TRIZ Forum: Conference Report (21)


Personal Report of
ETRIA "TRIZ Future 2008" Conference

Held by European TRIZ Association (ETRIA)
on Nov. 5 - 7, 2008, at the University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Toru Nakagawa (Osaka Gakuin Univ., Japan), 
Mar. 1, 2009
[Posted on Mar. 2, 2009] 

For going back to Japanese pages, press buttons.  Brief summary only is written in Japanese.

Editor's Note (Toru Nakagawa, Feb. 28, 2009)

This is a personal report of ETRIA 'TRIZ Future 2008' Conference held on November 5 - 7, 2008 at The University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands (See ETRIA Official Web site and TFC2008 Web site ). As you might already know in ETRIA Web site or in this Web site, I have written this kind of 'Personal Report' for all the ETRIA TFCs , TRIZCONs , and Japan TRIZ Symposia since 1998.  The intentions and purposes of writing such reports are to introduce the contents of these conferences to people who are interested in TRIZ but were not able to attend the conference.  Reports written from personal views can have unique roles of conveying vivid information with some evaluation, which neither official 'fair' reports nor authors' 'original' papers can have. However, personal reports need to be written in a delicate balance of personal interests and evaluation vs. fairness, under the limitation of reporter's understanding of the papers and presentations (see some more description in my previous report ).

Writing 'Personal Report' is getting more and more heavy load for me, I feel.  Partly because I was so busy to write the report of Japan TRIZ Symposium until late October, partly because there are as many as 50 papers, partly because I could attend at less-than-half of the presentations due to double -track sessions, partly because I am not good at taking notes of speeches, etc., etc.   I started writing this report on Dec 7, wrote little by little in parallel to reading the papers, and finished writing reviews of almost all individual papers on Jan. 18, 2008.    However, since then I was so busy for my university classes and for preparing for our Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009, etc., that it took more than a month for me to finalize the manuscripts.  In a few more days I will definitely post this report, together with brief summary in Japanese, in my Web site.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to all the people who organized this TFC 2008 Conference, especially Dr. Tom Vaneker (Univ. of Twente), Mr. Valeri Souchkov (ICG Training & Consulting) and Professor Gaetano Cascini (ETRIA), and who contributed and participated to it for making it successful.  I also wish to thank all the authors who gave me permission of citing their figures in this report.  The paragraphs (or sentences) starting with '***' and the inserts enclosed in [ ] show my (particularly) personal comments. If you (especially the authors of the conference papers) find any mistake or misunderstanding in this report, please notify me via email.

PDF version of this report

 

Top of this page 1. Outline List of papers 2. Keynotes 3. TRIZ Methodology 4. Integrations with others 5. Case Studies in Industries 6. Promotion in Industries 7. In Academia
8 Patent studies 9. Non-Technological Applications 10. Miscellaneous 11. Concluding Remarks PDF of this report ETRIA TFC 2008 Official site ETRIA Official site ETRIA TFC2007 Nakagawa's Personal Report Japanese page

 


1. Outline of the Conference

Name of the conference: The ETRIA 'TRIZ Future 2008' Conference
Date: Nov. 5, 2008 (Wed.)  9:00 -- Nov. 7, 2008 (Fri.) 15:00 (3 days)
Location: The University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Held by:

ETRIA (European TRIZ Association) ,
The University of Twente

Sponsored by CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering)
Participants: About 80
Presentations: 4 Keynote Speeches, 35 Oral Presentations (in double), 3 Tutorials, 4 Posters
Proceedings: Proceedings of the "TRIZ-Future Conference 2008: Synthesis of Innovation" (39 papers, 266 pages), Edited by Tom Vaneker and Eric Lutters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Eighth "TRIZ Future Conference" held by ETRIA.  You can see my Personal Reports of the previous conferences in Bath, UK (2001), in Strasbourg, France (2002), in Aachen, Germany (2003), in Florence, Italy (2004), in Graz, Austria (2005), in Kortrijk, Belgium (2006) , and in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (2007) .  This year it was held in Enschede, the Netherlands.

The Conference was organized by the collaboration of ETRIA (Professor Gaetano Cascini) and the University of Twente (Professor Fred van Houten, Dr. Tom Vaneker). We thank all those who made this conference possible and fruitful. 

The theme of the Conference was "Synthesis of Innovation". The Proceedings of the Conference contain 39 papers in 266 pages.  It is divided into two parts, i.e. Scientific Papers and Industrial and Practitioner Papers, reflecting to the two reviewing committees.  Scientific Committee with 20 members and Industrial & Practitioners Committee with 13 members made double or triple peer reviews for accepting and suggesting improvements of the papers.

Agenda outline

Nov. 5 (Wed.)    am Tutorial 1 Tutorial 2 Tutorial 3
  pm Opening & Keynote 1
Session 1 Session 2
Keynote  2
Nov. 6 (Thu)   am Session 3 and 5 Session 4 and 6
  pm Keynote 3
Session 7 and 9 Session 8 and 10
Keynote 4
  eve Dinner
Nov. 7 (Fri)    am Session  11 and 13

Session 12 and 14

  pm Closing
ETRIA Members Meeting

List of Papers: Categorized,  with abbreviated titles

In the present report, I am going to review all the papers in the order of following categories and arrangements, even though somewhat arbitrary.  In the following list, the papers are shown with the top author (with its country) and titles abbreviated to fit in single lines (sorry but it will help readability).

2. Keynotes and Tutorials

Keynotes:  
Harry Rutten (Netherlands) Successful Regional Innovation by TRIZ
Zinovy Royzen (USA) TOP-TRIZ
Fred van Houten ( Netherlands) New approaches to Design Engineering research
Karel Bolckmans (Netherlands) TRIZ and biology
Tutorials  
HongYul Yoon (South Korea) TRIZ for Technological Applications
Valeri Souchkov (Netherlands) TRIZ for Business and Management Applications
Iouri Belski (Australia) Su-Field Analysis

3.  Methodologies in TRIZ

Oleg Feygenson et al. (Russia) Function Approach for Resource Analysis
Valeri Souchkov (Netherlands) Value-Conflict Mapping (VCM) and Innovation Strategy
Sergei Ikovenko (USA) Trend of Sustainability Increase
Darrell Mann (UK) Smart Materials Solve Contradictions
Dmitry Kucharavy et al. (France) Logistic Substitution Model and Technological Forecasting
Gaetano Cascini et al. (Italy) Systematic Definition of Evolutionary Scenarios
Denis Cavallucci et al. (France) On Contradiction Clouds
Ives De Saeger et al. (Belgium) Strengthening the 40 Inventive Principles

4. Integration of TRIZ with Other Methodologies

Isak Bukhman (USA) TRIZ Value Innovation Roadmap for Projects Innovation
Karsten Böhm (Austria) et al. Innovative Methodologies and IT Tool for SMEs
Shuo-Kai Tsai et al. (UK) TRIZ Incorporating the BRIGHT Process in Design
Giacomo Bersano et al. (France) Integration of TRIZ and Risk Management
Philip Samuel et al. (USA) Inventive Principles for Robust Design Concepts
Fritz Klocke et al. (Germany) Design Methodology for Hybrid Production Processes
Rogier W. de Vries et al. (Netherlands) Using TRIZ in a co-disciplinary design environment
G. Maarten Bonnema (Netherlands) The Engineers’ Innovation Toolkit
Albert van der Kuij (Netherlands) Building a Business Model

5. Case Studies in Industry

Pavel Jirman et al. (Czech Republic) TRIZ for the Homogenization of Molten Glass
Günther Schuh et al. (Germany) How to Prevent Product Piracy using TRIZ
HeeChoon Lee (Korea) et al. Wisdom of Creating Learning through TRIZ

6. Promotion of TRIZ in Industries

Ellen Domb (USA) Teaching TRIZ to Beginners
Robert Adunka (Germany) Teaching TRIZ within Siemens

7. Usage of TRIZ in Academia

Gaetano Cascini (Italy) et al. TETRIS: Teaching TRIZ at School
Victor Berdonosov (Russia) Application Characteristics of the Law of System Completeness
Iouri Belski et al. (Australia) Cognitive Foundations of TRIZ Problem-Solving Tools
Toru Nakagawa et al. (Japan) TRIZ/USIT for Auto-locking Door System of Apartment Building
Nasir Ayub et al. (UK) Matrix Principles for the Communications and Electronics Domain

8. Patent Studies

P.-A. Verhaegen et al. (Belgium) Searching for Similar Products through Patent Analysis
Simon Dewulf et al. (Belgium) TRIZ Related Innovation Methodology
Roberto Nani et at. (Italy) Technological Route between Pioneerism and Improvement

9. Non-Technological Applications

Atsuko Ishida (Japan) TRIZ-based Business Idea Database to Find Customers’ Potential
Hongyul Yoon (South Korea) Pointers to Effects for Non-technical Problem Solving
Darrell Mann (UK) et al Creating A Meta/Mega/Micro Market Trend Hierarchy

10. Miscellaneous and No-Presentation Papers

Pavel Livotov (Germany) Quantitative Evaluation of Innovation Tasks
László Farkas (Hungary) TRIZ-ARIZ in Transformer-type Fault Current Limiter Development

11. Concluding Remarks


2. Keynotes and Tutorials

Keynotes:  
Harry Rutten (Netherlands) Successful Regional Innovation by TRIZ
Zinovy Royzen (USA) TOP-TRIZ
Fred van Houten ( Netherlands) New approaches to Design Engineering research
Karel Bolckmans (Netherlands) TRIZ and biology
Tutorials  
HongYul Yoon (South Korea) TRIZ for Technological Applications
Valeri Souchkov (Netherlands) TRIZ for Business and Management Applications
Iouri Belski (Australia) Su-Field Analysis

 

Four Keynote Lectures were given.  No papers were printed but the presentation slides were provided in PDF. 

Harry Rutten (DSM, The Netherlands) [K-1] gave the Keynote just after the Opening with the title of "Synthesis of Innovation: Successful Regional Innovation by TRIZ Practitioners".  This is a unique report of a big project organized with the leadership of a regional governmental organization and co-operation of universities, industries, and consultancies, etc.  Their aims are shown in the the slide (below-left), and the co-operative organizations are listed in the slide (below-right).

  

Their model of "Open Innovation", illustrated below, is interesting in the point that many companies are involved in various stages.  This model is based with the concept of "Cyclic Innovation Model". 

This model also emphasizes the importance of learning and human capital:

  

Experimental project (named OIL) has been carried out under the leadership of Province of Limburg, as the project owner.  30 cases were done with TRIZ, QFD, and CPS (Creative Problem Solving).  Chemical, Life Science and other industries worked together to achieve the cases, shown bellow-right as examples.

They operated the cases in the following three stages, deciding Go/NG in each stage:

      

The following slides show the evaluations of the results and influence on innovation: 

*** This is a valuable report in the point that a regional government organization has led multiple companies, universities, and consulting agencies, etc. to perform experimental projects for activating and implementing innovative activities/culture.  This shows the steady progress of the TRIZ community in The Netherlands (and in EU) penetrating into universities, industries, and official sectors, etc.

Zinovy Royzen (trizconsulting, USA) gave a Keynote Lecture with the title "TOP-TRIZ: Theory, Applications, Training and Integration".  Since no presentation material is available, I would just like to cite the link to his Web site: http://www.trizconsulting.com/

Professor Fred van Houten (University of Twente, Netherlands) gave a Keynote Lecture with the title of "New approaches to Design Engineering research".  His laboratory in the University of Twente hosted the present ETRIA Conference, and served a lot in the preparation and operation of the conference.  We also had a short tour of his laboratory on the second day evening.  The top slide of the Keynote shows his lab. 

In the Faculty of Engineering, his group belongs to the Design, Production and Management Research Group and especially focuses on Design Engineering.  In the presentation he talks about Design synthesis, Scenario based design and VR (Virtual Reality).  The principal current project of the lab is shown in the following two slides: IOP-IPCR Project.  

Human movement is captured in real time at a number of sensor points and can be modeled to display as shown in the slide below-left.  By combining the Virtual World with the Real World, various jobs can be trained and done easily and more creatively. 

 

Usage of scenarios is illustrated in the following two slides.

 

Karel Bolckmans (Koppert, The Netherlands) gave a Keynote Lecture on the third day with the title of "TRIZ and biology, a natural symbiosis".  The Author has the experiences of TRIZ for about 8 years and working at a research laboratory of biological industry (below-left).   This presentation conveys a lot of information, with the outline shown in the following slide (below-right):  

    

First, the Author shows the 12 characteristics of living systems (taken from S.G. Haines, 2000), and 6 more.

   

The first approach is to consider the problem in the Bio systems with the concepts and solutions in TRIZ. 

The second main approach is to learn from Nature.  The Author quotes brief but important phrases from Janine M. Benyus (1997):

   

The following slides show the uniqueness of Nature in comparison to technology, and summarize a lot of important concepts we can learn from Nature.  Especially, sustainability is found most important concept for the future of human being; this urges the introduction of sustainability in the TRIZ concept of Ideality.

 

 

 

Three Tutorials were given on the first day morning in parallel.  The presentation slides are posted in the Conference Web site for the participants.  Here are the list of the Tutorials.  They are interesting but not reviewed in this Personal Report.

Tutorial 1: HongYul Yoon (South Korea): "Introduction to TRIZ for Technological Applications"

Tutorial 2: Valeri Souchkov (Netherlands): "Introduction to TRIZ for Business and Management Applications"

Tutorial 3: Iouri Belski (Australia): "A Systematized Use of Su-Field Analysis"


3. Methodologies in TRIZ

Oleg Feygenson et al. (Russia) Function Approach for Resource Analysis
Valeri Souchkov (Netherlands) Value-Conflict Mapping (VCM) and Innovation Strategy
Sergei Ikovenko (USA) Trend of Sustainability Increase
Darrell Mann (UK) Smart Materials Solve Contradictions
Dmitry Kucharavy et al. (France) Logistic Substitution Model and Technological Forecasting
Gaetano Cascini et al. (Italy) Systematic Definition of Evolutionary Scenarios
Denis Cavallucci et al. (France) On Contradiction Clouds
Ives De Saeger et al. (Belgium) Strengthening the 40 Inventive Principles

 

Oleg Feygenson, Maria Urusova (ALGORITHM Technology Research Center, Russia) [O-21] gave a presentation on "Function Approach for Resource Analysis".  Resource Analysis is one of the important topics in TRIZ.  The Authors gave an overview of existing approaches of Resource Analysis in TRIZ and found "they are concentrated to list up as many resources as possible, and are missing in the effective way of selecting most appropriate ones among them".  Thus the paper focuses on the suggestion of a practical and simple approach for identifying the most applicable resources.

The Authors proposes the Algorithm shown in the slide (right).  Their approach emphasizes the functions.  After identifying the key problem, the formulation of IFR (Ideal Final Result) with the X-element (or X-component) is recommended.  [Note: The concept of X-element in ARIZ is just like the introduction of an unknown variable x in algebra.  The content of x is revealed later.]  Then the function to be achieved by the X-element need to be clarified.

In step 4, FOS (Function Oriented Search) is used.  But in this step the Authors also recommend the use of Trimming, as illustrated later.  Step 5 is the process of listing up and selecting the Resources.  This part will be discussed later.

In the presentation/paper, two or three case studies were reported.  The case study on Skin Moisturizing Product is interesting, as you see here.  The problem is shown, and then the goal of the Resource Analysis is stated to be the identification of possible delivery systems for the body lotion, without the ordinary Moisturizing step.
In one approach, the Trimming method is used, as shown here.  A series of processes of body care is shown, and then the process of Moisturizing with lotion is eliminated.  Then the function of moisturizing need to be achieved in some other process (either before or after).  Possible processes and possible candidate products are listed up with the consideration of the selection criteria described in the step 5 of the Algorithm. 

The slide here shows the approach of using FOS (Function Oriented Search) for the same problem.  The desirable function was generalized as 'to distribute substance' (instead of 'to deliver the body lotion').  The desirable properties of the system is also considered in general terms. 

A novel system of Electrostatic spray painting was found in an area quite different from the body care area.  With the hint of this method, an image of the new method of 'Electrostatic application of skin moisturizing product' was derived. 

I would like to quote the Authors' conclusion from their Abstract:

This paper demonstrates the importance of Resource Analysis in modern TRIZ and provides an overview of existing findings regarding resources. The main goal of the paper is to suggest an approach that can be used for the identification and evaluation of resources. The advantages of the developed approach are as follows:
• Practicality: the suggested approach is focused on the rapid development of workable ideas without significant effort.
• Efficiency: the suggested approach is based on recommendations of proven TRIZ tools, such as ARIZ, Trimming and Function-Oriented Search.
• Simplicity: the suggested approach is quite understandable and can be used by everyone who has a basic knowledge of TRIZ.

Valeri Souchkov (ICG Training & Consulting, The Netherlands) [O-31] gave a presentation with the title of "Value-Conflict Mapping (VCM) To Structure Innovation Strategy".  The Author's Abstract is quoted here first:

The paper presents an overview of key concepts of Value-Conflict Mapping (VCM), developed to help with collecting and structuring information about existing and potential problems in various types of man-made systems in a systematic way. These problems are represented in terms of contradictions between market and/or business demands caused by current system properties or parameters which often must have opposite values or be in opposite states to satisfy two or more different demands. A procedure of value inversion is introduced to extract more information about demands and contradictions. The paper also shows a general process of Value-Conflict Mapping and is illustrated by several examples.

The intention of the Value-Conflict Mapping (VCM) is shown in the slide (right).

The process of building and using VCM are illustrated in the slide (below).

First the market (or customer) demands are listed.  Then for each demand, the subsystems responsible for it is identified, together with the parameters (or attributes) and their qualitative values. 

Next, the qualitative values of the parameters are inverted (e.g. high to low, large to small) for revealing the demands from the business side. 

The results can be represented in the form of a VCM Tree diagram as shown below for the case of a supermarket.

The VCM Tree diagram reveals a large number of fundamental contradictions not only between the market demands and the business demands but also within the market and the business demands.  The usage of the resulting VCM is instructed in the slide below-left.  The Author summarizes his experiences of using VCM in the slide below-right.
[ *** This method seems easy to apply and useful for revealing a lot of contradictions from a wide range of perspectives.]

 

Sergei Ikovenko (GEN3 Partners and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA) [O-33] gave a paper on "Further Development of the Trends of Evolution – Trend of Sustainability Increase". I will quote the initial part of Introduction by the Author:

Sustainable Design is the systematic application of environmental considerations to product design at all stages of a product's life cycle. These stages include resource extraction, manufacturing, shipping/transport, useful life, and end of life (from cradle to grave or cradle to cradle). The ultimate goal of Sustainable Product Design is to create systems that enable us to produce and consume goods and services without compromising our future. To achieve it requires a redesign of goods and services so that they are eco-efficient and/or eco-effective.

An overview of various life cycles of products (from cradle to cradle) is well illustrated in the slide.  In this figure we can recognize various stages of reusing, recycling, and regeneration of products and materials.  Sustainable Design needs to consider all these stages.
The Author writes the guidelines of Sustainable Design as shown in the slides.

Then the Author introduces the 'Trend of Sustainability Increase' in the following way:

Analyzing the recommendations that were derived from Design for Recycling and Reuse and from Design for Sustainability in general we can clearly see several generic mechanism that focus on the same objective – to increase the level of sustainability of the engineering systems. That brought up a hypothesis that there was a Trend of Sustainability Increase: in the process of its evolution the sustainability of engineering systems increases. It is obvious that such a statement is a sub-trend on the Ideality Increase Trend.
Further analysis of engineering systems in sustainability patents, designs as well as increasingly tough regulations of EPA and other environmental agencies allowed to distill several more granular mechanisms that express the general notion of sustainability increase:

Then the Author shows three Trends.  They are:

Recyclability - Usage Increase,

Hazardous Materials Reduction,

Fasteners

 

 
     

The Author shows brief case studies of (a) Filter bags for cleaning industrial gases, and (b) a new EPA/MIT project for computer recycling.  He recommends to use the TRIZ methods of Functional Analysis, Trimming, and Function-oriented search, etc. for analyzing and solving such problems.

Darrell Mann (Systematic Innovation, UK) [O-6] gave a nice presentation with the title of "Smart Materials Solve Contradictions: Connecting The Right Materials Solution To The Right Market Need".  I will quote the initial part of the Author's Abstract first:

In the paper, we propose that the primary value of any smart material comes from its contradiction-resolving abilities, and that the key to successful commercialization of any smart material involves making the right links between a contradiction-solving material and a market need for that contradiction to be solved.

'Trend of Smart Materials' is recognized as one of the emerging trends in Darrell Mann's textbook "Hands-On Systematic Innovation".  The Trend is schematically shown in the slide here.  The problem is 'what kind of adaptability smart materials can have'. 

The main message by the Author in the present paper is that smart materials can have contradictory properties A AND Not-A and hence when they are properly applied they can solve a problem of contradiction.

For representing a contradiction, the Author introduces a new diagram as shown below.  The left slide illustrate an example of requirement for a vacuum cleaner.  The cleaner is required to be good in picking up dirt from the floor (hence need high suction), and to be easy to move on the floor (hence need low suction).  This scheme is generalized as shown in the right slide, where a Technical Contradiction and a Physical Contradiction are drawn together as partners.  In the form of the Physical Contradiction, a parameter of the system (or its object) is required to have the value A on one side AND the value Not-A on the other side.   

      

For solving Physical Contradictions, it is well known in TRIZ to use the Separation Principle.  The process is three steps:
(1) Separate the contradicting requirements in space, in time, or in some condition.
(2) In the separated situations, build two solutions which satisfy each separate requirement individually.
(3) Then combine the two solutions together.
The step (3) is the core of the problem; and TRIZ provides in this step the solution strategies of using appropriate Inventive Principles.  The Author summarizes such solution strategies in the slide shown at the right. 

In the center of this figure we have nine Inventive Principles.  They are useful in all the situations when the requirements can be separated either in space, in time, or in condition. 

Among such nine Inventive Principles, the Author remarks Principle 35 'Parameter Changes' in this paper.  This principle guides the problem solver directly to the 'Smart Materials', the Author says.

As shown in the slide at the right, usage of 'Parameter Changes' in TRIZ is NOT about optimizing (or adjusting) the parameter value.  But rather, it is about changing parameters to give a non-linear effect (or a step change in the parameter).  This means crossing a phase boundary of the material. 

(The slide shows the phase diagram of water, plotted in the plane of temperature vs. pressure.)

The Author demonstrates various examples of design contradictions and their elegant solutions which utilizes Smart Materials.

One example is the case of windows.  We want our windows transparent in some time and opaque in some other time.  Shutters, curtains, blinds, double doors, panels, etc. are our usual equipments for satisfying these requirements, and partly transparent and partly opaque windows are our compromising solutions.  The photos in the slide show the elegant solutions using smart window material.  Various ways of application are demonstrated in this slide.  Once we have such a material we can imagine many more cases of application.  [... but which applications really? is the next problem, which is discussed by the Author.)]

Second example shown in the slide at the right is heater elements.  The designer wants the heater element to be a conductor of electricity for heating purpose, and to be an insulator for stop heating too much.  These contradictory requirements were met by a smart material which can be a conductor and an insulator.  The micro-structure of this material is explained in the slide. 

[*** Reading the explanation of the microstructure of this material, I wondered various points.  The structure reminds me a bimetal switch.  What is the advantage and disadvantage of this material in comparison with bimetal?  Is this material useful as a heater or as a regulator?  How much current applicable?  How high temperature does this hold?  How long is the durability? etc.  Probably the readers may have similar thoughts.  -- So we should follow the Author in his further presentation, especially in the last part.] 

 

Surveying all the US patents since 1985, the Author has accumulated the Smart Materials as shown in the table here. 

Smart Materials are classified according to their basic physical/chemical effects.  The rows of this table represent the type of stimulus applied to the material, and the columns represent the type of response appearing in the material. 

[*** This seems to be a comprehensive table of Smart Materials.  In the field of technologies, we can think of a much larger table having the same rows and columns but contain technical devices in each cell.  Such devices are mostly human-built macro-structures.  Smart Materials are mostly micro-structures either built by nature or arranged by human.]

The Author explains how to use the Table of Smart Materials.  ['Shape 1 AND Shape 2' in the slide are for a mechanical- mechanical case of example, and should be read more generally as 'Parameter 1 AND Parameter 2' or 'Parameter A AND Parameter Not-A'.] 

First the requirements of the (design) problem should be formulated in the contradiction as explained in the initial part of this paper, especially in the Physical Contradiction of 'Parameter A AND Parameter Not-A'.  And identify what kind of Response is required.  [This means to identify whether Parameter A (and Not-A) is electrical, magnetic, optical, etc.]
Then identify what is changing in/around the system and try to use it as the Stimulus.

 

Refer to the Table of the Smart Materials and identify the crossing cell of the Response (column) and the Stimulus (row).  In the cell you can see possible Smart Materials (or their physical effects).  Then you can study about the Smart Material more closely by Patent search, Web survey, etc.  The Author always advises us to remember 'Someone, somewhere already solved my problem.'

 

 

The Author recognizes that a number of Smart Materials are technically ready for market but are actually not much penetrating in the markets.  Most of them are output of academic research program, and thus are weak in the transition to commercialization. 

The Author recommends a general strategy for an emerging technology, as illustrated in the slide at the right. Patent application of an initial platform technology is effective to protect the the IP right for (only) 17 years.  To find high value niches for applying the technology is recommended, instead of trying to apply to its mainstream applications.  Revenues obtainable through the niche applications will support more critical, harder, and bigger development of main stream applications, and will fund research to create new platform technology patents.

 

As a successful case of commercialization, the Authors explains the 'Active Protection System' from Dow Corning.  This is a Smart Material having the property of Rigid AND Flexible.  Having some special structured silicone coating, the material is flexible under low loading conditions but it becomes very stiff when subjected to a high impulse load. 

A variety of application fields are considered, and the application to things like 'bullet-proof vests' is supposed to be the best (i.e. the mainstream application).  But 'bullet-proof' is a critical and difficult goal to achieve.  Hence, as the initial niche application, the leg protectors 'Shinguard' for soccer players including kids are chosen.  Doing experiments with this application and obtaining popularity and revenues are significant advantages.

 

 

 

*** This paper is excellent in many points, e.g. focusing on an emerging topic, theoretical formulation, accumulation of real cases and knowledge, easy protocol for utilizing the knowledge, illustrations of examples, advices to commercialization, etc.  I recall the Author's paper on "Ideality and 'Self-X' " presented at ETRIA TFC 2001. 

Dmitry Kucharavy, Roland De Guio (INSA Strasbourg, France) [O-27] gave a paper on "Logistic Substitution Model and Technological Forecasting".  This is a further extension of the Authors' previous research work for examining the possibility of S-curve analysis and technological forecasting, reported in ETRIA TFC 2005 and 2007.  The Authors reviewed and critically examined a large number of references on this topic.  [*** The discussion is quite complicated and delicate, and I am afraid I do not understand the real essence of the subject and of the present paper.  I missed to attend at the presentation.]  Their Abstract is quoted here:

In this paper the application of several models, based on the logistic growth function (simple logistic, component logistic and logistic substitution models) in the context of technology change forecasting is discussed. The main idea of this paper is to revise existing models and arrange working hypotheses for future research. First, the features of a simple logistic model are presented, different types of competition are discussed and a component logistic model is briefly presented. Second, logistic substitution models in the context of long-term technological forecasting are reviewed. Third, some hypotheses about how to improve the reliability of the logistic substitution model for studying the technological future are proposed.

As is well known, the simple logistic model is characterized by the formula shown in the slide.  It has three parameters, a, b, and k; which may be related to more practical ones Dt, tm, and k.  The parameter k is the asymptotic limit of growth, or (since 2 x 0.5k = k) twice of the amount at the time (tm) of midpoint of the growth trajectory. tm is the time at the midpoint of growth trajectory,  and the time of maximum growth rate.  Dt is defined as the time period for growing from 10% to 90% of k, and is inversely proportional to the growth rate a (i.e. Dt = (ln 81)/a = 4.4/a).

The Authors divide the growth curve into three periods (i.e., growth, saturation, and decline periods) at the timing of 10% and 90% growth of the limit k. The Authors regard short-, medium-, and long-term forecasting as the study of 1, 2, and 3 periods of the lifecycle, respectively.  The present paper concerns the medium- to long-term forecasting. 

Technology diffusion is the process of obtaining (new) technology adapted through practical use, and is the process of transition from invention to innovation. And the technologies are under the process of competition struggling for resources.  There are several models of competition between two competitors, as briefly shown in the slide. 

The actual history of (big) technologies we are interested in are always under much more complicated process of competitions among multiple competitors and in changing environments.  There are no such models, but the Authors write that they 'can be' reduced to two competitors.

For handling real cases, e.g. energy technologies, we want our forecasting models should capture and simulate numerous relationships (with a number of adjustable parameters), but at the same time the models should be simple with a minimum number of parameters.  With these conflicting requirements, the Authors use the Logistic Substitution Model, having only the three parameters as mentioned before.

The Logistic Substitution Model (LSM) used in the research report by IIASA for the case of energy technologies is shown as an example.  The slide below-left shows the assumptions introduced in the SLM Models.  The slides below-right shows the process of application, with the example of the recording media, i.e., open reel tapes, cassettes, CD, and some new ones. (The Authors write the sources of computer programs (for slide below-right): Loglet Lab by J.W. Yung et al. (Program for the Human Environment, 1998), and Logistic Substitution Model II by IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria, 2008).)

The slide shown right is the summary by the Authors.  They regard the LSM models discussed in this paper as the primary tool for the study of long-term  forecasting of super-systems.  Forecasting of changes through sub-systems needs some other approaches.

*** I notice the Authors' comment at the end of this summary.  "5. The reliable method alone is not enough for accurate long-term forecasting: crucial role of forecasters."  Probably the most important information we want to have in the technology forecasting is the maximum point (time:tm, amount: k) for each technology, especially for the emerging one still in the (early) growth period.  Observing the curves in the slides and considering the noises involved in actual data, it seems for me that the curve fitting methods alone do not give sufficient information for such parameters when the subject technology is still in the growth period.

Gaetano Cascini (Politecnico di Milano, Italy), Federico Rotini (Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy), and Davide Russo (Università degli Studi di Bergamo, Italy) [O-26] gave an excellent paper with the title of "Networks of Trends: Systematic Definition of Evolutionary Scenarios".  Authors' Abstract is quoted here first:

TRIZ literature presents several papers and even books claiming the efficiency of Altshuller’s Laws of Engineering System Evolution as a means for produce technology forecasts. Nevertheless, all the instruments and the procedures proposed so far suffer from poor repeatability, while the increasing adoption of innovation as the key factor for being competitive requires reliable and repeatable methods and tools for the analysis of emerging technologies and their potential impact. The present paper proposes an original algorithm to build a Network of Evolutionary Trends for a given Technical System with repeatable steps. Such a goal has been achieved by integrating well known models and instruments for system description and functional analysis. The overall procedure, still under further development, has been clarified by means of one of the case studies carried out for its validation.

*** The most important feature of this work, I think, is its basis on an intensive research of reference models of system analysis and engineering designs.  After reviewing TRIZ works related to technology forecasting, the Authors have tried to rebuilt their foundation on the academic reference models in design engineering.

The Authors choose several reference models for system analysis and briefly explain them.  They are:

(1) EMS Model: (G. Pahl and W. Beitz, 1996)

(2) Minimal Technical System: (G.S. Altshuller, 1979)

(3) System Operator: (G.S. Altshuller, 1979)

(4) Function-Behavior-Stucture (FBS): (J.S. Gero and M.A. Rosenman, 1990)

(5) Functional Basis for Engineering Design: (J. Hirtz et al., 2002)

The Authors are trying to clarify the relationships among these reference models.  The following slide shows the relationships among different taxonomy of functions in these reference models, as the Functional Basis for Engineering Design. 

The purpose of the work is to build a reliable and repeatable method of technology forecasting.  Such forecasting cannot be done without proper information gathering and classification.  As shown in the slide (right), two types of information sources are used; one is the subject-matter experts, and the other is scientific and technical literature including patents. 

How to use these information sources and how to build system models in an integrated manner have been implemented in a new algorithm as shown below. And the algorithms were tested in three real projects already, the Authors write. 

The integrated algorithm and its application example in the case of bottle sterilization for aseptic filling are described below.  The case study project was coordinated by the R&D Department of GEA-Procomac, a leading company in the field of aseptic filling.

The new algorithm for building a Network of Trends (NET) is outlined in the slide (right), where A, B, C, D in the dotted circles show the usage of information sources mentioned above.  The algorithm, described in the paper but skipped in the presentation slides, is briefly shown below:

Step 1. Preliminary analysis of the TS (Technical System)
  1.1 Identify the MUF (Main Useful Function) of the TS
  1.2 Analyze the goal of the TS and the role of its MUF at a super-system level
  1.3 Identify the alternative Behavioral Models (BM) of the TS.
  1.4 Identify the Auxiliary Functions requested by each specific BM of the MUF.
  1.5 Identify the undesired Harmful Effects generated by each specific BM
  1.6 Identify the amount of resources required by each BM to deliver the MUF
  1.7 Build the Minimal Technical System model of each BM.  

 

The Function-Behavior Model, which should be built at the end of Step 1, is illustrated in the slide for the case of the bottle sterilization for aseptic filling.  In this slide the Nozzle part is focused, as the heart of the sterilization equipment. 

The EMS (Energy-Material-Signal) Model is used as the basis of representation.  Then the Technical System (TS) Nozzle is broken down as shown at the bottom. In this functional model the flow of Materials, Energy, and Signal are shown in a consistent manner.

 

The functional part 'Supply' in the above graph is further broken down in this slide.  Since the part is a subsystem, it can be shown in the scheme according to the 'Law of System Completeness' in TRIZ. For clarifying the functional situations, including possible problems and defects, the Su-Field Model is also depicted.  In this manner, the Technical System should be decomposed into subsystems, and sub-subsystems, etc. for revealing the problems.

The Algorithm for building the NET continues:

Step 2. Classify the information according to the LESE (Laws of Engineering System Evolution)
   2.1 Compare the BMs of the MUF according to the Law of Transition to Micro level
   2.2 Analyze the Structure associated to each BM and its level of completeness.
   2.3 Analyze the Structure associated to each Auxiliary Function.
   2.4 Analyze the interactions between each pair of elements of the Minimal Technical System for each BM and perform a comparison according to the LESE and the TRIZ trends of evolution
   2.5 Analysis of the contradictions and their relationships with the trends.

Step 3. Build the Network of Evolutionary Trends
   3.1 Order the Minimal Technical System models of each BM of the MUF according to the trend 'Transition to Micro level'
   3.2 Within the same stage of Transition to Micro level, order the BMs according to their completeness
   3.3 Add the models of decomposed subsystems (See the slide shown above)
   3.4 Add the models of the functions identified at step 1.2
   3.5 Represent as branches of a network the trends identified at step 2 in the form of links.

A preliminary overall map of the TS evolution, constructed at Step 3.2, is illustrated in the following slide.  Aseptic filling: ordered set of Behaviors related to the MUF of a sterilizing apparatus, i.e. for reducing the amount of pathogenic bacteria on a beverage container:

The Algorithm of constructing and validating the NET goes on further:

Step 4. NET Validation and status assessment
   4.1 Mark the nodes of the network corresponding to an existing configuration of the TS (with a red circle)
   4.2 Mark the nodes of the network corresponding to features found in patents, but still not brought to the market (with a yellow circle)
   4.3 Identify new opportunities of implementation of the TS (with a green circle)

The NET (Network of Evolution Trends) diagram is now completed as shown in the following slide (in part).

Step 5. Identify the limits of NET validity
   5.1 Search for functions alternative to the MUF capable to achieve the same overall goal
   5.2 Analyze the parameters of the object of the MUF and check which variation of such parameters makes the TS incapable to provide the expected benefits, thus failing in the achievement of the goal
   5.3 Analyze the parameters of the object of the MUF and check which variation of such parameters makes the TS useless
   5.4 Investigate the impact of the removal of the constraints identified at step 1.1 or the introduction of new ones.

The Authors' Conclusions are shown in the slide (right).  The Authors reports that the case study carried out in Procomac had successful results and evaluations.

 

*** This seems to be a sound and effective approach for analyzing the current general status of a technical system and for forecasting its future.  Further trials and extensions are much anticipated. 

 

Denis Cavallucci, François Rousselot, Cecilia Zanni (INSA Strasbourg, France) [O-28] gave a presentation with the title of "On Contradiction Clouds".  I will quote the Authors' Abstract first:

Our proposal, through this article, addresses the issue of obtaining, representing and selecting the appropriate subset of contradictions among a complete set of contradictions resulting from an initial situation framing within a specific domain. This contribution has to be understood within the Inventive Design context since most of its grounding relies on the fact that any problem can be formulated as a contradiction (in the sense of TRIZ). By proposing the concept of “contradiction cloud” as three value graphical representation of a set of elementary contradictions, we claim that designers considerably reduce the fuzziness of a contradiction choice prior entering in a solving phase in Inventive Design processes. The modes of interpretation of this cloud will be also presented. The impact of this new element in the teaching of TRIZ was tested both in educational situations within the framework of our engineering curriculum and in several industrial partnerships. A discussion section will then highlight the assets, the limits and the perspectives of our contribution.

The Authors intend to list up as many contradictions involved in complex problem situations. For this purpose, they use the schematic representation as illustrated in the slide.  This case can be read as:  "If the Weight of the Anvil is light, then ease of manipulation, and transportability, and ... are evolving a satisfactory way, meanwhile force, and ... are evolving an unsatisfactory way.  And we further verify the validity of inverse assumptions.  If the Weight of the Anvil is heavy, then ease of manipulation, and transportability, and ... are evolving an unsatisfactory way meanwhile force, and ... are evolving a satisfactory way."  This describes a case of poly-contradiction composed of various technical contradictions and physical contradictions.  The Authors advise to list up this sort of contradictions as much as possible.

The template for the above example is shown here:  E is the Entity (or Object) (e.g. Anvil).  AP is Active Parameter (or Control Parameter), on which the designer has the power to modify its state (i.e. either light or heavy).  EP stands for Evaluating Parameters (or Dependent Parameters), which can evaluate both positive and negative results of a designer's choice.  Va is a value of the parameter AP, while Va' is the opposite value of the parameter. 

From the (poly-) contradiction scheme shown above, we can derive a number of (mono-) TC (Technical Contradiction), as illustrated at the bottom of the slide at the right. 

In the present study, the Authors plot a large number of such (mono) Contradictions in a diagram for better overview of the problem situation.  For this purpose, the Authors introduce 3 ways (X, Y, Z) for weighing the contradictions.  Importance (X) is evaluated by the sum of importance coefficients of the involved EPs and multiplied by the importance factor of AP.  [Details of these importance coefficients and importance factors are not clearly written.].  Universality (Y) is evaluated by the sum of occurrences of the involving EPs in the whole TCs of this problem.  Amplitude (Z) is calculated as the number of (mono) contradictions having the same AP.

All the (mono-) Contradictions are plotted as shown in the graph.  The abscissa stands for the Importance (X), while the ordinate is taken as the Universality (Y).  In this graph, the circles represent individual Contradictions, whose sizes reflect the Amplitude (Z) and whose colors stands for different APs. 

Thus in the upper-right corner of the graph, we have a number of Contradictions which are highly evaluated with the X, Y, and Z values.  In the slide, the Contradictions related to the same AP are marked in the same color.  In this manner, 'Contradiction Cloud' for a complex problem is visualized.

The Authors have built a software tool which implements the present method.  The tool has been used in the INSA-Strasbourg university course; 85 engineering students of the 5th year coming from seven different field of engineering used it in their group practices with 3 to 4 members.  Technical systems handled as the problems are shown in the slide below-left, while the resultant graphs of 'Contradiction Cloud' are shown in the slide below-right.

  

The effects of using the present method with a software tool were evaluated as shown in the graph.  In comparison to the students' results in the previous years, successful use of course contents this year was much improved.  The Authors found the students' autonomy in conducting the gathering of parameters and choice of the contradictions were much improved. 

The Authors also reported about the results of an industrial case study of the present method.

Ives De Saeger, Eddy Claeys (P41 Partners In Process Innovation, Belgium) [O-19] gave a presentation on "Strengthening the 40 Inventive Principles".  Here is the Authors' Abstract.

This article consists of 2 parts. The first part investigates the formulation of the 40 Inventive Principles, one of the classic TRIZ tools. We compare the 40 Inventive Principles from different TRIZ sources in English as described in books or software and point out the differences such as incompleteness of some principles, different words used in the translation to English etc. The second part consists of suggestions to read the 40 Inventive Principles in a different way. First an investigation is made of different approaches to get a more forward use trying to make the principles as less abstract as some of them are without fundamentally changing the 40 IP. We aim to simplify the application and strength of the 40 Inventive Principles by splitting them up into a resources part and recommendation part. Since language triggers thoughts, different meanings can create different interpretations. In order to get a more uniform language we suggest revised 40 Inventive Principles where the used terms are in accordance to a systemic view. Finally the split up is applied to an example.

The Authors' approach of rephrasing and reinterpreting the Inventive Principles may be seen in the comparison between the original Altshuller's statement and their new statement, in the example case of Principle 17:

Principle 17. Another Dimension

1. If an object moves in a straight line, consider use of dimensions or movement outside the line.
2. If an object contains or moves in a plane, consider use of dimensions or movement outside the current plane.
3. Use a stacking arrangement of objects instead of a single level arrangement
4. Re-orient the object or system, lay it on its side
5. Use 'another side' of a given object or system

Principle 17. Use Another Dimension

Resources: Define all sides, directions of the system. Define distances (x, y, z) and angles (α, β ,γ). Define all planes. Define the arrangement with other systems.
Operate to:
A. Change a system from one to two- or three dimensional space.
B. Use a multi-story arrangement of systems instead of a single-story arrangement.
C. Tilt or re-orient the position system, lay it on its side.
D. Use 'another side' of the system.

The Authors' intentions are: (a) Use uniform wordings in the whole system of 40 Inventive Principles, (b) Split the description of the Inventive Principles into the Resources part and the Operation part, etc.  The Authors have posted the whole expressions of Inventive Principles in their Web site: http://www.p41.be .


4. Integration of TRIZ with Other Methodologies

Isak Bukhman (USA) TRIZ Value Innovation Roadmap for Projects Innovation
Karsten Böhm (Austria) et al. Innovative Methodologies and IT Tool for SMEs
Shuo-Kai Tsai et al. (UK) TRIZ Incorporating the BRIGHT Process in Design
Giacomo Bersano et al. (France) Integration of TRIZ and Risk Management
Philip Samuel et al. (USA) Inventive Principles for Robust Design Concepts
Fritz Klocke et al. (Germany) Design Methodology for Hybrid Production Processes
Rogier W. de Vries et al. (Netherlands) Using TRIZ in a co-disciplinary design environment
G. Maarten Bonnema (Netherlands) The Engineers’ Innovation Toolkit
Albert van der Kuij (Netherlands) Building a Business Model

 

Isak Bukhman (TRIZ Solutions LLC, USA) [O-32] gave a presentation on "TRIZ Value Innovation Roadmap for Projects Innovation Roadmaps".  The Author's Abstract is quoted here:

In this paper we will show our experience and best practices of many innovation teams around the world in TRIZ applications for different kind of projects and problems. We will focus your attention on how to use all modules of TRIZ as a complete and harmonic system in combination with others proven methods. We call this composition as a TRIZ Value Innovation Roadmap. We use TRIZ Value Innovation Roadmap as a base for each unique project/problem innovation roadmap creation. TRIZ is a “center of gravity” in most of such roadmaps.

The Author shows two types of Roadmap for project (for new system design) and problems (for existing system improvement). 

The first type is the basic one, integrating TRIZ tools with several other tools coming from RCA, VM, FMEA, etc.  See the slide st the right.  Modules of methods/tools are colored depending on their methodological origins.

The second type of Innovation Roadmap is shown at the right.  This scheme utilizes the GFIN (Goldfire Innovator) software tool of Invention Machine Inc.  GFIN has much strength in its semantic search/analysis capability of technical documents such as global patent DBs and also in the richness of the TRIZ knowledge bases already accumulated in the tool. Thus the second Roadmap is much enhanced with the software tool.

Karsten Böhm, Hans-Peter Steinbacher (University of Applied Sciences KufsteinTirol, Austria) and Paolo Salvatore (Ciaotech S.r.l., Italy) [O-17] gave a paper on "Applications of Innovative Methodologies and IT Tool to Support European SMEs in Product Innovation Processes".  The Authors' Abstract is quoted here first:

The systematic support of the innovations process in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is still a challenge because innovation is only done sporadically and often with external consultancy in order to gain sustainable competitive advantages. This paper describes a methodology to cover the conceptual development of new products. This methodology is typically structured into a number of specific steps and introduces an IT-tool that provides the transition from isolated support tools towards an information management along all the phases of the conceptual development in an innovation process. The application of the method in a use case is explained as well.

The slide shows the 'big picture' of the Authors' project named KNOW-IT Project.  It has two major aspects in parallel; i.e. Methodology and IT Tool. 

The Authors intend to build an overall methodology for supporting the new product development.  Their approach is the integral use of QFD and TRIZ, where Classical TRIZ methodologies, especially TechNav-Process of Fey & Rivin and ARIZ algorithm of Petrov, are adopted. 

 

 

The main process of the KNOW-IT methodology is illustrated in the slide below.  The important feature is the parallel use of 'Technology Push' and 'Market Pull'.  Please refer the details of the methods to the original paper.

 

This project has built their own IT Tool for supporting the methodology, and the paper discusses about the design principle of the Tool to some detail.  The Authors has built the system in Java, so as to be platform independent, and with modular architecture based on client/server and the Model-View-Controller pattern.  In such an architecture, the system has a number of loosely coupled subsystems, with the capability of introducing some others afterward, and the system can accumulate the resultant knowledge in the database.  The Authors assume that their software tool is used by consultants and promoters in user companies. 

*** The Authors also reported a case study briefly.  We would like to see the further development of this methodology and this software tool.

 

Shuo-Kai Tsai, Peter R.N. Childs (University of Sussex, UK) [O-24] gave a paper on "TRIZ Incorporating the BRIGHT Process in Design".  The Authors studied creative problem solving processes and tried to rebuild various TRIZ tools into a new process named 'BRIGHT'.  The whole paper can be summarized in the following slide. 

G. Bersano, T. Eltzer, R. Uhl (Active Innovation Management, France) [O-1] gave a paper on "The Integration of TRIZ and Risk Management to Increase the Ratio of Success of Innovation Projects".  Here is quoted the Authors' Abstract:

This paper explores the interaction of project risk management and TRIZ in innovation projects. We started with this paradox: when we generate brand new solutions to existing problems, almost no information is available; however, such information is necessary to evaluate the innovation project success probability. The potential and the cost of a conceptual idea are much more difficult to evaluate than for detailed solutions. This difficulty can let solutions “in a drawer”. In this article we tackle the difficulty to reliably evaluate probability of success of innovation projects, using an adapted risk management strategy.

First the Authors draw the typical Innovation process as shown in the following slide in a RelEvent diagram.  The green ovals represent useful events.  The dotted oval is the input, while the thick oval the final event.

Then the Authors identify six 'Innovation Project Failure Sources (IPFS)'.  They are: #1. No innovation friendly culture, #2. Poor Management of projects, #3. Poor competitiveness, #4. Low hierarchy commitment, #5. Lack of knowledge about the market & the technology, and #6. Lack of funding and partners.  The slide below shows how these IPFS affect the innovation process and make the innovation project failure in the form of financial loss.  The orange hexagons represent the IPFS, orange squares the negative events, and small orange squares the blockings, respectively. 

The next slide shows various possible measures, in the blue hexagons, for reducing the above mentioned negative effects.  If these measures work properly, the blocking barriers (in orange in the above slide) can be overcome (turned into black in this slide. 

The Authors then discuss on the Innovation Portfolio management and Risk Analysis of innovation projects.  But skipping most of them, I would like to quote their final suggestions based on TRIZ and their Conclusions.

 

Philip Samuel (Breakthrough Management Group International, USA), Rajesh Jugulum (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA) [O-13] gave a nice presentation with the title of "A Taxonomy of Inventive Principles for Robust Design Concepts".  I would like to quote the Authors' Abstract first:

This paper describes the evolution toward a taxonomy of inventive principles for achieving robustness during concept design phase. Robust design is a set of scientific principles used to design products and services so that they perform the intended functions with minimum amount of variation under broadest range of usage conditions possible and for longest period of time possible. The proposed taxonomy of inventive principles for generating robust design concepts are derived by using a research methodology similar to that employed by Altshuller in developing the “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving”. The taxonomy is based on the concept of P-diagram or parameter diagram. Based on P-diagram elements, nineteen strategies were identified based on the analysis of about two hundred inventions.

This paper is clear in presenting the research purpose and approach.  It starts with the slide of explaining the nature of Robust Design (see right).

Robust Design has been a big topic for designing products and services.  Thus the design phases for achieving robustness have been established already as shown in the table (below-left) and briefly illustrated in the figure (below-right). 

The Authors write: 'Traditionally, significant contribution from robust design approaches have benefited mainly during parameter design and tolerance design. It is well known that the earlier phases of design, such as concept design, have significant influence on the final design outcome including cost, time to market and quality of the solution. However, very little research is carried out in identifying approaches to create design concepts that are robust and reliable.'

   

Thus the focus of the present paper is to reveal the strategies to be used at the Concept Design phase for Robust Design, or more specifically for generating concepts to make a function more robust (as marked in the above table). 

The slide (right) demonstrates an example of a wide variety of design concepts for the case of air cooling system of electronic components inside a chassis. Can we have guiding principles to generate more robust design concepts? -- this is the motivation of the Authors' research.

The methodology for revealing such principles (below-left) are similar to the one used by Altshuller.  In the joint project of Ford and MIT, a large number of patents featuring robust design have been studied (below-right).  The present report is a preliminary result obtained by a close analysis of about 200 patents, the Authors write.

 

Analyzing individual 'Robust Design' patents closely, the measures used for achieving robustness were revealed one by one.

Then the Authors sought a scheme for classifying such measures, and decided to use the Parameter Diagram (P-diagram, see the right slide).  Since the P-diagram is a fundamental scheme in the Robust Design method, the present classification scheme seems quite natural. 

The strategies for Robustness Inventions are now classified as shown in the slide below.  The 19 strategies in 4 groups are catalogued in the subsequent slides with brief explanations. 

 

  

 

*** This is an excellent research report which has revealed a set of guiding principles for generating robust designs.  It has been supposed since long that TRIZ can contribute much to the conceptual design phase in Robust Design, and this paper is the first to clearly show the guiding principles for the conceptual design for robustness.  We can learn a lot from this paper, not only by its results but also by its research methodology.  We realize once again that Altshuller's research methodology is useful and powerful in various fields. 

Fritz Klocke, Andreas Roderburg, Christoph Zeppenfeld (RWTH Aachen University, Germany) [O-15] gave a paper on "Design Methodology for Hybrid Production Processes".  Here is the Authors' Abstract:

Current developments of hybrid production processes or production systems exceed the performance in manufacturing. Most of these developments have in common that they have mainly been found intuitively. Up to now the development of new hybrid production systems leads to high amounts of operative planning. The challenge is to develop a systematic and scientific approach for aggregating, describing, explaining and combining single processes. This paper introduces a systematic approach of the design methodology for developing hybrid production processes. In terms of identifying hybrid process solutions as part of an innovation process, the applicability of different TRIZ tools is shown concerning the specific requirements of manufacturing processes development.

A Hybrid Production Process (HPP) is defined first (right). 

The needs and aims of introducing a hybrid production process are explained in the slides (below-left and below-right).  The intention is to overcome the current limit of a manufacturing process.  One approach is to apply different forms of energy simultaneously at the same zone of impact, and hence to achieve some new product features which were not achievable by the conventional process.  Second approach is to achieve the effects of conventionally separated processes in a new hybrid process, and hence to shorten the process chains. 

 

The present paper has tried to build a methodology for designing Hybrid Production Processes.  The methodology with 3 steps is applied (right). 

The methodology is illustrated below with the example of a Grinding process. 

In the first 'Description' stage, we may evaluate a manufacturing process with the output criteria on the basis of the black box model (below).  A typical scene of grinding is illustrated in the slide (right), and the conflicting situations among the output criteria is shown in the table.

In the second 'Explanation' stage, the Authors use a refined general model (see below) for specifying the form of the interacting energy and its impact on the output criteria.  In this stage, the Authors show the Su-Field representation (in TRIZ) and the cause-effect relationships (in TOC (Theory of Constraints)).

In the third 'Solution' stage, the Authors recommend to use the HPP model as shown in the slide (right).  This introduces a second interaction as shown by the orange part.

(Cooling by lubricants is such an application already known well.  The Authors explain the application example of the approach later in the special case of ultrasonic-assisted diamond turning of hardened steel.)

Then changing the focus on process chain, the Authors show a HPP solution having the advantage of shortening the process chain.  

The Authors show the reasoning of combining two different processes into one.  They write: 'Another approach is to change the view of examination to the superior system of process chains. As long as there is no specific application to be considered, it is appropriate to describe a process chain, which is commonly linked to grinding technologies. Grinding is mostly used for hard machining and thus the grinding process very often follows a heat treatment process. Here the heat treatment is applied in order to harden the surface layer.'

The slide (right) shows that the undesirable thermal impact 'grinding burn' during the grinding process matches with the desirable thermal impact of the hardening process.

Thus, combining the two processes into one, i.e. Grind-Hardening, is a solution of Hybrid Production Process.  The bottom-left figure in the slide shows the scheme briefly.  The process chain can be shortened much, because the heat treatment for hardening usually done in a separate processing line and takes extra process of cleaning, transport, etc.

As an additional example, the Authors show the case of Ultrasonic-assisted diamond turning of hardened steel (right).  This may be regarded as a special case of applying another interaction at the same time at the operational zone of grinding process.  The slide may be understood by itself.

Rogier W. de Vries, Tom H.J. Vaneker (University of Twente, Netherlands), Valeri Souchkov (ICG Training & Consulting, Netherlands) [O-35] gave a paper on "Development of a framework for using TRIZ in a co-disciplinary design environment".  The Authors' Abstract is quoted here:

The work that is described in this report consists of creating a framework for facilitating the use of TRIZ in analyzing and solving mono- and co-disciplinary design issues during design of electromechanical products at a large company in the Netherlands. Guidelines have been developed that serve as a strategy for implementation of this framework against the background of (co-disciplinary) design issues. The guidelines are based on interviews with employees from different disciplines and lessons learned from a previous attempt at introducing TRIZ. Both for the development of the framework as well as for the testing thereof intensive case studies were used. As the case studies contain many company proprietary details they cannot be depicted in this article. Consequently the paper will remain focused on the framework developed.

The framework layout used in the test cases in the university-industry joint project is shown in the following slide. 

[*** I could not attend at the presentation and am not clear on this paper unfortunately.]

G. Maarten Bonnema (University of Twente, The Netherlands) [O-25] gave a paper on "The Engineers’ Innovation Toolkit". Here is the Author's Abstract:

Most engineers nowadays receive a mono-disciplinary education: Mechanical engineering, Electrical engineering etc. Contradictory, the products they have to design are ever more multidisciplinary and integrated. This requires a different mindset. This paper discusses four tools that fit in the engineers’ toolkit to approach these multidisciplinary problems: TRIZ, Systematic Inventive Thinking, Quality Function Deployment and FunKey Architecting. The tools are discussed and rated on four scales: difficulty of problems, complexity of problems, design phase and learning effort. From the characterization a set of heuristics is derived that help in choosing the appropriate tool from the toolkit. It is concluded that the four tools largely complement each other and should therefore be part of every engineer’s toolkit.

The Author's scope is represented in the slide (right).  The pyramid schematically shows the number of issues, items and interfaces occurring in different stages of the design process (G.J. Muller, 2007).  In designing new products/systems, engineers need to have suitable methodologies and tools for these three different levels.  Hence the Author discuss on the four methodologies in comparison with one another: they are TRIZ, SIT (in Israel), FunKey (built by the Author), and QFD. 

Before starting the comparison, we need to get familiar with the FunKey Architecting method.  It is outlined in the slide (right).  The system is built in a top-down manner with the at most consideration of its functions to perform.  'Key drivers' are generalized requirements that express the customers' interest, e.g. image quality for a medical imaging device, load capacity and cost per ton per kilometer for a  truck.  The coupling matrix C has the functions as rows and key drivers as columns, and its cells are marked x if the functions contribute to the key driver.  At every level of system and subsystem, this style of coupling matrix is built while designing the system.  If, instead of the x marks above, + and - marks are used for useful and harmful contributions, respectively, this matrix may be linked to TRIZ method easily, the Author writes.   

 

For discussing the tools useful in such a scope of system design, the Author introduces four criteria of applicability (see the slide (right)):
(a) Difficulty of the problem: Altshuller's levels of invention (1 through 4) are used.
(b) Complexity of the problem:  aggregate complexity.
(c) Design phase: i.e. Establishing the need, Requirements and specification development, Conceptual design, Embodiment design, and Detailed design.
(d) Learning effort required to master the method: from 'easy' (in half a day) to 'laborious' (years of practice and training).

Then the 4 axes radar plot is employed (right).

The Author evaluated the 4 methodologies with respect to these 4 criteria, as shown in the following radar plots:


  TRIZ

SIT

FunKey

QFD

On the basis of such evaluations, the Author suggests the following recommendations:
(1) For outspoken customer needs use QFD.
(2) To investigate any latent needs use SIT.
(3) The need of the customer should be analyzed using QFD.
(4) TRIZ should be used for single- and two-domain problems.
(5) Use the Funkey approach to investigate areas for improvement early in the design process.
(6) Use Funkey to establish contradictions to be solved with the TRIZ parameters.
(7) Create the system architecture using Funkey architecting.
(8) Track progress, in particular from a technical point of view.

*** This paper is controversial.  The Author's scope is understandable, but the criteria need much more discussion. The criterion of 'Required learning efforts' seems to be a mixed factor of volume of the contents, easiness to learn, and effectiveness to apply, etc.  Separating these factors and making the factors able to evaluate objectively is a difficult task.  The evaluation of the tools is also controversial; especially the positioning of SIT and TRIZ in the slide of conclusion is misleading, I feel.

Albert van der Kuij (Sensata Technologies Holland BV, The Netherlands) [O-10] gave a paper with the title: "From Knowledge to Sustained Revenue: Building a Business Model".  I will quote the Author's Abstract first:

This article starts to describe an inside to out approach for creating ‘perceived’ value (functionality) by balanced flow of resources in a business system like that of Sensata. At the beginning the author’s stance to create new products and services based on choices supported by knowledge and assumptions, and the use of innovation tools is explained. TRIZ plays a central role in this process. Through characteristics of personal and business success, the transition process of knowledge to value for the customer is dealt with. In case value creation is sustainable, the reward is sustained revenue. The value creation process is translated in a phased DfSS format breathing TRIZ.

In the initial part of the paper, the Author writes:

I lately saw an interesting TED review by Richard St. John [5] on a research about personal success. During 7 years, 500 successful people were interviewed giving their opinions on what they defined to be their features of success. A list of 8 characteristics was the result [Note: Author's description of 4 to 6 lines each were shortened by Nakagawa into 2-3 lines.]:

Looking at the above list, it is remarkable that almost the statements on success are directed from in to out, even the serve part. The central theme is evolving passion and be true to it. I believe that a successful business could be defined alike.

[*** The '8 Secrets for Success' was so interesting that Nakagawa checked the original reference: [5] St. John R., "8 secrets of success", TED presentations at www.ted.com, 2005.  The site says:

"TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).  This site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free. More than 200 talks from our archive are now available, with more added each week. ..." 

I watched the 3 minutes video by St. John, and joined TED.  I thank the Author, Albert van der Kuij, for his mentioning this talk and the site. ]

The Author's approach is written in the following way, with three illustrations.

"At Sensata we work currently at implementing DfSS (Design for Six Sigma) in combination with TRIZ to our SoI (Sea of Ideas), NPD (New Product Development) and Continuous Improvement processes. We striving for changing towards a method as laid down in reference [2] (See slide, right). 
Focus is first on finding opportunities in the market (Define phase), then the interfacing is defined in the Analyze and the Design phase in combination with the Define phase of the next level.
In the Analyses phase one can judge on obtained insights to use TRIZ to overcome contradictions or statistical optimization (six sigma) of capabilities present or use capabilities as already available.

 

Making the product is linking the ‘higher’ level to the ‘lower’ level. Coming from the system to the concept to the product, to the process to production as depicted in figure 6 (below-left). 
Planning the parameter flow down can be done with QFD (Quality Function Deployment), while verification of parameter web is done with DoE (Design of Experiments) filed into the FMEA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis) tool.
Bottom line is when the company is making products with passion (using tools in a passionate way) linked to needs of the customer and with help of passionate suppliers the reward will come! . "

 

 

5. Case Studies in Industry

Pavel Jirman et al. (Czech Republic) TRIZ for the Homogenization of Molten Glass
Günther Schuh et al. (Germany) How to Prevent Product Piracy using TRIZ
HeeChoon Lee (Korea) et al. Wisdom of Creating Learning through TRIZ

 

Pavel Jirman (The Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic), Bohuslav Bušov (The Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic) [O-4] gave a presentation with the title of "TRIZ Contribution to the Solution of the Paradox during the Homogenization of Molten Glass".  This is a controversial and challenging talk, I think.  The Authors' Abstract is quoted here first:

Homogenization of molten glass before hot forming is one of the most important operations to achieve a high quality of glass. Homogenization is provided mainly by a mechanical way (mixing by stirrers) which has a lot of disadvantages and problems. However, it is the most effective way at present. For a long time tests with thermal mixing have been made which means that a better motion of molten glass by a change of temperature is being searched. There exist a lot of patents and a lot of implementations of equipment. However, the effectivity similar to mechanical mixing has not yet been reached. Also the trends of evolution of the TRIZ method predict that the transition from a mechanical to a thermal field should be more effective. Therefore, this forms the paradox of the glass homogenization development. The TRIZ method analysis helped to find the reason of lower effective thermal mixture at present and designed the idea how to overcome this paradox. A demonstration of this analysis is the subject of this article.

We should just follow the Authors to see the evolution of mechanical stirrers of molten glass.  The slide below shows the development of stirrers, patented in 1922, 1949, 1960, and 1997, respectively; these stirrers follow the TRIZ trend of Point-Line-Surface-Volume.  The second slide also shows the inventions, which are interpreted along the trend of evolution of curves.

As you have seen the mechanical stirrers have become complicated more and more and are supposed to come close to its physical limit of performance (right).  Then the Authors are thinking over the next generation of homogenization (or mixing) method of molten glass.  Guided with the TRIZ theory of field evolution MATChEM (i.e. Mechanical, Acoustic, Thermal, Chemical, Electric, Magnetic (and Electromagnetic)), the Authors are thinking to introduce some method of thermal mixing.  Even though there are a number of patents on thermal mixing of molten glass, their performances of mixing are far below the current mechanical stirrers. 

The Authors formulated this problem in various ways.  Setting Technical Contradictions and obtained the recommendations of Inventive Principles such as 10. Preliminary Action, 14. Curvature, etc.  The Authors think the history of mechanical stirrers already adopted these principles.

Su-Field Modeling is also interesting.  The Authors draw the Su-Field model of the mechanical mixing (left) and that of the thermal mixing (right).  The thermal mixing is found to be 'Incomplete model of a system', i.e. proper substance S1 to interact on the molten glass is missing.  This is certainly related to the very low performance of the current method of thermal mixing.

The Authors have suggested an idea for improving the thermal mixing (right).  In the flow of molten glass (generated by thermal effect) a vibrating gate is inserted and switches the flow on and off.

The Authors have posed the problem and do not think they (and the glass manufacturing industry) have found the solution yet.

*** I am interested in this presentation.  This poses a question to a simple and general unit process 'homogenization' or 'mixing'.  When we think of such a process in a general manner deeply, we find ourselves meet many essential problems.  Since mixing is such a common process in daily life, in chemical processing, etc., one can find a large number and variety of methods.  In the case of molten glass, the high temperature and the high viscosity makes the problem severer, but still a lot of methods may be available, I guess.

*** Mixing to homogenize means infinite repetition of 'separation and then merging (in different combination)'.  Thus we should think of the flows of the molten glass, rather than the stirrers etc.  Thus the shape of the container and surface structure of the container may also be an important Tool for the mixing.  Temporal and spatial modification of the way of separation and merging may be a clew. ... While listening to the presentation I was much stimulated to think various points. 

Günther Schuh (RWTH Aachen, Germany), Christoph Haag (Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Germany) [O-22] gave a paper, and Jennifer Kreysa (Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Germany) actually gave a presentation on "How to Prevent Product Piracy using a new TRIZ-based Methodology". This is an interesting research paper resulted by the joint work of Academia (IPT, Univ. Aachen) and several industries.  I would like to quote the Authors' Abstract first:

In recent years, product and brand piracy has significantly gained importance and risen to a worldwide mass phenomenon. Companies are gradually facing up to the challenge and taking action. Besides legal measures, an increasing number of firms is also willing to implement strategic and technical measures into their organizations respectively products. But the potential of these approaches is so far only being exploited to a limited extent, mainly due to lacking knowledge regarding the functionality and benefits of technical know-how protection mechanisms.

Focusing on this issue, the paper introduces the so called Product Piracy Conflict Matrix (PPC Matrix). The PPC Matrix methodically resembles the well-established TRIZ Contradiction Matrix and is also based on Neemann’s work (2007), who recently introduced a new approach for product-based imitation protection including a set of technical, strategic, organizational and legal instruments. The PPC Matrix combines both approaches to a new framework to help companies to find expedient measures against product piracy.The article introduces the new methodology by giving detailed insights into its theoretical backbone, providing practitioner’s guidance and outlining examples from industry practice.

Even though we knew various cases of product piracy, especially of high-price prestigious brand products, scientific research for preventing product piracy is quite new. 

The Authors show generic types of product imitation in the slide (right). 

On the request by a number of industries, IPT had conducted a joint project and performed many workshops (see also their presentation at ETRIA TFC 2007 ).

Their workshops specialized on the product piracy prevention are outlined in the slide (right).  They have a preparation phase and then a collaboration phase.  In the latter phase, they perform TRIZ-based workshops by addressing the questions as listed.  In this phase, they have used various TRIZ tools, especially those listed in the box (note: 'Sabotage' is also called 'subversion analysis'). 

The main result of this paper is that the Authors have built a new tool named 'Product Piracy Conflict (PPC) Matrix' usable in the workshop.  

The basic observation resulted from these workshops is that the measures to be employed can be categorized in the four groups as shown (right).  The four groups correspond to the four stages of the imitators' actions.  Imitators will generally proceed to:
   (1) Select a product to be copied,
   (2) Analyze the product,
   (3) Reproduce the product, and then
   (4) Market and sell the imitation. 
Thus the original product manufacturer should take counteractions in these four stages respectively.  (This way of thinking comes from the game theory.)  

It is recognized that the measures for preventing the product piracy often make conflicts with the ordinary way of company's value chain.  Thus any harmful effects on products and value chain possibly caused by the preventing measures need to be considered carefully and the conflicts should be solved.

Various solutions were found in the workshops.  And the Authors classified the solution principles in 3 categories; they are: Technical, Organizational, and Market related solutions.  (You will see the list of these solution principles later.)

On the basis of such an accumulation of know-how on the product piracy prevention, the Authors have constructed a specialized tool, named 'Product Piracy Conflict (PPC) Matrix', as shown in the slide (right). The design of PPC Matrix is explained here.

The Rows are categorized into the four stages of counter measures and the (useful) parameters to implement the protection mechanism. The Columns are arranged according to the standard value chain: i.e. Research & Development, Procurement, Production, Distribution, Marketing, Sales, and Service.  Parameters related to these stages are listed, so as to consider any harmful (undesirable) effects on them. 

In each cell at the crossing of Rows and Columns in the PPC Matrix, several standard solution principles are listed as the recommendation for each case. 

Standard solution principles are listed in the slide (right).  There are 10 Technical, 7 Organizational, and 9 Market-related principles; and called 'TOM principles' for the PPC solutions.  These 26 TOM principles and their recommendations in different situations are the essence of know-how accumulated and constructed by this project of Fraunhofer IPT.


The paper further explains how to use the PPC Matrix (right).  (1) Analyze the piracy problem. (2) Identify the imitators' current stage as the target of our counteraction. (3) Select the lever parameters for protection mechanisms.  (4) Identify the conflicting parameters in the value chain (in the Column).  (5) Locate the cell at the crossing of the Row and the Column and take the recommended TOM principles.  (6) Consider the solution plans according to the TOM principle and evaluate and adapt them to match the company-specific situations.   (The PPC Matrix application method is similar (but not equal) to the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix method.)

The Authors write the summary and next steps as shown in the slide (right).  [I feel the Authors write appropriately.]

 

*** This presentation is a result of intensive joint work conducted by Fraunhofer IPT and several industries.  In a very special field of product piracy protection, where no solutions were apparent beforehand, the present work have revealed a set of useful solution principles (i.e., TOM principles) and a clear process for analyzing and solving/preventing the product piracy problem.

*** During the Conference Dinner, this paper was given the 'Best Paper Award' by the Organizing Committee.  Congratulations!! 

 

HeeChoon Lee, KilYong Shin,Youngmin Lee (POSCO, Korea), Nikolay Shpakovsky (TRIZ-profi, Russia) [O-34] gave a paper on "Wisdom of Creating Learning through TRIZ".  The Authors' Abstract is quoted here:  

Many have been fascinated by the TRIZ methodology because of its affluent analogical clues and its intangibility in the process of problem solving. Nevertheless in reality this surprising tool has not been widely accepted as a problem solving tool. Why has this been the case? The main reasons can be divided into two categories; (1) jumping into contradiction at initial stage, and (2) little understanding of TRIZ as an idea generation tool. It is clear that emphasizing contradiction without problem analysis makes extracting conceptual solutions more ambiguous. Nevertheless, TRIZ experts ask, ‘what is the contradiction?’ I agree that the TRIZ methodology can generate breakthrough ideas not in subordinate relationships but in reversed relationships. But management wants to see the in-out value of TRIZ results, asking ‘Where is the Breakthrough Idea?” The above two sentences are TRIZ killers. This article introduces a new TRIZ success story at POSCO, including a novel TRIZ Roadmap and case studies.

The Roadmap is shown in the figure (right).  This means that depending on the problem either Six Sigma or TRIZ is selected to apply.  The roadmap of the TRIZ branch is shown to be 4 phases mostly in parallel to the Six Sigma.  The Authors put much stress on their introduction of 'Define' phase in TRIZ, where the problem is treated from business aspects, they say.  They warn not to jump into asking contradictions, and to find root causes of the problem, by use of RCA (Root Cause Analysis), etc. 

This paper gave two real cases of problem solving in industry.  They are:
(a) Elimination of red-scale caused by oxidation in the wire-rod product. 
(b) Eliminating flaws of hot strip plate product caused by strip loop.

*** Even though they show photos of products in problem and in solution, I cannot understand well the Authors' process of applying TRIZ because I missed the presentation, the paper is short (2.5 pages), and no presentation slide file was provided.  Note that this presentation is the only case where the presentation slides were not provided to the TFC Office after the Conference.  All other contributed papers were available.  

 


6. Promotion of TRIZ in Industries

Ellen Domb (USA) Teaching TRIZ to Beginners
Robert Adunka (Germany) Teaching TRIZ within Siemens

 

Ellen Domb (PQR Group, USA) [O-9] gave a paper with the title of "Teaching TRIZ to Beginners".  The Author, the Founding Editor of the TRIZ Journal, has been making much efforts for penetrating TRIZ and is well known for her attractive way of teaching TRIZ to beginners.  Nevertheless, this paper is quite new for her and for us all in the point that she is introducing the state of the art of adult education methodology and trying to make a systematic change in the TRIZ education.  Here is the Author's Abstract:

Many people who could benefit from the methods and concepts of TRIZ have rejected it because they were confused by the way TRIZ was taught. Expertise in the method does not necessarily make one a good teacher for beginners. Methods for adult education have been well-researched in the last 50 years, and they can be used to create a robust TRIZ teaching system that is useful in many cultures. Case study examples of application of TRIZ to the development of TRIZ training methods will be demonstrated.

The Author writes: 

"Many people who come into teaching as subject matter experts quickly adopt simple teaching paradigms, such as Ken Blanchard’s well known 4-step system (see slide right).
The problem with this simple system is that it was designed to help managers teach their employees, in a face-to-face, one-on-one context, where the manager/teacher knows the employee/student, and is interactive with the student throughout the process (although the “let them try” stage might take days or weeks, depending on the process being taught.) Extending it to multiple students from a variety of backgrounds in the classroom, or in non-classroom teaching environments, is not justified by the original work.

 

There has been recognition in the TRIZ community that improvement in the training of TRIZ is needed. Many articles have addressed specific methods of teaching specific topics, such as ... <skipped by TN>. Observation of the effectiveness of these changes is positive—students do learn specific techniques better when their instructors explain them more clearly, use better examples, or structure the lessons in a way that matches the learning style of the particular group of students. But, these are episodic changes, not systematic changes, ... <skipped by TN >. To overcome these limitations, we are introducing standard methods of instructional design into TRIZ."

 

Then the Author writes:

"... there have been many changes in the theory and practice of adult education, and particularly in the methods used to teach working adults new job-related skills. The speed of change is documented in Ruark’s recent review [2], and the depth of change is illustrated by Anderson and Krathwohl’s survey of the revisions of Bloom’s taxonomy [3], which has been a cornerstone of educational theory. Rosenkrantz’s interpretation [4] of the stages of the revised Bloom’s taxonomy is briefly outlined in Table 1 (see right, TN)."

"It is clear from the research on education that different methods are needed to teach the different levels of competency outlined in Table 1. ..<skipped>... The goal of this paper is to present modern educational theory in a way that can be easily adapted to the needs of TRIZ teachers, with TRIZ examples, so that research on effective ways of teaching TRIZ can benefit from research on educational methods."

On the basis of such a background knowledge, the Author refers to the book: "Developing Technical Training, 3rd Edition" by Ruth Colvin Clark (2008).  Clark lists the 4 considerations for training design (see slide, right) and cautions that many subject mater experts focus exclusively on contents (or on contents and media) neglecting equal importance of all 4 issues in successful training. 
These considerations must influence the designer's approach to teaching 5 kinds of information: Fact, Concept, Process, Procedure, and Principle.

Summarizing such references, the Author has developed a sequence of tables to make the translation from the definitions of the kinds of information through the 4 considerations to TRIZ course material relatively straight forward.  The Table 2 (below) is the Summary of Clark's definitions and options for each of 5 types of information.

The Table 3 (slide, right) shows the learning objectives for each of the 5 types of information.  Note the strong relationship between the teaching style and the objective, the Author writes. 

The following is an example by the Author:

"For example, when teaching the concept of physical contradiction, the student will learn to classify new contradictions successfully. Given a group of contradictions, the student can reproducibly identify the physical contradictions. The teaching method is a formatted definition, possibly with diagrams, so in the case of the physical contradiction, the emphasis would be on the two different values of the same parameter, with examples from physical, social, and business life."

For illustrating the usage of the system, the Author made Table 4 (below).  The Author writes:

"The system can be used for a single situation, such as teaching the concept of physical contradiction, or it can be used for the whole sequence of facts, concepts, process, procedure and principle. Table 4 shows an example of a completed table for teaching elements and teaching methods, for classroom teaching of Ideality, for application in problem definition and problem solving."

The Author concludes:

"One basic principle of TRIZ is that breakthroughs come from using methodologies developed outside the field where the problem occurs. Using the disciplined methods of instructional design is a way of recognizing that the field of learning is different from the field of development of TRIZ methods, and that use of the extensive research work in the teaching/learning field can benefit TRIZ."

*** This paper has given an important message to the TRIZ community, where many of us are struggling for conveying our understanding and enthusiasm to new people.  The information introduced here on the research results on adult education should be very useful for us to rebuilt our way of teaching/promoting TRIZ.  [Since I missed this presentation, I cannot describe any vivid examples the Author must have mentioned.  The Author's slides contain keywords only.]  I am now studying the reference "Developing Technical Training, 3rd Edition".  It is a well structured book.

Robert Adunka (Siemens AG, Germany) [O-7] gave a presentation on "Teaching TRIZ within Siemens". 

This is an extension of the Author's paper presented last year at ETRIA TFC 2007.  In Siemens the Author started the TRIZ-based workshops named 'Invention on Demand', held regularly every 2 weeks.  The workshops are of 3 types having different goals as shown in the slide (right).  These workshops have achieved good results (see my Personal Report of ETRIA TFC 2007).  In the workshops the Author has applied a wide range of methods, which are coming from De Bono and other classical creativity methods and from modern TRIZ.

Then in 2007 the Author started regular training courses named 'Innovation Tool Academy'.  The courses were designed with 4 stages:
   Introduction course: half day (for managers & for engineers)
   Basic course: 5 days
  Advanced course: 5 days
  Professional course: 5 days x 3

The contents to be taught in the 'Innovation Tool Academy' were designed for the first year as shown in the slide (right).  Many basic methods are listed here together with modern TRIZ.  To match the certification of MA TRIZ (i.e., International Association of TRIZ ), the Basic and Advanced courses have the TRIZ contents for the MA TRIZ Level 1 and Level 2, respectively.

The results of the first year of the 'Innovation Tool Academy' are reported in the paper, as summarized in the Author's Abstract:

Within Siemens 163 people had an introduction to TRIZ with at least a half-day seminar. There are 41 people that had a Basic training for five days. The Basic Training is the equivalent to the MATRIZ Level 1 Certificate. Just eight people have taken the Advanced Course (equals MATRIZ Level 2) up until now. All those participants gave a feedback on the TRIZ tools they learned about on the course in a very comprehensive survey. They also judged the examples that were used within the course to illustrate the different teaching topics. This paper shows the outcome of feedback given by 191 engineers on different TRIZ tools. It will elaborate on the examples used and how the understanding of the examples could be linked to the topics taught. It will also show how the tools build upon each other and how many days were spent teaching these topics. Therefore this paper will give TRIZ-teachers hints, on how to build up their lectures and which topics they should teach first.

The Author report several evaluation graphs of various TRIZ methods fed back by the course participants.  The feedback is done on two questions for each tool: 'How easy were the tools to understand?' and 'Do you think the tools could be used in real life problem?'.  However, I would like to skip these graphs.

For the second year of the 'Innovation Tool Academy', the Author has rebuilt its structure as shown in the slide (right).  Two Advanced Topic (AT) and three Exert Topic (ET) are newly set, in the position of the former Professional Course.  From the lesson of the first year experience, the Author shows three typical paths for product engineers, innovation managers, and patent engineers, respectively.  By adding some experience of TRIZ project and development & presentation on TRIZ method, the courses will meet MA TRIZ Level 3 requirements.


7. Usage of TRIZ in Academia

Gaetano Cascini (Italy) et al. TETRIS: Teaching TRIZ at School
Victor Berdonosov (Russia) Application Characteristics of the Law of System Completeness
Iouri Belski et al. (Australia) Cognitive Foundations of TRIZ Problem-Solving Tools
Toru Nakagawa et al. (Japan) TRIZ/USIT for Auto-locking Door System of Apartment Building
Nasir Ayub et al. (UK) Matrix Principles for the Communications and Electronics Domain

 

G. Cascini (University of Florence, Italy), J. Jantschgi (Carinthian University of Applied Sciences, Austria), I. Kaikov (European Institute for Energy Research, Germany), N. Khomenko (University of Florence, Italy), I. Murashkovska, A. Sokol (Jelgava Regional Adult Education Centre, Latvia), F. Tomasi (AREA Science Park, Italy) [O-8] gave a presentation on "TETRIS: Teaching TRIZ at School: Meeting the Educational Requirements of Heterogeneous Curricula".  This is the first report of the EU's educational project TETRIS started this year, 2008.  Here is the Authors' Abstract:

Enhanced creativity, problem setting and problem solving skills are missing topics in most of secondary schools of the European countries. Besides, actual TRIZ courses, seminars and educational materials are mostly tailored for industry or technical universities while they fail to meet the requirements of many different potential readers and learners from general upper-secondary school students and teachers to people interested in human science disciplines. The TETRIS project, funded by the European Community within the Lifelong Learning Programme, aims at producing and testing TRIZ educational material suitable for learners from 14 years old onwards following any kind of curriculum. The paper presents the goal and the structure of the project, dedicating a proper attention to the description of the identified educational requirements and to the approach followed to build the Body of Knowledge of the educational material.

The slide (right) shows the organizations involved in this project.  AREA Science Park (Trieste, Italy) is the Coordinator, while 5 universities/research institutes work for the definition of the educational model and the development of the training materials, 3 technical colleges/high schools for the implementation of the pilot courses with teachers and students at school, and 3 companies for the implementation of the pilot courses in industry.  The project started in January 2008 and will last for 24 months. 
First the project made an inquiry among the members for identifying the educational requirements.  The results summarized in the slide (right) are interesting.  Requirements by schools are much different from those by companies.  Schools require different thinking approaches and creativity improvement, while companies more specific competence in problem solving.

In the slide (right), the Authors consider the ordinary way of developing an educational program at school. When a school wants to develop an experimental educational program, teachers choose from existing sources those which are most suitable to the aim of the program for the target audience, or else, if no course books are available, the teachers have to develop the teaching materials for the students on the basis of scientific literature on the subject.  However, on TRIZ, there are neither programs nor standards available, the Authors say.  Thus the aim of the project is to organize/initiate such a program and standards of the subject related to TRIZ.

The Authors thus have tried to list up and organize the Body of Knowledge to be taught in the TRIZ course.  The slide (right) shows the framework the Body of Knowledge, the project has adopted.  The subject of TRIZ is shown in a hierarchical way in the rows of the table, while different types of contents (definition, theory, how to use, multimedia animation, examples, references, etc. ) are shown in the columns. 

(Four cases of 'multimedia animation' are built and posted already in the TETRIS project Web site:  http://www.tetris-project.org/  )

The standpoint of the TETRIS project can be seen in the slide (right), discussing on a specific topic of educational choice.  As is stated here, the TETRIS course is going to introduce ARIZ to students (at schools and in industries) since the very preliminary lectures.  [*** I would like to discuss about this point later.]

In the final slide (right), the Authors mention the project's future plan.  They are going to use and test the TETRIS educational tool kit next year (in 2009) in schools and in companies involving in the project.  A further training course for secondary school teachers is already planned in Italy, they write. 

*** I missed to attend at the session of this presentation, and do not know what kind of discussions were made in the session.  However, I would prefer a much wider standpoint in teaching TRIZ, or rather the subject area related to TRIZ.  Teaching (a) in industries, (b) in universities, and (c) in high schools are much different from one another, I suppose.  Even in industries, people want to master not TRIZ but an effective problem solving method.  In universities, students want to study (or we teachers want for students to study) slightly wider area such as methodologies of analyzing and solving technical (and other) problems and systematic innovation, not limited to TRIZ (needless to say, not limited to Classical TRIZ).  And in high schools, students want to learn systematic ways of observing, understanding, and solving various problems and creative ways of thinking.  In this sense, I feel that the TETRIS Body of Knowledge should cover much wider range than the present one, which seems to be a subset of (Classical) TRIZ Body of Knowledge.  -- My experiences of teaching undergraduate students at Osaka Gakuin University (and also industrial engineers) were presented at ETRIA TFC 2007 and posted in my Web site. 

Victor Berdonosov (Komsomolsk-na-Amure State Technical University, Russia) [O-20] gave a paper on "Application Characteristics of the Law of System Completeness".  Here is the Author's Abstract.

Some aspects of the Law of system completeness appearance in technical, information and economic systems are considered in the report. The main system elements revelation technique including a set of criteria for checking of model adequacy to a real system is being proposed. Special attention is being paid to control parameters and control element revelation and its relation with background. A lot of examples are analyzed. It is considered a way of mistake avoiding while main system elements revealing and mistakes of the following analysis.

This paper is actually composed of two parts.  First, the Author discusses how to define (or qualitatively measure) the ideality of a system (or system completeness) by using the examples of early models of aircraft.  Second, the Author discusses how to define the abstract elements of a system (i.e., energy source, engine, transfer, actuator, object, and control) with special interest in the definition of control and in introducing external control. Lighting lamps and diving fins are used as the examples of systems.  [*** Sorry but I cannot explain about this paper in a concise way.]

Iouri Belski (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia), Ianina Belski (TRIZ4U, Australia) [O-12] gave a paper on "Cognitive Foundations of TRIZ Problem-Solving Tools".  I would like to quote the Authors' Abstract first:

This paper considers the cognitive foundations of TRIZ tools. It analyses reasons for the effectiveness of TRIZ tools in directing users to achieve superior solutions. General human inefficiencies in problem solving are considered. Differences in problem solving between discipline experts and novices are discussed. The cognitive bases for application of the systematized Substance-Field analysis, Method of the Ideal Result, Situation Analysis, the 40 Innovative Principles as well as the Contradiction Table are considered. Opinions of both experts and novices on the effectiveness of TRIZ problem solving tools are presented.

In this paper the Authors base their discussions on the Multi-store Model of memory, as shown in the slide (right-above). 

Especially, the Authors model the process of idea generation as shown in the slide (right-below). This means that a problem solver tries to search his long-term memory database to find appropriate information which is helpful in resolving the problem.  The search is based on cues which a user holds in his short-term memory.  Thus the Authors write two points essential for a practitioner to generate ideas efficiently: 

• Firstly, information from which the idea can be drawn must be present in the long-term memory database of a problem solver. If such information is absent it cannot be retrieved, so a solution idea cannot be generated.
• Secondly, the cues used by a practitioner must be effective to ensure not only that appropriate analogies are found in the long-term memory database, but also that these suitable solution ideas are identified within acceptable time. 


Then the Authors re-draw the model to represent the creativity process with effective techniques, as shown in the slide (right).  The 'cue' to be stored/used in the short-term memory is now clarified to be the 'Problem' for the inquiry to the memory database in the long-term memory and the (resultant clues of) 'Technique'.  By transferring the 'Problem' to the memory database as an inquiry, some knowledge (of technical methods, experiences, solution ideas, etc.) is retrieved to the short-term memory (i.e., at the conscious level), the Authors assume.  Thus the Authors focus on the effective use of the short-term memory, for overcoming its limited space and time capacity. 

On such a basis, the Authors show the fundamental requirements for effective methodology, as shown in the slide (right).  The top three of these are general requirements while the 4th is a special requirement for the methodology to be effective for an expert, who apt to rely too much on his/her expertise as the subject-matter expert.

The Authors chose 4 methods in TRIZ and taught them (in their own way of some modernization) to students and engineers, and obtained feedbacks on the methods.  The four methods are:

(1) Situation Analysis: this is to be conducted before starting to apply a formal problem solving tool to generate ideas.

(2) Systematized Substance-Filed Analysis:  In contrast to the original Altshuller' triangular representation of Su-Field Model, the Authors use an (infinite) grid-type scheme to show relationships among various components. 

(3) Method of Ideal Result:  This method is developed by the Author on the basis of TRIZ IFR (Ideal Final Result) and TRIZ resource analysis. 

(4) Contradiction Matrix and 40 Inventive Principles.

 

The Authors taught nearly 100 university students in the TRIZ course at RMIT, and over 300 engineers and scientists in the TRIZ4U training program.  The Authors obtained from them detailed feedback about the four methods.  After skipping such descriptions, the summary table of the feedback is shown here (right-above).  Novices represents the students, while experts the engineers & scientists.  It is remarkable that the students found the Contradiction Matrix and 40 Inventive Principles easy to understand yet not so effective in generating ideas, while the engineers found them understandable and effective.  

In conclusion, the Authors describe the way TRIZ helps.  This description corresponds to the previous slide of 'Effective Methodology'.

*** I am interested in the Authors' way of teaching TRIZ in a modernized way.  The four methods described above reflect some of such modernization.  The present discussion on the cognitive foundation, or the interpretation with the short-term memory model, however, is not so convincing for me.  The Authors' model showing the roles of the short-term memory and the long-term memory is similar to the Four-Box scheme.  When we analyze the problem we usually write down keywords, sketches, diagrams, etc. so as not to rely on the short-term memory.  Effective methods may be the ones which can represent problems and systems 'outside the brain' in a way clear to understand and easy to think.  I wonder if the short-term memory, or the working memory, in our brain is used in a more frequent and rapid way than the model discussed here. 

Toru Nakagawa and Arata Fujita (Osaka Gakuin University, Japan) [O-3] gave a presentation with the title of "Applying TRIZ/USIT to A Social & Technical Problem: Auto-locking Door System of Apartment Building".  Please refer to the paper and presentation slides posted in my Web site "TRIZ Home Page in Japan".  I will quote the Abstract first:

Students' discussions were guided with TRIZ and USIT to solve an everyday problem. The security problem of the auto-locking door system of apartment buildings needed to be solved in the human psychology and social behavior first and then it must be ensured by the technology. The mechanical & physical system of the door has been shifted to an IT & logical system.

This is a case study report based on Fujita's thesis and extended further by Nakagawa.  In my undergraduate thesis class at Faculty of Informatics, Arata Fujita brought in this problem as his thesis topic.  The problem is commonly seen and well known.  At the entrances of apartment buildings, unauthorized persons can enter the door easily just by following preceding resident (slide below-left) in spite of the standard auto-locking door system (slide below-right). 

      

He and other four students discussed on this problem under Nakagawa's facilitation by using TRIZ and USIT in an informal manner.   Students' findings and opinions were recorded in a large number of Post-It Notes, which were classified and systematized later step by step with the KJ method (or the Affinity Diagram method, though performed in an informal way).  Problem definition was carried out with USIT, and then Problem analysis was done by discussion mostly for revealing the root causes of the problem. 

The slide (right) shows the overall structure of the cause-effect relationships of the problem.  Higher-level cards in the KJ method are represented in an RCA+ like diagram.  It was found: (7) Unauthorized person can enter the door easily at a good timing when it is open.  There found three root causes: (8) The auto-locking door is kept open/unlocked for about 19 sec. (10) residents allow the unauthorized persons to enter.  and (16) Auto-locking Door System is not effective to the cases where two persons (groups) happen to enter at the same time.  These root causes are of technical, psychological, and social nature, respectively.

Then we further carried out discussions for finding ideas and solution directions.  Revealing fundamental contradictions in the current system was also found effective in pushing the solution ideas further. 

First the psychological aspects of the residents were examined.  The slide (right) shows the higher-level KJ cards describing various solution ideas related to this issue.  It was found a basic cause of difficulty in the current system design to ask the residents to judge whether the unfamiliar person is malicious or not and to request the residents to behave in an unkind manner at the residential entrance, in contrast to the polite manner at public entrances.   The solution ideas here are mostly to relieve the residents from such burdens. 

Social manner to do when two groups happen to meet at the entrance were then examined.  And finally the technical aspects were examined. 

After all these discussions for idea generation, a concrete solution concept of a new Auto-locking Door System was built step by step.  The logic of deriving such a solution cannot be described in this review; please refer to the paper. 

A design of a new system is shown in the slide (right).  The basic ideas are: The authentication procedure can be and must be performed independent of the door is open/closed.  Residents (and visitors) declare the number of members to enter.  The system has the intelligence, with image processing, to monitor in real time the number of persons having entered the door and to alarm/warn when any extra person has just entered.  The intelligent IT-based gives orders to the present mechatronic door control system.  The door itself closes only slowly for the sake of safety.  The essence of the new system is the intelligent and virtual door with quick real-time operation.

The final part of this presentation is a reflective discussion of the structure of the problem, as shown in the slide (below).  This diagram intends to relate the former (i.e. current) design choices, contradictions in the designs, difficulties resulted from them, new solution concepts, further new design choices, etc.  The boxes in the second left column show the series of current design choices and the contradictions implicit in them.  The boxes in the left-most columns are the difficulties thus resulted.  The third column contain new solution ideas and concepts for solving the contradictions, and the right-most column show further design choices for the new solution.  It is the new finding for me that all the difficulties and problems in the current system originate in the poor technological choice (caused by the level of old technology) of "authenticate A person when the door is CLOSED".  In this sense our new design choice is to "authenticate A NUMBER OF persons in a group whenever the door is OPEN/CLOSED".

The slide (right) shows the conclusions of my talk in the ETRIA conference.

 

*** I feel the new solution concept presented here is clear, systematic, feasible, and effective.   But it has not been tried to implement in the real world.  It would be nice if any company would realize it and solve the current common problem in the security of apartment buildings.

Nasir Ayub and Paul Filmore (University of Plymouth, UK) [O-18] gave a presentation on "Early Experiences Employing the Matrix Principles Modified for the Communications and Electronics Domain".  This paper is a report of MSc project by Nasir Ayub with the guidance by Paul Filmore.  The Authors' Abstract is quoted first:

Different authors have developed examples of the TRIZ Principles in a number of domains ranging from finance to microelectronics. To the authors’ knowledge, no one has attempted to develop examples for the 40 Principles in the electronics and communications domain. Also past authors have seemed reluctant to explain how the examples were derived. This paper explains how the examples were obtained systematically by interviewing a number of domain specialists who knew little of TRIZ. In fact experience of trying to explain TRIZ before the knowledge capture phase, proved highly problematic and weakened the task focus. A condensed list of the 40 Principles is included.

As the result of this project the Authors made a comprehensive list of examples of 40 Inventive Principles taken in the field of electronic communications.  Rather than the results, the process of gathering such information from about 70 people is more worthy of reviewing here, I believe.  The people, at the end, fall into 3 groups: (a) Teachers from the School of Computing Communication and Electronics at the Univ. of Plymouth (10 people); (b) Postgraduate students at the Univ. of Plymouth, Manchester Univ., Univ. of Edinburgh,Univ. of Trento (Italy), Oxford Univ. and Ghulam Ihsaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (Pakistan) (35 people); (c) Professionals and engineers working in telecom companies like Ericsson, Vodafone, Orange, Microsoft and Alcatel (26 people).

(1) The Authors sent emails to some of the people (a)(b)(c) and asked to give their examples in the list of 40 Principles.  A small presentation of the history of TRIZ and some application examples in other fields were sent in the email.  Responses were few and many of them asked about TRIZ.
(2) The Author, after getting appointment via email, started the interviews with staff members of Univ. of Plymouth, first.  Luckily most of them knew TRIZ to some degree, but still they raised a number of questions about TRIZ and its history.  So the Authors decided to quit explaining about TRIZ history and to start with the explanation of 40 Principles.  This gathered a lot of examples, but most of them were found similar or repeats. 
(3) Then the Author showed application examples in different field, e.g. financing, in the interview.  This trick succeeded in opening people's mindset and in gathering a lot more different examples in our field of electronic communications.  Eventually the Author had a file of examples in electronic communications; showing this file of examples also triggered much. 
(4) The gathered examples are categorized in the 40 Principles, with some adjustment of the Principles.
(5) In the next stage, planned in next year, the Authors are going to use the list of examples in real industrial problems for obtaining further feedback (from people (c) mostly).


8. Patent Studies

P.-A. Verhaegen et al. (Belgium) Searching for Similar Products through Patent Analysis
Simon Dewulf et al. (Belgium) TRIZ Related Innovation Methodology
Roberto Nani et at. (Italy) Technological Route between Pioneerism and Improvement

 

P.-A. Verhaegen, J. D'hondt, J. Vertommen(Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium), S. Dewulf (CREAX, Belgium), and J. R. Duflou (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium) [O-30] gave a paper with the title of "Searching for Similar Products through Patent Analysis".  The Authors' Abstract is quoted here first:

During problem solving, TRIZ users map a specific problem to a generic problem, solve it via TRIZ tools, and map back to a specific solution, a process relying heavily on their TRIZ skills. To aid less skilled users, a methodology and algorithm are proposed that, through identification of specific word categories in patents, analysis of term-term correlation data, and data mining techniques, automatically identify similar products, and properties relating or differentiating products. This algorithm can quantifiably guide creativity efforts and aid in patent portfolio management.

This research handles a large number of patents and builds up some useful indices for characterizing the properties of products and the similarities/differences of properties of products (or product families). The processing scheme is shown in the slide (right), as the sequence of modules.  A sample of 22684 non-chemical patents were randomly selected from the entire US patent database for this research.  The title, abstract, and description parts of the patents were analyzed by natural language processing tools, i.e. tokenizer, Part-Of-Speech (POS) tagger, and Lemmatizer.  By using these tools, nouns (for representing products) and adjectives (for representing properties) are extracted from each patent with the index of the patent.  Such nouns and adjectives were then put into the Indexer, to make the Term-Document Matrix and Term-Term Correlation Matrix, whose concepts are adopted from the textbook by Baeza-Yates and Ribeiro-Neto "Modern Information Retrieval" (1999). 

The Term-Document Matrix A (left slide) has all the terms (i.e., all the nouns and adjectives) in the rows while all the documents in the columns.  And the cell A(i, j) holds the frequency of term i in document j.  The Term-Term Correlation Matrix C is shown (right slide).  C(i, j) is the sum of A(i, k)A(j, k) over the documents k. (Note: There is a minor mistake in the slide.)

The Correlation Matrix C has the structure illustrated in the slide (right-above).   With Noun1 as the reference product, the Authors especially note the nouns (such as Noun2 shown in the slide), which do not co-occur in any patent (as shown by 0 in the C Matrix) and yet are correlated via adjectives (as shown by x for an adjective in the C Matrix).

The Authors think that the nouns (Noun2 or Product2) in such a relation will give some unusual, innovative ideas for improving the reference product.

The Authors show a case study with toothbrush as the reference product.  Using the 22684 patents they built the Term-Term Correlation Matrix C, and they listed up 'similar' products as shown in the slide (right).  In this slide, 'similarity' is loosely defined by having a lot of common properties in the Correlation Matrix C.  In the table, the products written in bold faces (i.e., Bag, Needle, Ink, Shutter, and Lid) have a lot of common properties with toothbrush but do not co-occur in the sampled 22684 patents. 

By example, Shutter is taken as a 'similar' product for the purpose of obtaining inspirations for innovative idea generation.  Various properties which toothbrush and shutter have in common are illustrated in the slide (right).  The graph may suggest to think the possibilities of making toothbrush pulsating, oscillating, rotating, protruding, retracted, etc. 

*** This paper gives a method for listing up 'good candidates' for enforced associative thinking.  'Similar but in an unusual sense' seems to be the keyword of this new method.

Simon Dewulf, Vincent Theeten, Bernard Lahousse (CREAX, Belgium) [O-5] gave a presentation on "Simplicity in TRIZ Related Innovation Methodology: Implementation of 4 Novelties".  The Authors are trying to analyze a large body of patent database by use of various linguistic methods.  The slide (below) shows their flow of analysis.  The four issues shown at the bottom of the slide are related to the topics presented in this paper, as summarized in the Authors' Abstract which is quoted below.

1. Distillation of consumer data out of patents
Patents describe solutions to problems. A large part of the problems are consumer problems (as opposed to production problems). Whatever the quality of solution, the problems are well described. For domains where consumer research is challenging (B2B) patents offer a new source of consumer problem mining. Over time; patents reveal its trend in problems or its evolution.
2. TRIZ states to look outside, where?
One of the foundations of TRIZ is to look across domains for existing solutions. The paper proposes a method to generate a series of domains that are related to the subject at study. Once the ‘DNA’ of a domain, product or process is identified, an automated algorithm generates a series of ‘family’ domains.
3. Out of the box in time and space
Generation of the TRIZ 9 windows based on patent data largely automates the charting out of all elements in time and space.
4. What’s being changed, what’s being gained
Based on the analysis of patent domains generic changes (increase, decrease, stabilize) are detected over time. The research identifies trends in technology variables i.e. properties or functions at study.

It is interesting for me that the Authors put their attention of patent analysis on the problems instead of the solutions.  They have built a method of automatically extracting the problem being solved from the patent documents.  The core of their method is a pattern matching technique to find constructions which indicate a problem.  The following are a list of such typical problem patterns to extract:

The slide (right) is an example of display of the extracted problems in the domain of Fan Blades (of turbines).  This display is also interesting in the way of emphasizing important items.  All the extracted information is shown simply as the text but with much different font sizes depending on their importance (calculated automatically from their appearance frequencies).  We can see the important keywords easily in the slide which contain much more information.

 

Since the extracted problem keywords have links to the original patent sources, the information can be displayed in various forms.  The slide (right) shows the evolution of problems over time.  Problem keywords are arranged in the rows and the abscissa show the time (from 1987 to 2008).  The red circles show the problems addressed in each year; the circle area reflects the significance according to the number of cases.  This graph is clear to see various aspects of the evolution of issues of the problem.

 

Patents which address to each issue may also be classified according to the players.  The slide (right) shows the summary of such information in a matrix.  The rows represent the issues, while the columns the players.  The cells hold the number of patents granted to the player in relation to the specified issue.  For each issue, a few cells having prevailing percentages are marked in green. 

The topics of problems are further classified according to the properties of the system in which the patents tried to improve.  Such properties are shown in three groups in the slide (right), i.e., the properties tried to be increased, decreased, and changed/stabilized.  The slide shows that the current focuses of the patents related to turbine are increase in efficiency, and decrease in pressure loss, weight, and vibrations.

*** This approach is interesting in the point that a variety of general features and trends in the recent patents are possible to be revealed by the analysis of a certain volume of patent database.  Linguistic analysis techniques and the concept of property-function relationships are the keys for the analysis.  Display methods of some diagrams in this paper are also interesting; they may be applicable in other situations as well.  Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to understand the full extent of the implication of this work because the description in the paper is too short (only 3 pages) in spite of many slides (40 slide) without much explanation.

Roberto Nani (Scinte s.n.c., Ranica, Italy), Daniele Regazzoni (University of Bergamo, Italy) [O-23] gave a paper with the title of "Technological Route between Pioneerism and Improvement".  The Authors write: "The goal of this paper is to present an organized set of steps to clearly identify the patent state of the art of a certain product or technology, so that further research activities such as technological forecasting could be performed."

The 4 steps of the Authors' methodology are shown below along with a real case study concerning textile looms. 
Step 1 is to clarify the technology of interest and do preliminary patent search for obtaining a set of patents and IPC classes of interest.  In the case study this is done in two-step searches as shown by the Boolean formula, and obtained a set of 8700 patents.  

Step 2 is to make a statistical analysis of the set of patents (slides below).  For considering the S-curve growth of a technology, the accumulated number of relevant patents are conventionally used.  In contrast, a new index called Intellectual Property Density (IPD) has been introduced in the present study, where IPD = (number of cumulative patents)/(number of IPC classes involved).  IPD is found more suitable to represent in the S-curve analysis, the Authors say.

Step 3: Fit the IPD data in logistic curves.  This is done with a software tool 'Loglet Lab'.  Fitting may reveal not only a single S-curve but a succession of many S-curves.  In the applied case, the IPD data are decomposed into 3 S-curves (or 3 bell-shaped curves in the derivative form), which are characterized by  the midpoints, 1972, 1987, and 1999.  [*** I feel this is a nice analysis.  However the graphs does not show any consideration of noises, and hence uncertainties in the fitting.)]

Step 4 is to analyze the groups of patents characterized by the component S-curves for identifying new patent classes of interest.  This step is carried out by using clustering algorithm.  The Authors write:

"a clustering algorithm is applied to patents and applications of specific saturation points: 1972, 1987 and 1999. Analyzing the text of patents and applications, terms are grouped in order to obtain the minimum number of cluster having almost no cross connections. The result can be automatically shown by a graph. Each cluster is composed by a number of terms, describing both devices and actions quite homogeneous for meaning and field. A quick scan of the terms is enough to associate TRIZ Inventive Principles to each cluster."

The slide (right) show the result of clustering algorithm for the case of work file 1972.  [*** I do not understand well about their logic here.]  The Authors are handling 'Work file:1972 (112 items)'.  This seems to be the set of 112 patents applied in year 1972.  Terms in these patents are listed and then, with the clustering algorithm, the patents are grouped into clusters which have as many common terms within the cluster but have as few between different clusters.  In this manner the algorithm has found 5 clusters in this case as shown in the slide.  The search formula at the bottom of the slide corresponds to the 5th cluster.

The Authors' conclusions are shown in the slide (right).

 

*** I am interested in this work, but do not fully understand the algorithms and the validity and effectiveness of the present methodology.  For example in the case study the algorithm has shown 3 S-curves; is there any possibility of interpret or characterize the 3 S-curves (or 3 bell-shaped curves)? -- I think the Authors are trying such work in Step 4 but I cannot evaluate the validity of the results at all.  Hope the Authors' further research.


9. Non-technological Applications

Atsuko Ishida (Japan) TRIZ-based Business Idea Database to Find Customers’ Potential
Hongyul Yoon (South Korea) Pointers to Effects for Non-technical Problem Solving
Darrell Mann (UK) et al Creating A Meta/Mega/Micro Market Trend Hierarchy

 

Atsuko Ishida (Hitachi Consulting Co., Ltd., Japan) [O-29] gave a presentation with the title of "Revising the TRIZ-based Business Idea Database to Find Customers’ Potential: Needs on Business and Technical Seeds to Resolve Them".  The Author's Abstract is quoted here first:

The business idea database released in 2003 which used 40 principles of invention and the contradiction matrix suggested solutions of business problems from their essential subjects and contained contradictions. To improve effectiveness, it is revised with two points of view. One is that business contradiction statements for reminding unconscious and potential business problems are introduced. The other is that requirements analysis and definition techniques of software engineering and Enterprise Architecture framework are applied for finding technical seeds from suggested business ideas. The revised business idea database can be effective in finding unknown business needs and hidden technical seeds.

The structure of the Author's revised Business Idea Database is shown in the following two slides.

A case study was shown for the problem of training and development.  The background of the case is described as:

A company-A is an IT consulting farm which has expanded sharply. Employees have been doubled in one year, from 300 to 600. The company-A is a subsidiary company of a mega farm. One third of employees are IT consultants who came from the parent company. One third are management consultants who came from global consulting firms. Others are IT engineers who came from engineering companies. They have different back grounds, different mind and different levels of the consulting skills. All employees need to learn the company-A’s standard consulting mind and skills. Core members should have leadership and management skills as managers.  On the other hand, the company-A has not enough resources for training and development.

The procedure of using the Business Idea Database is shown in the slide (below-left).  Obtaining the business idea statement "Adopt agent, broker or mediate negotiator temporally", the Author has developed a solution as shown in the slide (below-right).  The solution is to exchange trainers and trainees in different fields and train/stimulate one another, i.e. an evolution of 'learning organization' concept.  This solution also raised a technical seed for a new Human Recourse Database.

The Author lists 27 Business Idea Statements which were adapted from the 40 Inventive Principles of TRIZ. 

Principles of invention Business idea statements
Segmentation Divide a system into different parts which can be moved flexibly.
Taking out Divide a system into different parts and eliminate unnecessary parts.
Asymmetry Old systems on old infrastructure and new systems on new infrastructure are intermingled.
Universality Make versatile, flexible, all purposed system.
Asymmetry anti-weight Divide a system into parts and add or change functions of them to optimize on the whole.
Preliminary action Build in new devices or tricks for taking a business chance or mitigating risks.
Beforehand cushioning Save space for mitigating risks.
Equipotentiality Make flat organization and avoid volatile situation.
The other way round Include various viewpoint such as stakeholders' view or minorities' view.
Spheroidality-curvature Approach with indirect way or make a detour to mitigate risks.
Dynamics Introduce parallel processing or use an autonomous distributed system for increasing flexibility.
Partial of excessive action Capture essential point by removing insignificant details.
Another dimension Change from flat shape to hierarchical one with slopes or hills.
Mechanical vibration Vary usual process with events or structural reforms.
Periodic action Do events periodically or take rests from usual tasks.
Skipping Mitigate risks or troubles with speedy action.
Feedback Get feedback from customers. If it's done already change feedback process.
Intermediary Adopt agent, broker or mediate negotiator temporally.
Self-serving Use long-lived components and recycle them.
Mechanics substitution Stimulate sensibility and have influence on user's consciousness.
Pneumatics and Hydraulics Defend against incidents or risks by expanding business temporally.
Color change Be contents visible by changing characteristic or including other contents.
Discarding and recovering Purify or restore contents using extra mechanism.
Parameter change Change a form of information or ways of accumulation or dispatching.
Phase transition Hire outsider or expose to external pressure to change rigid organization.
Thermal expansion Utilize outside influence or external power and make 

Hongyul Yoon (TRIZ Center, South Korea) [O-14]  gave a presentation on "A Study on Pointers to Effects for Non-technical Problem Solving".

Most of TRIZ thinking tools can help us to solve non-technical problems. However, the efficiency and effectiveness of TRIZ for solving those problems seem much lower than used for technical problem solving. Absence of pointers to effects for non-technical problem solving should be one of the main causes of that. Non-technical problem solving requires some effects that are different from those based on physical science and engineering technology. In order to develop some pointers to effects for non-technical problem solving, the structures and meaning of ‘function model’ and ‘effect’ were discussed. Based on the discussion, some pointers to effects were proposed for non-technical problem solving.

The Author is trying examine the foundation of 'Pointers to Effects' for non-technical problem solving step by step.  The Author wants to find some objective principles (i.e. 'effects') which work in the non-technical field; they should work as objectively as the 'effects' in technical field (which include physical, chemical, geometrical, and biological effects and are based on natural laws) and yet they must not belong to the 'effects' in the technical field.  His framework and his findings may be seen in his Summary slide (right). 

The essence of his findings is that the 'Non-technical Effects' he is looking for are some objective principles working on a human being. 

The Author writes:

Some information on psychology, economics, and marketing, etc were examined in order to pick up the non-technical principles [6][7][8][9][10][11].
Those which have no relationship of input influence and resultant change were abandoned as discussed before. After collected, the principles as effects were classified according to people’s property which is changed by them. They could be explained as one sentence, ‘People respond to incentives’. It must be put the accent on that the list of pointers to effects introduced in this paper is just the first one, which must be renewed if we get new non-technical principles.
In Table 1 the ‘what I want’ column shows only the changed properties without comments that the properties belong to a person or people.

A part of Table 1 is shown below, in order to understand Author's framework and examples of his pointers to 'Effects'. 

What I want Effect Input Influence
To intensify Cognition Effect of Moderately incongruity Moderately incongruous information
State/Field-dependent learning Signals reminding related states/fields
Positive attitude Bandwagon effect Sales information on others' positive purchase
Context effect, Primacy effect, Printing effect First information on good points
Demonstration effect Information on relatively higher classes
Framing effect Change of the description frame
.... 8 more effect   ...
Liking .... 5 effects  ...
Tendency toward risk Extremity shift/polarization Circumstance change
To weaken Cognition Tunnel vision phenomena Emotional irritating
Stroop effect Signals arranged for involuntary attention
Negative attitude Mere-exposure effect Frequent exposure/contact
Ritual effect Change of usual interactions
Positive attitude .... 8 effects ....
Tendency toward risk Extremity shift/polarization Circumstance change

The Author shows one example of using this table:

In ‘Country A’, a supermarket intends to sell some fruit imported from ‘Country B’ which people of ‘Country A’ hate. People dislike goods from ‘Country B’. However, the manager of the supermarket wants to sell the fruit as much as possible because of the high profit. What should she do?

Problem Model 1; I want to decrease the value of the negative attitude of people to the fruit imported from the hated country. = ‘to weaken the negative attitude’ ==> Mere-exposure effect; Ritual effect

Problem Model 2; I want to increase the value of the positive attitude of people to the fruit itself. = ‘to intensify positive attitudes’ ==> Bandwagon effect, Context effect, Primacy effect, Printing effect, Demonstration effect, Framing effect, and 8 more effects.

[*** This paper must be an important trial.  But I am not yet convinced of the framework and contents of Table 1.  The Author does not discuss how these effects are categorized.]

*** In relation to the 'Effects' related to human, I would like to quote a slide from Iouri Belski's Tutorial (even though I will not review the four Tutorials given on the first day of the present conference).

Tutorial: "A systematized use of Su-Field Analysis" by Iouri Belski (Australia)

Darrell Mann (Systematic Innovation, UK), Yekta Özözer (ABC Consultancy Ltd, Turkey) [O-11] gave a presentation with the title of "Creating A Meta/Mega/Micro Market Trend Hierarchy: Trying To Understand Populations Better Than Populations Understand Themselves".  This is an initial overview report of the Authors' tremendous research work on consumer and market trends.  I would like to quote the Authors' Abstract first:

The paper describes the main outputs from a long-term piece of research aimed at finding the underlying patterns in the thousands of observable consumer and market trends present in the world at any one time. By applying TRIZ principles, we describe for the first time how it has now been possible to find an underlying structure behind these trend patterns. The first part of the paper describes this structure. In the second part we show how it becomes possible to use the underlying patterns to make more robust predictions about things that will happen in the future.

The Authors' motivation is "Why is Innovation so difficult?".  Over 90% of innovations fail before they reach the market, and over 90% of those innovations that do reach the market will also fail, the Authors observe. 

Innovation happens successfully only when one finds the right problem and find the best solution to it.  To find the best solution is to find the 'voice of the product'.  This has been worked pretty well by use of TRIZ and other technological methods. The voice of the product may be understood by the evolution of 'Product DNA' such as represented with a radar chart of evolution potential (slide bottom-right), the Authors write.

To find the right problem is to find the voice of the customer.  But this task is much harder.  Various methods in market research have failed so often.  Simple extrapolation of currently apparent trends does not give innovation. 

By the introduction of TRIZ philosophy in the marketing, the Authors already had the general understanding that two trends in the market eventually emerge a conflict, which should become the right problem to be solved in an innovation. They also had experiences of specific cases of evaluating which and which trends will be the principal ones in making the conflict that need to be solved for an innovation. 

The present paper is a trial to handle 'all' the trends in the markets and to find a general method for finding the right problems.  The Authors have a team of researchers dedicated to a long-standing program of research on consumer and market trends to assemble a unifying trend theory.  They have surveyed a large number of books and methodologies.  The following slide (below) is a concentration of such work for systematizing the market and innovation related philosophies and methodologies, named "Innovation Chemistry" because of its form similar to the Periodic Table of Atoms in Chemistry.

On the basis of such a large-scale research, over 1000 trends in the markets are accumulated, as partially shown in the slide (right). [*** I am impressed with these trends to find various keywords which we often see in Japan without knowing its global situations and also many others I have not heard so far.] 

The slide shows a small part of the big matrix of 1000+ by 1000+ trends.  The symbols in the cell (i, j) stand the relationships of the trends i to j.  Namely, L: trend i leads trend j; ~L: trend i circumstantially leads trend j; X: trend i directly conflicts with trend j.   

The relationships among these 1000+ trends are demonstrated in the connection diagram in the slide (right).  You see 'Everything is connected to everything', the Authors say.  In the slide, more important trends are written in larger and red fonts; they include 'individuality', 'Convenience', 'Comfortseeking& Independentancy', 'Simplicity', and 'EVEolution'.  Some of them, e.g. 'Individuality', are sources, i.e. the trend which leads many other trends, while some others, e.g. 'simplicity', are sinks, i.e. the trend which is led by many others.  (EVEolution is a trend: The rise and rise of the female consumer increasingly influential in ever increasing numbers and types of purchases.)

The next task is how to classify (or locate) all these 1000+ trends.  The Authors tried to use the general framework of 'Space-Time-Interface', which was used in the Author's textbook "Hands-On Systematic Innovation" (2002).  They have found the framework useful especially in the following 3-dimensional scheme:  Space is interpreted as geography, sometimes countries and either larger or smaller regions.  Time is especially interpreted by using the concept of 'generational cycles', in the scale of years and decades.  Interface is defined as 'all about the connections between things rather than the things themselves'.  The Authors adopted the concept of Spiral levels in the 'Spiral Dynamics' uncovered by Clare Graves.  Spiral levels are defined by how people think about themselves in connection to the world in which they live.

The Authors evaluate Spiral Dynamics very highly (slide, right).   They say Spiral Dynamics is the social and psychological equivalent of TRIZ: study and distillation of the way the world works.  The different levels in Spiral Dynamics are defined/explained in the two slides shown below.  The names of the levels reflect the social systems in human history.  And yet the concepts of these levels are applicable to the psychological/social growth/maturity of a person and of a group of people, i.e. a society.  A child is born at the Survival level (1), and usually passes through a gang age, i.e. at the Tribal level (2), and finds/expresses the self, i.e. at the Feudal level (3), and goes on further towards higher levels depending on the person. Shifting from one level to another is not a continuous move but a discontinuous change in consciousness/thinking accompanying the negation of the former way of thinking/living.   

For the dimension of Time, the Authors have adopted the concepts of 'Generation cycles', based on "The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy" written by W. Strauss and N. Howe (1997).  The most basic idea is to characterize people according to their archetypes depending on their generation (or birth year).  Once they are characterized, their aging can be shown in the graph (slide, right).  In the recent society in US and UK, the generation of baby boomers who were born after the World War II are characteristic, and then the Generations X, Y, and Z are taken in sequence with 20 years of period.  'Generation Cycles' proposes the characterization of 4 sequential generations (in the names of Hero, Artist, Prophet, and Nomad) and their cyclic occurrence, as illustrated in the table (below left) and in the figure (below right). 

[*** The characterization of generations of people seems much dependent on the regional/country history.  The description about US (and UK) society is not so familiar to me in Japan, even though there are basic similarities of occurring the 'baby boomers' after the war and even bigger, drastic change in the people's way of thinking.  Maybe global and multiple views are important in the characterization of generations of people and its change in time.]

   

On the basis described above, the Authors has built a 2-dimensional framework of characterizing people in the markets (slide, right).  The rows represent the levels in the concept of Spiral Dynamics, while the columns the archetypes of generations in the sense of 'Generational Cycles'. 

By example, three cases of trends are shown in the framework matrix. 
'Middlemen' are young males, who’ve been brought up by parents who have generally indulged them, they have had access to much of what they desire, and as a consequence, now they are in early adulthood they have not yet ‘grown up’. Their lives are largely hedonistic and driven by an expectation that they will always be able to do exactly as they please.
Archetypes of 'Ms Independent' trend are absolutely the characters from the Sex In The City TV show – very materialistic, often manipulating and determined to get what they want.
'Karma Queens' are women who have generally been successful in life and are now looking to ‘give something back’.

The Authors briefly describe how to use the 1000+ trends and the framework shown above.  For example, let's consider we are involved in the production of kitchen systems (below, right) and looking for the market trends.  According to the graph shown above, we see the Generation Y reaches the age of 26 this year (2008).  In such an age they are beginning to settle down into long term relationships and to contemplating moving into their own house or apartment.  Thus this market is currently undergoing a shift from a Nomadic Generation X cohort to a Heroic Generation Y cohort.  At 26 years old, the majority of people are at the Feudal, Order or Scientific stages in the Spiral.  Thus the main market is positioned in the 3 cells of the 2D-framework as shown in the slide (below-left).  Characteristics of people in such cells are shown by keywords in the table (below-left) and by some photos of archetypical people (below-right).  Then various trends related to these keywords need to be examined and the conflicts emerging from different trends are to be considered to solve, because innovations are supposed emerge by solving such conflicts as shown at the top of this paper.

*** This paper is based on research of a tremendous scale and depth in the general non-technical fields.  It is amazing that such a wide range of reference books in business, society, psychology, innovation, etc. are arranged in a systematic way called "Innovation Chemistry", just like a Periodic Table of Atoms in chemistry.  The Authors write in conclusion:

"... In essence, the whole TRIZ philosophy has been about studying large amounts of data and distilling patterns from that data. All we are in effect doing when we shift the focus from technology to markets is to extend the scope of that pattern finding challenge. We hope that others in the TRIZ community will join us in the journey to turn the early seeds presented here into a full-blown science."


10. Miscellaneous

First, I would like to list up here two more papers which were published in the Proceedings but not presented because of the absence of the authors.

Pavel Livotov (TriS Europe GmbH, Germany) [O-16]: "Method for Quantitative Evaluation of Innovation Tasks for Technical Systems, Products and Processes".

László Farkas (Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary) [O-2]: "TRIZ-ARIZ in Transformer-type Fault Current Limiter Development".

Four more papers were published as "Poster Presentations" in the Proceedings.  They were posted on the wall of room for lunch and intermissions for the three days. 

D. Daniel Sheu and David Lee (National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan): "A Computer-based Problem-solving Assistant for Su-Field Analysis"

Pascal Sire (IBM and INSA Strasbourg, France): "Lessons learnt in the introduction of TRIZ at IBM Corporation, aka “personal giveback to the community on my ‘knowledge spiral’ pragmatic way to learn, teach and practice with busy professionals.”"

Young Joon Ahn, Yong Taek Park, Pyeong Kwan Chung, Dong Wook Kim (LS Cable, Korea): "Design Adjustable Length Bus Duct Joint Kit using TRIZ"

Péter Bajor (Széchenyi University, Hungary): "Lean/Agile Logistics Systems in Wire Supply"

As an additional Poster Presentation, I myself was allowed to post the following Poster for 3 days and to have chances of discussing on the topic with people from several countries.

Toru Nakagawa (Osaka Gakuin University, Japan): "Global Network of Public Web Sites in TRIZ: A Proposal for Building Global TRIZ Community (2)"
==> Already posted in "TRIZ Home Page in Japan".  (cf. Original full text May 2008 )

At the end of the TFC2008 Conference, the annual ETRIA Members' Meeting was held.  During the Members' Meeting, the following five reports were presented informally on the request by the ETRIA President Gaetano Cascini:

I was requested this report on the first-day afternoon of the Conference and prepared a brief report by quoting 3 slides from Toshihiro Hayashi's Opening Address and by making 3 slides of the summary of our policy in organizing the Symposium.  *** We are very pleased and honored to learn that many people in ETRIA are highly evaluating our TRIZ Symposium in Japan. The report was posted already in this Web site for your reference.

 

Probably I should better write here about the Opening session, Social events (especially the nice Dinner), discussions within/besides the sessions, Closing session, ETRIA Members Meeting, conference site The University of Twente, etc. and show you some photos. But please forgive me for skipping all these, because I am not good at reporting them and also because in nearly 4 months after the Conference my memories on them are not so clear.  In the ETRIA Web site you can see a large number of photos taken by Valeri Souchkov during the Conference.

 


11. Concluding Remarks

By writing these reviews of papers presented at ETRIA "TRIZ Future 2008" Conference, I have learned a lot again.  The followings are my remarks for conclusion:

(1) One of the strong points of TRIZ in Europe is its foundation of TRIZ research in the universities.  And European universities seem to have good collaborative relationships with industries in their home countries.  Cooperation among universities, industries, and consultancies is the important basis for further development of problem solving methodologies including TRIZ.  We can read many papers here which resulted from such cooperation, even though sometimes the papers are written by university authors only.

(2) Such collaborative work was impressive in the presentations by H. Rutten (Keynote; Netherlands), by G. Cascini et al. (Italy), by G. Schuh et al. (Germany), etc.  Especially the work presented in the Keynote by H. Rutten was achieved by the collaboration led by a regional government institute.

(3) For furthering the methodology of TRIZ itself, the papers by D. Mann (UK) on Smart Materials and by G. Cascini et al.(Italy) on the evolutionary scenarios are useful. 

(4) Integration of TRIZ with other relevant methodologies seems to be the area most active in the present conference.  The work by P. Samuel et al. (US) has revealed the solution principles for robust design, thus forming strong ties with the subsequent process of TRIZ in the product development.

(5) Case studies and promotion activities of TRIZ in industries were not presented much by industrial people in spite of demands by the participants and many other TRIZ users.  Among them, the paper by Gunther Schuh et al. is useful as a practice-based research approach on the particular topic of preventing product piracy.

(6) How to teach TRIZ to engineers and in universities is another important topic.  Papers by E. Domb (USA) on introducing recent findings in instruction methodology, by G. Cascini (Italy) et al. on TETRIS Project, and by T. Nakagawa et al. (Japan) on a case study may be remarkable.

(7) In the fields of non-technolgical applications, the research by D. Mann (UK) et al. has established a new cornerstone for understanding the general trends in market demands.  For going out of the fields of technologies, TRIZ needs much efforts and manpower having different backgrounds. 

(8) ETRIA has been trying hard to raise its own position in academia.  University people served the chief organizers with getting assistance from people in industry and consultancy.  The papers of 'scientific contributions' were peer-reviewed by the 20-membered scientific committee.  As the results of these efforts, for the first time in the TRIZ history, the ETRIA TFC 2008 was officially supported by an international academic society, i.e. CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering). 

(9) ETRIA TFC is open-minded in making the Proceedings in PDF downloadable from their Web site by the ETRIA members.  The presentation slides of all the presenters were made downloadable with an MP3 devise, which was provided to all the participants. 

(10) Strength often makes some other parts weak, to our regret.  Participants from industries and presentations by industry people apparently have reduced for these two, three years.  This does not mean that the penetration of TRIZ into industries is weak in Europe.  I learned that the TRIZ Zentrum had their conference in May 2008; over 140 participants attended and many presentations were given from industries.  This is a German language conference.  Similarly, in Italy and in France, national TRIZ associations have their own activities.  We wish ETRIA to incorporate such industrial TRIZ users as well.

(11) It was my pleasure that I was invited to talk our experiences of Japan TRIZ Symposium in the ETRIA Members Meeting.  In Japan we have much difficulty of language barriers between Japanese and English; our current solution is to project slides in English and in Japanese in parallel.  We accept as many contributed papers as possible, in two styles of presentations.  One is ordinary oral presentation for 40 min. ea. in double tracks, and the other is poster presentations having 3 min. ea. introduction and 60-70 min. poster presentation with 6-8 posters in parallel.  Advanced agenda with abstracts is announced 3 months beforehand.  Industrial users are the main contributors in Japan TRIZ Symposium. 

(12) Anyway, a lot of significant works have been reported in the Conference.  We can learn them and use them for our own future work.  Thanking again for all the people who made this Conference possible and fruitful, I wish this Personal Report convey information and messages of TRIZ to many people all over the world.  I am grateful to all the authors and ETRIA for their giving me permissions of using their figures and slides in this report.

(13) I am planning to translate 6 selected papers into Japanese and to post them in this Web site together with their original English versions.  I have obtained the translation permissions from the authors and ETRIA.   Thanks so much. 

ETRIA Executive Board announced about the next Conference as:

ETRIA "TRIZ Future 2009" Conference will be held in Timisoara, Romania,
in October-November, 2009. 
  Details will be announced soon.

Please note also: 

TRIZCON2009 is going to be held soon on Mar. 16-18, 2009 by the Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies at Woodland Hills, CA, USA.   I wish to meet many people again there.

The Fifth TRIZ Symposium in Japan 2009 : to be held by Japan TRIZ Society on Sept. 10-12, 2009 at National Women's Education Center (NWEC), Saitama, Japan (near Tokyo). 

 

Top of this page 1. Outline List of papers 2. Keynotes 3. TRIZ Methodology 4. Integrations with others 5. Case Studies in Industries 6. Promotion in Industries 7. In Academia
8 Patent Studies 9. Non-Technological Applications 10. Miscellaneous 11. Concluding Remarks PDF of this report ETRIA TFC 2008 Official site ETRIA Official site ETRIA TFC2007 Nakagawa's Personal Report Japanese page

 

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Last updated on Mar. 1, 2009.     Access point:  Editor: nakagawa@ogu.ac.jp