Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010 Paper


Computer-Aided Problem Solving: A Dialogue-based System to Support the Analysis of Inventive Problems
Yuri Borgianni 1, Niccolò Becattini 2, Gaetano Cascini 2, Federico Rotini 1
(1 Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy; 2 Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
The Sixth TRIZ Symposium in Japan, Held by Japan TRIZ Society on Sept. 9-11, 2010 at Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
Introduction by Toru Nakagawa (Osaka Gakuin Univ.), Apr. 2, 2011
[Posted on Sept 19, 2011] 

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Editor's Note (Toru Nakagawa, Sept. 17, 2011)

This paper was presented by Gaetano Cascini a year ago in an Oral session at the Sixth TRIZ Symposium in Japan, 2010.  Presentation slides have been posted in PDF both in English and in Japanese translation (by Fumiko Kikuchi) in the Members-only page of Japan TRIZ Society's Official Site since last March.  For wider circulation, they are now posted here publicly under the permissions of the Authors. 

Last April I posted an introduction to this paper as a part of my Personal Report of the Symposium.  The excerpt is posted here again in English.  This paper reports a new software tool for supporting the users in inventive problem solving; the software is dialog based and seems flexible in the structure.  I wish my introduction may be of some help for you to understand this valuable presentation.

 

Top of this page Abstract Slides in PDF Slides in Japanese, PDF Nakagawa's Introduction Nakagawa's Personal Report of Japan TRIZ Symp. 2010 Japan TRIZ Symp. 2010 Japanese page

[1] Abstract

Computer-Aided Problem Solving: A Dialogue-based System
to Support the Analysis of Inventive Problems

Yuri Borgianni 1, Niccolò Becattini 2, Gaetano Cascini 2, Federico Rotini 1
(1 Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy; 2 Politecnico di Milano, Italy)

Abstract

The paper presents the research activity developed by the authors in the field of Computer-Aided Inventive Problem Solving: an original dialogue-based software application has been developed by integrating the logic of ARIZ with some OTSM-TRIZ models in order to guide an user also with no TRIZ education to the analysis of inventive problem. The proposed software system, even if still at a prototype stage, is radically different from any existing TRIZ-based software tool and it has been already tested both with students at university and with employees of a few Small and Medium Enterprises. The full presentation will detail the structure of the algorithm and the results of the first testing activities.

Extended Abstract

Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) systems constitute an emerging technology in the field of computerized means for product development. Being these systems at an infancy stage of development, this domain is characterized by fuzzy borders with other disciplines and different perspectives in terms of objectives, end-users, reference sciences etc.

Nevertheless, providing a systematic support to the solution of inventive problems certainly constitutes a key aspect in the CAI domain; up to now, the existing systems available on the market have been mostly based on the implementation of the classical instruments of TRIZ into an electronic format, but just marginal benefits are provided to the user both in terms of capability to manage complex systems and lack of competence with TRIZ fundamentals. Moreover, existing systems have mostly neglected past research outcomes in the field of problem solving with computers as those achieved with Artificial Intelligence and Case Based Reasoning.

Among the objectives of the work, the attempt of overcoming, through a software application, troublesome issues recurring in complex problem solving cases, such as multiple goals, manifold interrelations and lack of clarity, holds the utmost importance. With this purpose, the paper describes an algorithm, implemented in a dialogue based system, which systematically supports the analysis of problems arising during the design phase. The system assists the user in formulating technical problems using terms and concepts of OTSM-TRIZ, being a physical contradiction expressed as an intensified conflict the expected output of the questioning procedure. The methodological approach, as well as the capability of the algorithm to integrate useful information, supports such goal. The algorithm includes several logical branches, whose questions and outputs allow the refinement of the system analysis. An iterative questioning procedure guides the user in performing the problem analysis under different detail levels and focusing on the different stages of the system lifecycle, alike through the multi-screen logic of the System Operator. Such broad investigation allows to focus on the whole set of features concerning the technical system, including useful, insufficient and harmful effects, their operative time and space, evaluation and control parameters, involved resources, components hierarchies, process phases. After the problem formulation, the user is led towards the setting-out of a search in the databases of patents and scientific articles, thus getting a set of documents that broaden the knowledge domain viable to trigger the problem solving path.

The whole investigation is carried out without the use of TRIZ jargon, enabling even non-practitioners to follow the procedure, but allowing however to describe the system through TRIZ categories.

The functioning of the system is clarified through a dialogue excerpt from a real case study.

The proposed framework, together with the robustness of the algorithm and the time elapsed in the problem formulation procedure, has been tested by means of test cases carried out by students at the University of Florence and at Politecnico di Milano, representing a wide group of TRIZ beginners and real case studies in Italian SMEs, whose designers were not aware of any TRIZ technique.

 


[2]  Presentation Slides in PDF

Presentation Slides in English in PDF (32 slides, 4.8 MB)

Presentation Slides in Japanese in PDF (32 slides, 4.1 MB) (Japanese translation by Fumiko Kikuchi (Pioneer))

 


[3]  Introduction to the Presentation (by Nakagawa)

Excerpt from: 
Personal Report of The Sixth TRIZ Symposium in Japan, 2010, Part G
by Toru Nakagawa (Osaka Gakuin University),
Posted on Apr. 2, 2011 in "TRIZ Home Page in Japan"

 

Yuri Borgianni (*1), Niccolò Becattini (*2), Gaetano Cascini (*2), and Federico Rotini (*1) (*1 Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy; *2 Politecnico di Milano, Italy) [E06, O-1] gave an Oral presentation with the title of "Computer-Aided Problem Solving: A Dialogue-based System to Support the Analysis of Inventive Problems".  Gaetano Cascini was the presenter.  The Authors' Abstract is quoted here first:

The paper presents the research activity developed by the authors in the field of Computer-Aided Inventive Problem Solving: an original dialogue-based software application has been developed by integrating the logic of ARIZ with some OTSM-TRIZ models in order to guide an user also with no TRIZ education to the analysis of inventive problem. The proposed software system, even if still at a prototype stage, is radically different from any existing TRIZ-based software tool and it has been already tested both with students at university and with employees of a few Small and Medium Enterprises. The full presentation will detail the structure of the algorithm and the results of the first testing activities.

The slide (right) shows the Authors' motive for their present research.  They want to make a computer-aided support tool in the stage of conceptual design (CAI).  Since they wanted to make a software tool based on TRIZ but original and different from existing ones, they started the discussion of system requirements, as shown in the two slides (below). 

Their found the main system requirements to be 'step-by-step algorithm' along the problem solving process.  The Algorithm should support the analysis of the problem and organization of the related information according to the TRIZ knowledge-base.  The tool should be a dialog-based system for problem analysis, the Authors say.  

  

The Authors further discuss on which strategy and approaches they should choose.  Between the cognitive approach (i.e., stimulating/relying on user's thinking ability) and the systematic approach (i.e., showing/guiding logical and systematic procedure), the Authors have chosen a conciliated approach in a step-by-step method.  (See slide (below-left).)  Slide (below-right) shows 4 kinds of computer assisted systems, according to T. Lubat [9] (2005).  As shown by the red arrow, the Authors have chosen the coaching-type system.

  

As the reference system for the problem solving algorithm, the Authors used OTSM-TRIZ developed by Nikolai Khomenko. 

Then the Authors have built a dialog-based software system having the structure as shown in the slide (below-left).  It has 7 logical blocks, carrying-out each block of procedure which will be explained below. 
[*** The flow diagram shown by the Authors in the slide (below-left) is not easy to read, for me.  So I have redrawn it without changing their logic but with some of my own interpretation, as shown in the slide (below-right).  'Forward passes' are shown in black straight arrows, while the 'feedback passes' in blue dotted curves, and 'unsuccessful passes' in black dotted arrows.  The tightly-coupled Negative Effect and ARIZ blocks are located at the entrance by the Authors but they also have the nature of the final logical blocks for finding the contradictions, and hence they are placed at the end having three feedback passes.  The four other blocks (i.e., Performance, Cost, Resource, and Process blocks) are mutually connected with somewhat complicated relationships.]

Then the Authors describe the seven logical blocks one by one.  The first block is 'Initial Situation (IS)', as shown in the slide (right).  Its role is to make a preliminary description of the system and the problem under investigation.  While using this logical block, the user is guided by the system to describe the information shown in the bottom part of the slide.  Such information is stored in the system according to the variables and parameters as shown here.  The connections from other blocks and to other ones are shown in the middle part of the slide.

The second block (according to the Authors' sense) is the Negative Effect.  Its role is to investigate the undesired effect that arises in the system, and its negative consequences and impacts.  The user are guided to input the information shown in the text box at the bottom part of the slide (right).

Similarly the Authors describe five more logical blocks.  They are listed below, after omitting the connection diagrams. 





The Authors have already built the prototype software of the present system and made test use by university students and by SME engineers.   The part of their test results is omitted in this review. 

The Authors concluded as shown in the slide (right). 

[*** The dialog-based algorithm seems to be flexible and effective in coaching the users to input (or think) necessary information along the problem solving procedure.  It must be useful if the knowledge-bases of TRIZ are well incorporated in this system.  We look forward to their further development.]

[Note: We have now posted the original presentation slides in the present Web site in English and in Japanese . (Sept. 19, 2011)]

Top of this page Abstract Slides in PDF Slides in Japanese, PDF Nakagawa's Introduction Nakagawa's Personal Report of Japan TRIZ Symp. 2010 Japan TRIZ Symp. 2010 Japanese page

 

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Last updated on Sept. 19, 2011.     Access point:  Editor: nakagawa@ogu.ac.jp