and their relevant people live a happy life' as the top purpose (or vision) and 'The aged people solve the problems of their own and others' as the target (or goal).   In more concrete words, they recognize the problem 'The researchers and engineers around their retirement age want to live a life with some good motivation', and wish to have solutions towards 'For achieving their own visions, the aged people solve their own problems as well as others' problems'.  The present paper is their first report. 

  Forum: Visual Thinking with 'Fuda-Yose' (1) - Example of Burning Suicide in Shinkansen Case (Akihiro Katahira, Toru Nakagawa)  (Jul. 7, 2015; Jul. 8; Jul. 19, 2015) 

Visual Thinking method and its tool 'Fuda-Yose' were developed by Akihoro Katahira .  For showing its usefulness, I asked him to show examples of usage on various themes.  The shocking case that a 71 yrs-old man commited suicide by burning himself on a Shinkansen train on Jun. 30, 2015 was used as an example.  The old man's mental and social situations are described with the hope of reflecting the problems in the society in Japan.

  Forum: Visual Thinking with 'Fuda-Yose' (2) - Converting a (short) document into labels and make 'Fuda-Yose' diagrams for Visual Thinking (Toru Nakagawa, Akihiro Katahira)  (Jul. 29, 2015) 

I asked Katahira to show how to convert a (short) document into labels automatically and make 'Fuda-Yose diagrams.  Katahira demonstrated the method step by step by using Nakagawa's request message. The final 'Fuda-Yose' diagram clearly shows the intentions of Nakagawa's request and corresponding answers by Katahira. 

  Forum:   Visual Thinking with 'Fuda-Yose' (3) - Visualizing the logic of Sickafus' Paper 'Subconscious Problem Solving Using Hazy Heuristics', (Akihiro Katahira, Toru Nakagawa)  (Aug. 25, 2015) 

Katahira has demonstrated to visualize the logic of Ed Sickafus' recent paper (in the Japanese version) with his Fuda-Yose method.  All the sentences of the whole paper are made into labels and their logical relationships are shown in 'Fuda-Yose' diagrams section by section.  While reviewing them, I thought that for clarifying the logic of a compact document like the Abstract we should decompose some sentences further into their logical units.  So I applied the Fuda-Yose method to the Abstract in 4 steps and the diagrams are posted.  The essence of Sickafus' paper is shown clearly in the visualized diagram.

  TRIZ Activities: "The Rising TRIZ Generation" in Malaysia (Tan Eng Hoo, MyTRIZ)   (Apr. 7, 2016)

A splendid report of of the MyTRIZ activity where all the 31 members of Pioneers Class 2015 achieved to pass the Level 3 Practitioner Certificate of the International TRIZ Association (MATRIZ).  Young, energetic, well-prepared, and systematic activities of acquiring TRIZ in Malaysia !! 

 TRIZ/CrePS Approach to the Social Problems of Poverty: Underlying the Arguments by Ordinary People, 'Liberty vs. Love' Is Found the Principal Contradiction of the Human Culture (Toru Nakagawa)   (Sept. 9, 2016) 

(1) Trying to apply TRIZ/CrePS methodology to social problems, I have chosen the poverty problem in the Japanese society (especially among the elderly) as the theme. 
(2) I chose Takanori Fujita's book "The Low-living Elderly" as the source reference, and visualized the logics of the book by using Fuda-Yose Tool.
(3) By critically reviewng the 82 Customer reviews on the book, I recognized an unsolved big problem underlying the people's arguments about the 'Win or Lose' and Mutual aid in the coompetitive society.
(4) Digging down to their essence, I recognized the conflits between Liberty and Love.  Liberty (i.e., to dicide and act for oneself, and to Live) is the First Principle, while Love (i.e., to love one's child, one's family, and one's neighbors, and to Help and Protect them) is the Second Principle of Human Culture.  Nevertheless, Liberty vs. Love has been the Principal Contradiction inherent through the Human Culture. 
(5) Even though Human Culture has been trying to solve, the Principal Contradictions still exist everywhere, arise newly everywhere, and are getting even more difficult to solve, I realized.  I have recognized four main reasons of difficulties.
(6) Considering these four reasons one by one, we should understand the mechnisms of the Principal Contradiction and think over the solution directions.
The present study is guided by the TRIZ concept of contradiction and the CrePS process of creative problem solving.

Introductory: 'Liberty vs. Love': The Principal Contradiction Inherent throughout the Human Culture (Toru Nakagawa) (Jan. 13, 2017)  

I explain how I have been working as a researcher, initially in physical chemistry and later in informatics, to understand and develope 'Methodology of creative problem solving' (namely, methodology of research and development).  I found the Six-Box Scheme as a new paradigm in science and technology.   For extending its application to social problems, I chose to work on the problems of poverty in the Japanese society.  Underlying people's arguments whether to help the poor, I found the conflict between the emphasis on Liberty and that of Love.   Then I realized that Liberty vs. Love is much more basic, and actually is the Principal Contradiction unsolved throughout the history of Human Culture.   I have shown here a hypothesis of the Liberty vs. Love Contradiction in its skeletal form.
The idea that there exists a basic conflict (or contradiction) between Liberty and Love is not difficult to understand in itself.  You can easily show such examples in our everyday life, in our society, and in the international politics, etc.   We have been taught simply, however, "Liberty and Love are both important. So you should respect both of them. They should be compatible."  Nobody dared to say clearly "Between Liberty and Love there exists an intrinsic conflict. That is the most basic, Principal Contradiction of Human Culture."  The present approach is based the spirit/philosophy of TRIZ, i.e., "Understanding contradictions clearly is the basic way for us to solve the contradictions (or make them compatible)".  To understand the real situations and desirable directions concerning to this Principal Contradiction in the fields of humans, organizations, societies, and the world is a huge task for us to work from now on.

Case Study of TRIZ Promotion: A long-term strategy to spread TRIZ in SMEs. Analysis of Bergamo's experience (Davide Russo, Daniele Regazzoni, Caterina Rizzi (Italy))  (Feb. 14, 2017)  

The TRIZ research group of University of Bergamo educated students of Master courses with the TRIZ methodology, and worked to spread TRIZ in the SME prevailing industrial community.  Typical models of promoting TRIZ are based on success stories in big enterprises.  In Italy, however, big companies (with over 250 employees) are very few (0.1%) while very small companies (with less than 10 employees) are prevailing (95%).  Thus the Authors built a new model of responding to the demands of SMEs first in collaboration with Bergamo Chamber of Commerce.  Under a long term strategy, they provided services of teaching, training, and consulting the owners and engineers of SMEs on the topic of Intellectual Properties first and TRIZ later.  In 9 years they have achieved remarkable results. 

 Paper:   TRIZ,The Development And Dissemination In Industries In China (Runhua Tan, China)   (Nov. 5, 2017)

Research and dissemination of TRIZ in China have been developed recently in a surprising speed and extent, reported at TRIZCON2017.  'National Engineering Research Center for Technological Innovation Method and Tool, Hebei University of Technology (Tianjin, China)' is led by Prof. Runhua Tan, having about 80 faculty members, about 20 PhD students, and about 80 postgraduate students, and is devoted to research, education, and dissemination of methodologies and tools for technological innovation with TRIZ at its core.  China seems to have several more similar research centers, under strong supports by national and regional governments.

This paper introduces an overview of C-TRIZ (Chinese version of extended TRIZ) developed by the Center. They have been actively disseminating C-TRIZ into industries by using MEOTM (Mass-Engineer Oriented Training Model).  The trainings last for half a year or full year (mostly using weekends) with lessons and real practices.  Every engineer has to bring in an 'inventive problem' related to his/her own job or company, and during the training course he/she has to solve the problem in order to be certified as an 'innovative engineer'. From 2013 till 2016, the center carried out 40 training classes, covering 721 companies, with 3173 participating engineers in total, and produced 1471 certified engineers, they report.  

 Social problem: 'Liberty vs. Love': The Principal Contradiction of Human Culture (2) The 'Liberty vs. Love' Contradiction and 'Ethics' at the Personal Level (D) (Toru Nakagawa)   (Jun. 25, 2018) (Jun. 25; Aug. 14, 2018)

Extended paper (D) published in "TRIZ Home Page in Japan", in Japanese and then in English.  Its Discussion section has following sub-sections: 6.1 Contributions of the Creative Problem Solving Methodology (TRIZ/CrePS); 6.2 Verifications of problem situations, relevant references, and hypothesis setting; 6.3 Structure and significance of the Basic Hypotheses; 6.4 Possibility of Common Basis of Ethics in Human Culture; 6.5 Significance and influences of the First Principle Liberty: Reformism and conservatism; 6.6 Significance, influences, and limitations of the Second Guiding Principle Love: Reformism and conservatism; 6.7 Social roles of the 0th Guiding Principle Ethics; 6.8 Factors which make the Principal Contradiction of Human Culture 'Liberty vs Love' even more difficult to solve.

   TRIZ Promotion: WTSP Paper: "World TRIZ Sites Project (WTSP) for Building and Maintaining Catalogs of Global TRIZ Resources (Toru Nakagawa (Japan), Darrell Mann (UK), Michael Orloff (Germany), Simon Dewulf (Australia), Simon Litvin (USA), Valeri Souchkov (Netherlands))

(A) Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2018, on Sept. 13-14, 2018 in Tokyo (Sept. 21, 2018)

Outline:  Introduction and background, Proposal of WTSP, Building Japan WTSP Catalog, Current state and difficulties in WTSP, Findings with Japan WTSP Catalog.  Message is: "Many Wonderful TRIZ-related Web Sites - we already have in Japan ! Why don't you take a look and utilize the WTSP Catalog of TRIZ-related Sites in Japan  .  Let's work Together ! Connected !! We will be able to learn much more soon with the WTSP Catalogs of TRIZ-related Sites in the World !!!"

(B) Presented at ETRIA TFC2018 on Oct. 29-31, 2018 in Strasbourg, France.  (Nov. 11, 2018)

Full paper, Presentation slides, and Summary slides (8 slides/ 2 pages).  Having a sense of crisis "Many people support the aims of WTSP, but very few actually join to work together", I prepared the slides short and clear, describing the background, aims, prototypes, working plan, difficulties and how to overcome them, etc.  Handing out Summary slides printed on a sheet, I asked the TFC participants one by one for their voluntary help to WTSP.  45 people newly signed in the application to the Membership of WTSP, to our pleasure. 

 

 


 

(6) TRIZ lecture notes and course materials

TRIZ Classics Translated into Japanese: On the Psychology of Inventive Creativity (Genrich S. Altshuller and R.B. Shapiro) (Mar. 6, 2006)

Originally written by G.S. Altshuller and R.B. Shapiro (Baku), "Problems in Psychology", Vol. 6, pp. 37-49 (1956); Japanese Translation by Shinsuke Kurosawa posted in the Web site of TRIZ Center, SANNO Institute of Management, Feb. 6, 2006; Reposted here on Mar. 6, 2006.
The first publication by the Founder of TRIZ in 1956.  Kurosawa translated this classics into Japanese directly from Russian.  Posted here under the permissions by the Official Altshuller Foundation and SANNO.  We can learn that the authors proposed a procedure for systematic problem solving in this initial paper on TRIZ.

  eBook: USIT (Unified Structured Inventive Thinking): An Overview (Ed Sickafus (Ntelleck, USA)) (Oct. 18, 2004)

Written by Ed Sickafus in Oct. 2001 and posted openly in his USIT Web site in Feb. 2003;  Japanese translation by Keishi Kawamo, Shigeomi Koshimizu, and Toru Nakagawa in Oct. 2004 and posted here. A concise textbook ( 43 pages in PDF) of USIT written by the original developer and distributed free in an eBook.  Overview of USIT, especially in its philosophy and procedual steps of applying it.  The outline is:

(1) Introduction :  Historical notes;  Content of this overview;  Span of USIT
(2) How to think about USIT
(3) Definitions
(4) Thinking-Aid Models : O-A-F contact model ; Electronic feedback model ;  Span of USIT
(5) USIT Flow Chart
(6) Well-Defined USIT Problem: A well-defined problem exercise
(7) Closed-World Method: Closed-world diagram; O-A-F statements;. Qualitative-change graph
(8) Particles Method: Morph cartoon; And/or tree; Creation/annihilation boilerplate
(9) USIT Solution Techniques :. Uniqueness; Dimensionality; Pluralization; Distribution; Transduction; Generification
(10) How to apply USIT
(11) Conclusion
Appendices:  Miscellaneous exercises; Additional Resources ; USIT Textbook Order Form; License Agreement

  USIT Lectures: USIT News Letters and Mini Lectures (Ed Sickafus (Ntelleck, USA))   (Jan. 8 - Jul. 13, 2004; Jan. 30; Apr. 6, 2013)

Ed Sickafus (Ntelleck, USA) published the USIT News Letters in 79 issues from Nov. 15, 2003 to Mar. 20, 2009 (but did not post in his Web site).  Japanese translation by Hideaki Kosha and Toru Nakagawa for No. 1 to No. 10 in Jan. - Jul. 2004; and by Toru Nakagawa for No. 11 to No. 28 in Jan. - Apr. 2013 posting Japanese and English versions.  You can access individual News Letters through the page shown above.

Dr. Ed Sickafus is the original developer of USIT (Unified Structured Inventive Thinking). Though he retired Ford Motor Company in 2000, he has been active in developing his theories further and in sharing his thoughts and experiences.  He started his 'U-SIT and Think News Letter' since November 2003, sometimes weekly and some other times irregularly.  The column of 'Mini Lecture' describes his thoughts and applications of USIT to familiar problems; they are very interesting and enjoyable to read, containing insights.  We posted the Japanese translation versions from No. 1 to No. 10 in 2004.  After 9 years of interruption, I restarted to posting the Japanese edition step by step.  Dr. Sickafus has kindly permitted me to post the original English Editions in PDF in this Web site.

Mini Lectures in No. 1 through No. 19 explain the USIT procedure by using a case study of 'Messy Newspaper Print Problem'.  Mini Lectures starts another session in No. 20 with the title of 'USIT - an Alternative Method for Solving Engineering-Design Problems: How to Invent". -- I wish to taranslate and post SIckafus' News Letters further on, but do not have enough time.

  Series: Course Materials Illustrated: Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms (Larry Ball) (Feb. 1, 2006 - Jul. 22, 2007)

Originally posted in TRIZ Journal in series from May 2005 to Jun. 2006; Japanese translation by Toshio Takahara and Toru Nakagwa, posted in this Web site fron Feb. 1, 2006 to Jul. 22, 2007.   We have tranaslated and posted this material chapter by chapter, for the introduction and simplified parts in the first round and for the detailed parts in the second round.  (No English pages are made.)  The Japanese versions were later published as a book, see Vol. 3 of "TRIZ Practices and Benefits" published by CrePS Institute

The author has reorganized all the components of TRIZ tools and constructed an overall process of product development in accordance with the in/out relationships of information.  The chapters of the course are as follows:

Introduction
A.  Discovery of Market
B. Clarify the System Functions
C. Identify the Physical Phenomena
D. Identify the System Objects
E. Simplify the System (IFR)
F. What is the Main Problem
G. What Causes the Problem
H. Turn Object Knobs to Fix the Problem
I. Resolve Resulting Contradictions
J.  Implement the Solution
K. Appendix: Idealizing Functions
L. Appendix: Table of Knobs
M.  Appendix:  System Evolution
N. Appendix: Miscellaneous

The author describes these procedures with a large number of illustrative figures of examples.  He also illustrated many more ways of solving Physical Contradictions than classical TRIZ. -- The textbook is easy to understand and enjoyable for beginners, and yet it is challenging for experts, especially because the author has shown his way of reorganizing TRIZ and challenges us experts to shoe our own way of understanding and extending our own ways.  

  TRIZ Lecture: OTSM-TRIZ Introductory Seminar: General Theory on Powerful Thinking (OTSM): Digest of Evolution, Theoretical Background, Tools for Practice and Some Domain of Application (Nikolai Khomenko (Insight Technologies Lab, Canada)) (Sept. 19, 2011)

The Meterial of OTSM-TRIZ Introductory Seminar held by Japan TRIZ Society on Sept. 8, 2010 in Tokyo.  One-day seminar for full 6 hours in English. PDF file of his 134 presentation slides is posted here.  The Outline is:

General Theory on Powerful Thinking (OTSM): digest of evolution, theoretical background, tools for practice and some domains of application.
--  Real Life Example of OTSM Based Toolbox Application
--  What We Do When We Solve Problems
--  OTSM Debut Idea by Altshuller
--  Classical TRIZ as an Applied Scientific Theory for Creating Tools That Avoid Us Make Lot of Trials and Errors While Solving Non Typical Problems.
--  Starting Point of the Journey from TRIZ to OTSM
--  What Canonical Problem Underlining Every Non Typical Problem Solving Process?
--  OTSM Axioms - The Most General Rules We Have To Keep in Mind When Use OTSM Toolbox
--  Fundamental Models of OTSM We Have to Keep in Mind When We Use OTSM Toolbox or Derive New One for the Theory and New Tools Development
--  OTSM ENV Fractal Model
--  OTSM Fractal Model of a Problem Solving Process
--  The Most General Domain Free Tools for Complex Interdisciplinary Problematic Situation Managing
--  Super Short Introduction to OTSM Express Analysis of an Initial Situation
--  General Schema of OTSM Problem Solving Process
--  Application OTSM PFN Approach for Complex System Modeling. Integration Qualitative Methods with Quantitative Methods.
--  Black Boxes of OTSM
--  Managing Creative Chaos
--  Where OTSM Tools Were Tested?
--  Classical TRIZ and OTSM Education Should Be Different from Traditional. Why?
--  Last But Not Least: What Is Creativity? OTSM Standing Point.

  Tutorial: USIT (Unified Structured Inventive Thinking) in the Six-Box Scheme (Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 3, 2016) 

Tutorial Lecture on USIT for 3 hours in English at ICSI 2015 in Hong Kong.  A full explanation of USIT to the beginners, using the USIT Manual and five USIT Case Studies .  The most comprehensive material for learning USIT.  Slides of 126 pages. 


 

(7) Documents of TRIZ/CrePS methodologies

  TRIZ / USIT Documents: TRIZ and USIT Solution Generation Methods -- Cross References (Toru Nakagawa)    (Posted: Apr. 3, 2003; Withdrawn: Apr. 8, 2003; Reposted: (Dec. 22, 2012)

This page and its subsequent pages represent the cross references of solution generation method between TRIZ <==> USIT.  On the USIT side, we have a system of USIT Operators having 5 main and 32 sub operators.  On the other (TRIZ) side we show 40 Inventive Principles (according to Salamatov's textbook), 76 Inventive Standards (according to Salamatov's textbook), Inventive Standards (according to Mann's textbook), and Trends of System Evolution (according to Mann's textbook), and in addition Sickafus' 21 Heuristics.  The indexes USIT ==> TRIZ (i.e., pages (A) and (B) shown below) were posted on Sept. 22, 2002.  While the indexes TRIZ ==> USIT (i.e., pages (1), (2a), (2b), (3), and (4) shown below) were poosted on Apr. 3, 2002, but withdrawn on Apr. 8, 2002, and reposted on Dec. 22, 2012 after correction; I apologize that I cited new TRIZ texbooks without mentioning the TRIZ tools were originally developed by Mr. G. Altshuller.

(0) TRIZ and USIT Solution Generation Methods -- Cross References (Index top)  (Toru Nakagawa)    (Posted: Apr. 3, 2003; Withdrawn: Apr. 8, 2003 ; Re-posted Dec. 22, 2012)

(1) TRIZ: 40 Inventive Principles (according to Salamatov's textbook) -- Cross references to USIT solution generation methods  (Toru Nakagawa)  (Posted: Apr. 3, 2003; Withdrawn: Apr. 8, 2003 ; Re-posted Dec. 22, 2012)

(2a) TRIZ: 76 Inventive Standards (according to Salamatov's textbook) -- Cross references to USIT solution generation methods  (Toru Nakagawa)  (Posted: Apr. 3, 2003; Withdrawn: Apr. 8, 2003 ; Re-posted Dec. 22, 2012)

(2b) TRIZ: Inventive Standards (according to Mann's textbook) -- Cross references to USIT solution generation methods  (Toru Nakagawa)  (Posted: Apr. 3, 2003; Withdrawn: Apr. 8, 2003 ; Re-posted Dec. 22, 2012)

(3) TRIZ: Trends of System Evolution (according to Mann's textbook) -- Cross references to USIT solution generation methods   (Toru Nakagawa)   (Posted: Apr. 3, 2003; Withdrawn: Apr. 8, 2003 ; Re-posted Dec. 22, 2012)

(4) Sickafus' 21 Heuristics-- Cross references to USIT solution generation methods  (Hideaki Kosha and Toru Nakagawa)    (Posted: Apr. 3, 2003; Withdrawn: Apr. 8, 2003 ; Re-posted Dec. 22, 2012)

(A) USIT Solution Generation Methods (Full Version) -- Simplified System by the Reorganization of TRIZ Solution Generation Methods (Toru Nakagawa, Hideaki Kosha, and Yuji Mihara)   (Posted: Nov. 19, 2002)

(B) USIT Solution Generation Methods (Extended Version) -- Simplified System by the Reorganization of TRIZ Solution Generation Methods (Toru Nakagawa, Hideaki Kosha, and Yuji Mihara)   (Posted: Nov. 19, 2002)

  CrePS Documents: General methodology for creative problem solving and task achieving (CrePS) : Systematized Documents (Technological Areas) (Toru Nakagawa) (Oct. 20, 2013)

This page intends to be the document of systematized description of the 'General methodology for creative problem solving and task achieving (CrePS)' (See its vision in: ).  It is described in a hierarchical tabular format and in an accumulative manner, and is posted here openly. The full contents of the CrePS methodology will be shown in a way easy to view and read in tables arranged in a hierarchical system.  I wish that the descriptions are carried out by a (large) number of contributing authors with many (countless) times of revisions.  Starting the first step is most useful to show the direction, I suppose.  Thus I posted the present page in Japanese (outline and further descriptions) and in English (outline only, at moment). 

The CrePS methodology/documents are composed of the following 3 parts.  Outlines are posted in HTML, while detailed descriptions in Excel files.

(A) Initial Part: in the Real World, Box-1 ==> Box-2. Outline, Outline (Japanese), Description (Excel) , Description (Japanese, Excel).

(B) Main Part: in the Thinking World, Box-2 ==> Box-3 ==> Box-4 ==> Box-5. Outline, Outline (Japanese), Description (Excel) , Description (Japanese, Excel).

(C) Succeeding Part: in the Real World, Box-5 ==> Box-6. Outline, Outline (Japanese), Description (Excel) , Description (Japanese, Excel).

Whenever I receive contributed manuscripts in accordance to the vision and style of the CrePS methodology, I will be happy to reflect the contributions in the present documents of the CrePS methodology.

  CrePS/TRIZ/USIT Documents:   USIT Process Documents (Index): USIT: A Concise Process of Creative Problem Solving in the 'Six-Box Scheme' (Toru Nakagawa)  (May 25, 2015) (Jun. 26, 2015)

The index page of the documents related to USIT, conaining the indexes of the following 4 items:.
(A) USIT Manual, (B) USIT Case Studies, (C) USIT Operators, (D) USIT References

   USIT Manual (Toru Nakagawa)  (May 25, 2015) (Jun. 26, 2015)

Manual of the USIT process has been described in the form of 31 slides along its steps.  The USIT process is now fully described by use of the consistent demonstration of a case study and instructions and remarks on the USIT concepts and its thinking process.  Examples of USIT usage in the 'Collection of USIT Case Studies' are described along the steps of the 'USIT Manual' so that you can understand USIT fully in its variety of usage.  The Manual is posted both in HTML (with images) and in PDF .

 


 

(8) TRIZ Forum (communications, discussions, questions, etc.)

  Essay & History: My Experiences with My Teacher Genrikh Saulovich Altshuller (Phan Dung (Vietnam National Univ.))   (May 8, 2001)

Supplementary document of the Keynote Speech presented by Phan Dung at TRIZCON2001, Mar. 25-27, 2001. Japanese translation by Toru Nakagawa.  Both English and Japanese versions are posted here.   The Author was a university student sent by Vietnam to Baku and happened to meet Mr. Altshuuller there.  The outline is as follows (even though the original version does not show sections). 

1.  My interest in the thinking process
2.   Encoutering Mr. Altshuller
3.   Curriculumn in Mr. Altshuller's school: the Public Institute of Inventive Creativity
4.   Mr. Altshuller as an educator
5.   Mr. Altshuller's guidance in my thesis work
6.   Typewriting my thesis
7.   My return to Vietnam
8.   My PhD work in Leningrad and the TRIZ School in Leningrad
9.    Trip to Baku to see Mr. Altshuller again
10.  Later communications with Mr. Altshller by mails
11.   The last letter I got from Mr. Altshuller and his death
12.   Becoming a student of Mr. Altshuller
13.   The whole life of Mr. Altshuller
14.   Significance of the work by Mr. Altshuller

This essay vividly describes the communications between Mr. Altshuller and his students. It is really happy for us to learn that Mr. Altshuller's enthusiathm, devotion, and love to mankind have founded TRIZ.

  TRIZ Forum: Issues for TRIZ: The Journey So Far and the Way Forward for TRIZ (S. Saleem Arshad (Applied Innovations, Australia))  (May 9, 2010)

Contributed on May 6, 2010 and posted here in Englsih and in Japanese translation. This is a valuable article containing a lot of important issues which need to be discussed. The Author writes in the Abstract as: "Increasing global emphasis on innovation as an agent of change and recovery from the economic crises, places new demands on the development of advanced tools for technical innovation. Four contributing causes for the apparent lack of success of TRIZ in mainstream usage are identified and examined. Consequently, eleven aspects are presented to highlight a way forward for TRIZ and for the overall field of innovation sciences."
-- I wish many TRIZ leaders in the world to read this and respond to it if possible.  My brief comments on this article are posted at the bottom of the article. 

  TRIZ Forum: Paper: A Review of Japanese References on Scientists’ Responsibility (Kana Okawa) (Aug. 4, 2013)

Presented at 3rd Forum on Knowledge Co-Creation (on March 2-3, 2013) and Published in "Forum on Knowledge Co-Creation" in Jul. 2013.  Miss Okawa was a PhD student at JAIST (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technologylocated near Kanzawa) and started this research after the March 11 Disaster in Japan due to the M9.0 earthquake, tsunami, and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. She wanted to reconsider "What scientists, and myself, should do?". She collected books and papers (written in Japanese) which contain the keywords such as 'scientists', 'responsibility', 'ethics', etc. in their titles or abstracts.  Reading over 140 such references she wrote this review paper.  -- Attending at her presentation I was much impressed with her intensive work and her serious attitude. 

  TRIZ Forum: Letters from Readers (Discussions) : Research focus is on problem finding and solution execution rather than problem solving (Darrel Mann)/ Thinking methods for problem solving are the basis we should establish now (Toru Nakagawa) (Dec. 23, 2013)

Darrell Mann's commnet on my CrePS methodology approach, and Nakagawa's reply via email. Mann says: "Difficulties in the innovation are to identify a 'right' problem and to execute the ideas generated.  Problem solving itself is rather easy."  I responded, from my viewpoint of the Six-box Scheme of CrePS, saying: "The two difficulties raised by Darrell need to be considered in the 'Real World'.  Whereas the main part of problem solving should be carried out in the 'Thinking World'.  The methodologies of problem solving, including TRIZ, have not found a good framework (i.e., scheme or paradigm) and hence have been confusing. Introducing the framework of the Six-box Scheme and establishing CrePS, the problem solving methodology in the 'Thinking World' will become clearer and systematic.  It will certainly give the basis for innovations and contribute to much wider areas of application." -- This is an important discussion on our research focus, or research foci.

 Forum: Earthquake Prediction Research: Introduction to the Research of Short-term (or Just-before) Prediction of Earthquakes by Use of Electromagnetic Phenomena: Especially Works by Professor Takumi Yoshioka (Hokkaido Univ. of Science) (Editor: Toru Nakagawa) (Mar. 7; Mar. 9, 2015)

My intentions of starting this Forum are:
(a) Short-term (or just-before) prediction of earthquakes is eagerly desired. 
(b) Seismological Society of Japan (SSJ), however, regards it (almost) impossible.  SSJ says so on the basis of using mechanical aspects (e.g., position, displacement, stress, vibration, etc.) as the keys.  If so, we should better try to use different types of signals, especially electromagnetic signals, as TRIZ suggests.
(c) The electromagnetic phenomena of earthquakes are not yet well known, and researches in such directions are often criticized premature.   Then, we should make efforts in multiple aspects in parallel, e.g., discoveries of new phenomena, inventions of methods for detecting and observing them, revealing the mechanisms of them, inventions of extracting and utilizing useful information from them, etc., so as to stimulate one another.
(d)  Earthquake Prediction Society of Japan (EPSJ) was established last year for promoting research in such directions.
(e) I recently learned Prof. Takumi Yoshioka's work where some electromagnetic signals are detected with online monitoring system of electric power generators; and I wish to support the promotion of its examination and further development.
(f)  This page will show indexes of articles posted in the present site, references, discussions, etc.

 Forum: Earthquake Prediction Research:  Up-to-Date Report on the Early Detection of Omens of Anomalies in Monitoring Power Plant Equipment (Anomalous phenomena detected just before earthquakes) (Takumi Yoshioka (Mado-Planning), Hiroaki Kawai (Hokkaido Inst. of Tech.)) (Mar. 7; Mar. 9, 2015)

A software system was developed for monitoring the operation of electric power generators in thermal and nuclear power plants.  In such data, effects of earthquakes are found.  The data monitored every minute show the effect of shock by an earthquake and also some unstable signs of wattless currents after the quake.  In addition, since 30 minutes before the earthquake there appeared anomalous behavior in the data, just like the generator is roaring.   It is not caused by earthquake vibration but by some electromagnetic effect.  This paper, presented in Jun. 2010, clearly expresses the possibility of predicting an earthquake. 

Forum:  A New Discussion: Do We Have Any Methodology of Creative Research in Academia ? Can CrePS (or the Six-box Scheme) Contribute to It ?    (Aug. 6, 2016)  

The issue is raised by a prominent professor: Academia has been carrying out a huge number of advanced researches.  But there is no common understanding of ‘How to achieve Creative Research’ in the Academia, and such achievements have been obtained without any relation to the methods like TRIZ.  Thus the methodologies like TRIZ and CrePS seem to have very little relevance/significance with the methods for promoting academic researches.     
--- Nakagawa responded:  It is a pity that the methodology like TRIZ/CrePS has rarely penetrated into the academia.  It seems quite strange to me that the academia has not obtained a common and general  understanding about ‘How to do Creative Research’.  We should first consider for what types of purposes we need such a method. :
   (a) To think over the future grand directions for research themes in the scope covering various research fields.
   (b) In a research field, to think over on what research theme to work.
   (c) For a research theme, to think over what should be really revealed and solved.
   (d) For a research theme, to think what is the barrier making the revealing/solving difficult and how to break it through.
   (e) For individual tasks in a research theme, to think of the methods of research, experiments, and equipment design, etc.
   (f) For problems and tasks in further detail, to think how to solve them one by one.     
I think that the representation of the Six-box Scheme of CrePS   fits well for the purposes of (d), (e), and (f) and should be applicable with some adaptation to the purposes in (a), (b), and (c). 

 

 

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Last updated on Jan. 10, 2019.     Access point:  Editor: nakagawa@ogu.ac.jp