1. Innovation Tool: TRIZ (An Introduction)
Jonathan Weaver
UDM ME Department
Development support by David Roggenkamp and
Arun Aakaluashok

2. References
There are numerous books on the subject and web materials available, some of the best are at some specifics:
Kraev’s Corner featured a twelve lesson sequence in the Triz Journal which you might enjoy; the lessons are available at
A full listing of the 40 principles with examples can be found at
The contradiction matrix may be found at
And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared, by Genrich Altshuller
Triz materials from Patsy Brackin, Rose Hulman.
Airbag example from:

3. How Many Ways Do You Know to Move a Liquid?

4. Acoustic Cavitation
Acoustic Vibrations
Archimedes’ Principle
Bernoulli’s Theorem
Boiling
Brush Constructions
Capillary Condensation
Capillary Evaporation
Capillary Pressure
Coanda Effect
Condensation
Coulomb’s Law
Deformation
Electrocapillary Effect
Electroosmosis
Electrophoresis
Electrostatic Induction
Ellipse
Evaporation
Ferromagnetism
Forced Oscillations
Funnel Effect
Gravity
Inertia
Ionic Exchange
Jet Flow
Lorentz Force
Magnetostriction
Mechanocaloric Effect
Osmosis
Pascal Law
Resonance
Shock Wave
Spiral
Super Thermal Conductivity
Superfluidity
Surface Tension
Thermal Expansion
Thermocapillary Effect
Thermomechanical Effect
Ultrasonic Capillary Effect
Ultrasonic Vibrations
Use of foam
Wetting Knowledge from all fields

5. "The creative person pays close attention to what appears discordant and contradictory ... and is challenged by such irregularities."
Frank Barron ( ), was an internationally known psychologist and UC Berkeley professor who studied highly creative thinkers in architecture, science, mathematics and literature.  He was  Guggenheim Fellow and a Fellow for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.  Barron received the American Psychological Association's Richardson Creativity Award and the Rudolf Arnheim Award for Outstanding Contribution to Psychology and the Arts.

6. Processing Sweet Peppers
It used to be a labor-intensive process to de-seed peppers.
Now, to remove seeds from peppers, the peppers may be placed in a pressure chamber. The pressure can be slowly increased so that the pressure diffuses through the pepper skin to the interior of the pepper. If the pressure is then suddenly reduced, the stem and seeds explode out of the pepper! (discovered c. 1945)
What does this have to do with invention and innovation?

7. Beyond Peppers Other applications of pressure increase/drop:
Removing shells from sunflower seeds (1950)
Removing shells from cedar nuts (1950)
Cleaning filters
Unpacking parts wrapped in protective paper
Producing sugar powder from sugar crystal
Splitting artificial diamonds along micro-cracks (1972)
More generally – store up energy and release it
More generally still – store a resource for later use

8. Genrich Altshullar, Father of TRIZ
Born 15-Oct-1926,
Age 14, patented underwater breathing apparatus that generated oxygen from hydrogen peroxide.
Age 20, as Lieutenant in Caspian Sea Navy, patented method for escaping immobilized submarine without diving gear and was offered position as patent examiner.
Age 22, wrote to Stalin to inform him that the Soviet Union’s approach to technology was chaotic and ignorant and that he had devised a systematic approach by which any technical problem could be solved.
Age 23, Invited to a meeting and taken into custody.
Age 24, Sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Age 29, Released early from prison following Stalin’s death and learns his grief stricken mother has committed suicide.
Age 30, Publishes Psychology of Inventive Creativity.
Age 42, Organizes first TRIZ seminar.
Age 43, Publishes Algorithm of Inventing (40 Inventive Principles).
Age 50s, Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Age 58, Publishes And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared.
Age 63, Named president of newly established Russian TRIZ Association.
Age 72, Dies. (1999)

9. TRIZ Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch
Altshuller recognized that the same fundamental problem (contradiction) had been addressed by a number of inventions in different areas of technology
He also observed that the same fundamental solutions were used over and over again, often separated by many years
He reasoned that if the latter innovator had had knowledge of the earlier solution, their task would have been straightforward
He sought to extract, compile, and organize such information

10. Psychological Inertia Vector
A better solution might lie over here
Your training and biases may bring you down this path

11. Altshuller’s Research Results
Patents
(World Wide)
Inventive
KEY FINDINGS
Definition of inventive
problems
Levels of invention
Patterns of evolution
Patterns of invention
40,000
200,000

12. Five Levels of Invention
LEVEL 1: Apparent (no invention)
Established solutions
Well-known and readily accessible
Example: Adjustable pedals in a car (already was commonplace in airplanes)
LEVEL 2: Minor Improvement
Small improvement of an existing system, usually with some compromise
Example: Bifocals

13. Five Levels of Invention (Cont.)
LEVEL 3: Invention Inside Paradigm
Significant improvement of an existing system
Example: Automatic transmission
LEVEL 4: Invention Outside Paradigm
Involves changing the principle of performing the primary function of an existing system
Example: jet engine applied to aircraft
LEVEL 5: Discovery
Pioneer invention of an essentially new system
Example: first airplane

14. Level of Invention Writing Example
1. Apparent
Write with a piece of graphite
2. Minor Improvement
Pencil (wrapped graphite)
3. Significant Improvement
Pen (ink replaces graphite)
4. Change in Principle for Primary Function
Printer
5. New System
Electronic pen and paper

15. Levels of Innovation (Cont.)

16. Two Types of Contradiction
Physical Contradiction
A conflict between two mutually exclusive physical requirements to the same parameter of an element of the system
Element should be hot and cold
Element should be hard and soft
Technical Contradiction (commonly referred to as a trade-off)
A conflict between characteristics within a system when improving one parameter of the system causes the deterioration of other parameter
Increasing the power of the motor (a desired effect) may cause the weight of the motor to increase (a negative effect).

17. Dealing with Physical Contradictions
Four principles for overcoming physical contradiction:
Separation of contradictory properties in time or on condition
Separation of contradictory properties in space
System transformations (or separation between the parts and the whole)
Phase transformation, or physical-chemical transformation of substances
Glasses lens should be clear and dark – separate on condition of sunlight
Bandage separates in space – sticks around wound but not to wound
Bike chain is system transformation – at component level is rigid, at system level is flexible
An abrasive must be present and absent – use dry ice for sandblasting
Funnel – ‘large and small’ separated in space

18. Examples of Physical Contradictions
Separation of contradictory properties in time
For overcoming nail’s rotation into the wall, we can propose to make the nail with a noncircular section shape. But the process for production of these nails should be changed for making the new shape and it is expensive!
Separation of contradictory properties in space
Bifocals by Ben Franklin
System transformations
For measuring contact force between a door’s seal and housing of the refrigerator, we can use some special electronic sensors between them. But what kind of sensors do we need  and how to get them? Is there a simpler way to solve the problem?

19. Automotive Examples of Physical Contradictions
Highways should be wide for easy traffic flow but narrow for low impact on communities.
Braking should be instantaneous to avoid road hazards but braking should be gradual for control.
Upholstery should be luxurious but be easy to maintain.
The frame should be heavy (for structural safety) but the frame should be light (for cost and ease of assembly.)
Manufacturing should be done in small lots for flexibility but manufacturing should be done in large lots for low cost.

20. Airbag Examples of Physical Contradictions
The deployment threshold should be high and low
The air bag should be aggressive and de-powered
The air bag should protect everyone and harm no one
The gas should be generated quickly and slowly
The sensor should be complex and simple
The air bag should exist and should not exist

21. Automotive Examples of Technical Contradictions
The vehicle has higher horsepower, but uses more fuel
The vehicle has high acceleration but uses more fuel
The ride feels smoother, but the handling is difficult on high speed curves
A pick-up truck has high load capacity (stiff rear suspension) but the ride is rough.
Putting controls on stalks increases driver convenience, but makes assembly of the steering column more complex.
Electric vehicles can go long distances between recharging, but the battery weight gets too high to move at all!

22. Airbag Examples of Technical Contradictions
High power ("aggressive") deployment saves lives of average-sized drivers, but increases injuries to unbelted or small passengers
Adding more sensors to customize the deployment to the circumstances, and thereby save lives of small and unbelted people, increases the complexity of the system

23. Handling Technical Contradiction
Altshuller identified a set of engineering parameters such that a contradiction can be stated in the form improving one parameter causes deterioration of the other parameter
A set of inventive principles are developed
A tool is provided which helps direct the inventor to a appropriate principles for a given contradiction
Based on his patent research, Altshuller identified the 39 engineering parameters that may be involved in a contradiction

24. Altshuller’s 39 Engineering Parameters
Weight of moving object
Weight of non-moving object
Length of moving object
Length of non-moving object
Area of moving object
Area of non-moving object
Volume of moving object
Volume of non-moving object
Speed
Force
Tension, pressure.
Shape
Stability of object
Strength
Durability of moving object
Durability of non-moving object
Temperature
Brightness
Energy spent by moving object
Energy spent by non-moving object
Ask students to identify conflict with a backpack – want to carry more, but that can increase weight

25. Altshuller’s 39 Engineering Parameters (Cont.)
Power
Waste of energy
Waste of substance
Loss of information
Waste of time
Amount of substance
Reliability
Accuracy of measurement
Accuracy of manufacturing
Harmful factors acting on object
Harmful side effects
Manufacturability
Convenience of use
Repairability
Adaptability
Complexity of device
Complexity of control
Level of automation
Productivity

26. Inventive Principles
Based on his patent research, Altshuller identified a total of 40 inventive principles that can be applied to resolve contradictions amongst the engineering parameters.

27. 40 Inventive Principles Segmentation Extraction Local Quality
Asymmetry
Combining
Universality
Nesting
Counterweight
Prior counter-action
Prior action
Cushion in advance
Equipotentiality
Inversion
Spheroidality
Dynamicity
Partial or overdone action
Moving to a new dimension
Mechanical vibration
Periodic action
Continuity of useful action

28. 40 Inventive Principles (Cont.)
Rushing through
Convert harm into benefit
Feedback
Mediator
Self-service
Copying
An inexpensive short-lived object instead of an expensive durable one
Replacement of a mechanical system
Use a pneumatic or hydraulic construction
Flexible film or thin membranes
Use of porous material
Changing the color
Homogeneity
Discarding and Recovering
Transformation of physical and chemical states of an object
Phase transition
Thermal expansion
Use strong oxidizers
Inert environment
Composite materials

29. Principle 1: Segmentation
Divide an object into independent parts
Replace mainframe computer by personal computers
Replace a large truck by a truck and trailer
Make an object easy to disassemble
Modular furniture
Quick disconnect joints in plumbing
Increase the degree of fragmentation or segmentation
Replace solid shades with Venetian blinds
Use powdered welding metal instead of foil or rod to get better penetration of the joint
Ask how they’d paint the stairs without blocking up/down access using segmentation?

30. Example of Segmentation
If we have to paint the wooden stairs that lead us to the second floor, then, we should paint every other step and then once those steps are dried then we will paint the rest of the steps. This allows us to use the stairs without having to wait for all of them to dry with just some minor inconveniences.

31. Principle 2: Taking Out
Separate an interfering part or property from an object, or single out the only necessary part (or property) of an object.
Locate a noisy compressor outside the building where compressed air is used
Use fiber optics or a light pipe to separate the hot light source from the location where light is needed
Use the sound of a barking dog, without the dog, as a burglar alarm

32. Principle 3: Local Quality
Change an object's structure from uniform to non-uniform, change an external environment (or external influence) from uniform to non-uniform
Use a temperature, density, or pressure gradient instead of constant temperature, density or pressure
Make each part of an object function in conditions most suitable for its operation
Lunch box with hot and cold compartments
Make each part of an object fulfill a different and useful function.
Pencil with eraser

33. A complete list of the principles with examples can be found where these three samples were obtained:

34. Principle 1: Segmentation
International Space Station has highly modularized architecture
Most of the examples on the next several slides are courtesy of MPD Cohort 11 Students
Principle 2: Extraction
Isolate the outhouse

35. Principle 3: Local Quality
A Swiss Army Knife where each part fulfills a different and useful function
Source: walmart.com
Principle 4: Asymmetry
NASCAR circle track suspension is asymmetric to favor left turns
Most of the examples on the next several slides are courtesy of MPD Cohort 11 Students

36. Principle 3: Local Quality
A Swiss Army Knife where each part fulfills a different and useful function
Source: walmart.com
Principle 4: Asymmetry
NASCAR circle track suspension is asymmetric to favor left turns
Most of the examples on the next several slides are courtesy of MPD Cohort 11 Students

37. Principle 6: Universality
Principle 5: Combining
A washer/dryer combo
Source:
Principle 6: Universality
An iPhone performs many functions (Yes it’s an example of Combining too.)

38. Principle 7: Nesting
Construction cones nest for easy storage
Principle 8: Counterweight
Dirigibles are naturally weighted to prevent roll

39. Principle 9: Prior Counter-action
TBD
Principle 10: Prior Action
Lunchables conveniently pre-gather everything needed

40. Principle 13: The Other Way Around
Rotate the wheel rather than the tire iron
Principle 18: Mechanical Vibration
Drive nails with 35 strikes per second
Source: gizmo.com
Principle 34: Discarding and Recovering
External fuel tank and twin rockets recovered after launch
Source: howstuffworks.com

41. Contradiction Table 39 Parameters Engineering Parameters
Inventive Principles
useful to solve
the contradiction

42. Worsening feature
Excerpt of the Contradiction Table from

43. The Direct Path Can Be Elusive
Your Problem
Your Solution
Generic Problem
Generic Solution

44. Fertilizer Example
The Problem: Optimal use of fertilizer requires that it be applied when the soil reaches a specific temperature.
Because soil temperatures change continually, the challenge for tomato growers was being able to distribute fertilizer over a vast amount of acreage at the precise moment the soil reaches optimal temperature.

45. Fertilizer Example (Cont.)
In TRIZ terms, this problem presents as one of production rate vs temperature.
If we look at the contradiction matrix, we find the intersection of production rate and temperature and infer four suggested principles to apply:
#10: Preliminary Action (perform before needed)
#21: Skipping
#28: Mechanics Substitution
#35: Parameter Changes (such as state changes)

46. Fertilizer Example (Cont.)
These four principles would be investigated to see if they lead to any new ideas
In this case, principle 10 leads to an excellent solution:
If the fertilizer is packaged in capsules containing a liquefied gas, the capsules can be applied to the soil ahead of time. When the soil reaches optimum temperature, the gas expands, breaks the capsule, and releases the fertilizer.

47. Airbag Example
It would take a while to go through the airbag example in detail
See “Contradictions: Air Bag Applications” at

48. Piping of Steel Shot Example
Pipe for transporting steel shot
Problem: Pipe wears out at spots from steel shot movement.
Conflict: Shot must move, but movement causes wear.
TRIZ Conflict
Improving objective: Productivity (#39)
Worsening objective: Loss of substance (#23)

49. Piping of Steel Shot Example (Cont.)
Suggested principles:
#10: Preliminary action, #23: Feedback, #35: Parameter changes, and #28: Mechanical interaction substitution -- Use electrical, magnetic fields to interact with object.
Source: slides from Patsy Brackin, Rose-Hulman

50. Piping of Steel Shot Example (Cont.)
Solution
Place a magnet at high wear spots (corners) to adhere shot to pipe to create a coating.
Source: slides from Patsy Brackin, Rose-Hulman

51. Final Remarks (Cont.)
Try to avoid some of the common dysfunctions exhibited by development teams during concept generation, which include:
Consideration of just a few alternatives, often proposed by the most assertive members of the team.
Failure to consider carefully the usefulness of the concepts employed by other firms in related and unrelated products.
Involvement of only one or two people in the process, resulting in a lack of confidence and commitment by the rest of the team.
Ineffective integration of promising partial solutions.
Failure to consider entire categories of solutions.

52. Final Remarks
Thinking out of the box is severely over rated in my opinion; the real key is to make the box as large as possible, and make sure the right stuff is in the box!
Triz is one tool that can help enlarge – and fill with the appropriate stuff – your box!

53. Grow Your Box! You Your company Your industry All industries The world
All that can ever be known

54. "Because ideas have to be original only with regard to their adaptation to the problem at hand, I am always extremely interested in how others have used them."
Thomas Edison ( ) was one of the most prolific inventors in American history, holding more than 1,000 patents. He is best known for invention of a long burning light bulb and applying mass production and team work to the process of invention. Edison's inventions also included the phonograph and motion picture camera.
This message on the cultural side of innovation is brought to you by
ideaology
Marketing / Innovation Catalysts
The Inventive Organization
"Because ideas have to be original only with regard to their adaptation to the problem at hand, I am always extremely interested in how others have used them."
Thomas Edison ( ) was one of the most prolific inventors in American history, holding more than 1,000 patents. He is best known for invention of a long burning light bulb and applying mass production and team work to the process of invention. Edison's inventions also included the phonograph and motion picture camera.
Editor's Note: William Kamkwamba knows that innovation isn't limited to space age technology. Ideas can be pulled forward from the past. They can also be adapted from another field or culture. The only key is that an idea must be original with regard to the problem at hand.
Here are the highlights of Kamkwamba's story for those of you who can't click to see it yourself: Armed with a passion to do something to help his family and African community deal with a crippling drought, William focused on the only thing his town had in abundance -- wind. He devoured books in the library, showing how to construct a windmill, and headed out to the local dump. There, he gathered an odd variety of parts. Locals called him crazy, but William persevered. Now he has five windmills that generate electricity and pump water for his town. In his world, William Kamkwamba is as much an innovator in 2002 as Thomas Edison was in 1879.
Can you inventively create opportunities going backward into the past, forward into the future and sideways into other fields? If your inventive muscle is not balanced, practice in other directions to expand your inventive capacity.
What can Ideaology do? Effective innovators have empowered relationships with failure, rules, open-ended exploration and resources that enable them to consider possibilities overlooked by others. Field experiences and experiments provide opportunities for participants of Ideaology's Experiential Learning Opportunities to distinguish and shift limiting attitudes. The result: expanded inventive capacities.
Sue McPhail, APR, President
ideaology

55. Closing
This is intended to be a brief introduction to TRIZ. There is an awful lot more available on the topic readily available for anyone wanting to learn more!
Time permitting, let’s take a look at some of the examples in Kraev’s Corner: Lesson 6

56. SIT
Structured Inventive Thinking (SIT) is a method for developing creative solutions to technical problems.
It is an outgrowth of the "Theory of Inventive Problem Solving"
Triz was extensively revised and simplified, enabling the method to be learned in a significantly shorter time, and with less reliance on external databases.

57. SIT (Cont.)
SIT aims to:
focus the problem solver on the essence of the problem
overcome psychological barriers to creative thinking
enable the discovery of inventive solutions
make the process an efficient one
More info on SIT can be found on the web or on your company’s intranet

58. SIT Derailing Detector Example
Background
Braking system of trains includes a pipe that passes along the train, in which the air is at a pressure of 5 atmospheres. When the pressure drops, the train stops. Under emergency conditions (such as derailing), the air must be released very quickly. To ensure fast enough release of the air, it should exit through an opening that is at least 10 cm2. During normal operating conditions, this opening should be closed with a stopper. The stopper should be released by the air pressure itself.
A new derailing detector has been developed. The idea is that in normal operation, the stopper is to held in place by the derailing detector, and when derailing occurs the detector stops exerting force on the stopper and it is released. The problem is that the derailing detector can exert only 0.5 Kgf, not enough to balance the 50 Kgf applied by the internal pressure.

59. SIT Derailing Detector Example (Cont.)
Routine Ideas
1. To use a lever
2. To add more derailing detectors, each will support a smaller stopper
3. To squeeze the stopper in its place so that friction will carry out some of the load

60. SIT Derailing Detector Example (Cont.)
Inventive solution is shown
The stopper will be multiplied. The new copy (or copies) of this object will exert on the stopper a force that is identical and in opposite direction to the force exerted by air pressure
4. Determine the necessary modifications of the new copies of the selected object, so that it can carry out the desired operation: The new stopper should be slightly smaller than the original one so that the derailing detector will still have to carry some load .