Creative Thinking and ARIZ

heuristic program

CONNEK - Aug 2005Long X. Nguyen

Outline

• Introduction• What is Creative Thinking?• Trial-and-Error Method• Methods of Activating Creativity• TRIZ Theory• ARIZ heuristic program• A Case Study• Summary

Introduction

• The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think. - James Beattie

Introduction

1st WaveHunter-gatherer => Agrarian society

2nd WaveIndustrial Society

3rd WavePost-industrialInformation Age

4th Wave…?Alvin Toffler

Introduction

• 4th Wave …– Knowledge-Based Economy– Ideas engineering– Concept creators– What else?

Creative Thinking

• Introduction• What is Creative Thinking?• Trial-and-Error Method• Methods of Activating Creativity• TRIZ theory• ARIZ heuristic program• A Case Study• Summary

Creative Thinking

• Creativity = Newness + Usefulness• Problem: knows aim, but not know

– Any way to reach it– The optimum way to reach it

• Creative thinking• Innovation: implementation

“If necessity is the mother of invention, then resourcefulness is the father”

- Beulah Louise Henry (U.S. inventor)

Creative Thinking

"PHƯƠNG PHÁP LUẬN SÁNG TẠO" (Creativity Methodologies) là bộ mônkhoa học có mục đích xây dựng vàtrang bị cho mọi người hệ thống cácphương pháp, các kỹ năng thực hànhtiên tiến về suy nghĩ để giải quyết vấnđề và ra quyết định một cách sáng tạo, về lâu dài, tiến tới điều khiển được tưduy. - Phan Du~ng

Trial-and-Error

• Introduction• What is Creative Thinking?• Trial-and-Error Method• Methods of Activating Creativity• TRIZ theory• ARIZ heuristic program• A Case Study• Summary

Trial-and-Error Method

• Search concepts => search solutions randomly• “What if we do like this?”• Edison’s workshop: 1000 men

– 9000 experiments => a bulb

“Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration” –

Thomas Alva Edison (1847 - 1931) U.S. inventor.

Trial-and-Error Method

Trial-and-Error Method

• Disadvantages– Wastes: time, energy, materials– # ideas: few– psychological inertia: block inventor– Right solution can reside beyound the trials

variants– Criteria for “right” or “wrong” variants are

subjective– No mechanism to direct the solver’s

thinking towards the solutions

Activating Creativity

• Introduction• What is Creative Thinking?• Trial-and-Error Method• Methods of Activating Creativity• TRIZ theory• ARIZ heuristic program• A Case Study• Summary

Methods of Activating Creative Thinking

• Brainstorming (Alex F. Osborn, US)

• Check-listing• Morphological analysis (F. Zvikki)

• Synectics (William Gordon)

• Lateral thinking (Dr. de Bono, UK)

• Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Methods of Activating

Methods of Activating

• Lots of ideas• Productivity of idea generation• Simplicity and accessibility • Apt for the kind of problems having

a great number of possible trials

BUT they are not good enough…

TRIZ

• Introduction• What is Creative Thinking?• Trial-and-Error Method• Methods of Activating Creativity• TRIZ theory• ARIZ heuristic program • A Case Study• Summary

TRIZ

“A heuristic program is necessary for effective solutions to the requirements of inventing at a higher level that replaces the continuously new selection of variants with a goal-oriented movement into the area of the solution” Genrich Altshuller

1926-1998

What is TRIZ?

• TRIZ = Russian acronym for Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

– Through Knowledge, not Numbers– Scientific organization of the creative

process

1. Develop the theory2. Develop a heuristic program based on

that theory

Levels of Creativity

Level 1: Utilization of one existing objectwithout consideration of other objects.

Level 2: Choosing one object out of several.

Level 3: Making partial changes to the selected object.

Level 4: Development of a new object.

Level 5: Development of a completely new complex of systems.

Levels of Creativity

% Inventions 1965-1969

32%

45%

19%

4%

0.30%

1 2 3 4 5

Levels # Trial-Error1 1-102 10-1003 100-1,0004 1,000-10,0005 100,000

Levels of Creativity

4th Level• # elements: large• # unknown

element: large• Difficult to analysis• Long time =>

solution

1st Level• # elements is small• No unknown

elements• Simple analysis• Short time =>

solution

TRIZ Theory

IDEAL MACHINE

CONTRADICTION

RESOURCES

ANALOGIES

Directing Mechanism

Trial-Error: no directing mechanismHow? = The Ideal Machine

The Ideal Machine

• Problem Formulation– “Create a technical system for

whatever purpose”– “Improve such and such a system to

get such and such a result”• Statement = Goal + Means

– Goal: what must be achieved– Means: what must be done

• Means = utilizing known means

The Ideal Machine

• Separate: What > < How• Look at identical problems in other

areas• Consider Evolutionary Tendencies

– Dimensions of systems: size, scale• Lines of development => converge

=> The Ideal Machine => illuminate the DIRECTION

Technical Contradictions

• What make things difficult? Tradeoffs

• The essence of creativity– Find a way where compromise will

not be needed– Gain without loss ☺⇒Remove technical contradictions.

40 Principles

“An invention is the removal of technical contradictions.” BUT HOW?

• G. Altshuller developed 40 principles for solving technical contradictions

Summary of TRIZ

• Scientific organization of the creative process

• The Ideal Machine => direction to search

• Technical Contradictions => the obstacles that must be removed

• 40 principles => remove contradictions

Outline

• Introduction• What is Creative Thinking?• Trial-and-Error Method• Methods of Activating Creativity• TRIZ Theory• ARIZ heuristic program• A Case Study• Summary

ARIZ Heuristic program

1. Choosing the Problem2. Define the Problem more Precisely3. Analytical stage4. Analysis of the Arrived-at Concepts5. Operative stage6. Synthetic stage

1. Choose Problem

1. Determine the FINAL GOAL of a solution2. Investigate a “BYPASS APPROACH”3. Determine WHICH problem makes the

most sense to solve.4. Determine the required QUANTITATIVE

characteristics.5. Introduce TIME-CORRECTION into the

Qualitative Characteristics.6. Define the requirements for the

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS in which the invention is going to function.

2. Redefine Problem

1. Utilizing PATENT information.2. Use operator (SIZE, TIME, COST)3. Describe the CONDITIONS of the

problem in two phrases: (1) Types of elements, and (2) Elements

4. Enter the above ELEMENTS into a table.

5. Choose the easiest element from the table to CHANGE, REDESIGN or TURN.

3. Analytical Stage

1. Formulate the IDEAL FINAL RESULT.2. Draw two pictures

(1) INITIAL, and (2) IDEAL3. Highlight which part CANNOT perform the

required FUNCTION under the required conditions.4. Why can this element NOT perform the required

action?5. Under what CONDITIONS can this part provide the

required action?6. What must be done so that this element attains the

characteristic described in Step 3.5?7. Formulate a concept that can be practically realized.8. Provide a schematic for realizing the first concept.

4. Arrived-at Concept

1. What is getting better, and what is getting worse, during the utilization of the NEW idea or concept?

2. Is it possible to PREVENT that which is getting worse by changing the proposed device or method?

3. What is getting WORSE (complicated, expensive) now?

4. Compare GAINS and LOSSES5. Go ahead or go back?

5. Operative stage

• Find the principles for removing the technical contradiction

• Investigate how these principles can be used

6. Synthesis stage

1. Determine how the SUPER-SYSTEM to which our modified system belongs must be changed.

2. Explore HOW our modified system may be used DIFFERENTLY.

3. Utilize the NEWLY FOUND technical idea to solve other technical problems.

Outline

• Introduction• What is Creative Thinking?• Trial-and-Error Method• Methods of Activating Creativity• TRIZ Theory• ARIZ heuristic program• A Case Study• Summary

Case Study: Icebreaker

Icebreaker

• How to make it moving through ice easily?

• “Icebreaker” evolution: increase engine power

• Explosives, or vibrations, provides no significant positive effects

• Ice thick => 3 meters

1. Choose Problems

• Final Goal: increase speed of icebreaker and ships, reduce cost

• Bypass approach– Icebreaker: make a channel through ice– Bypass: How to move through ice without a

channel?

• Should this be done by the ice breaker, or performed independently of it? => bypass solution

2. Redefine Problem

• Patent: breaking ice up from underneath

• Operator (Size, Time, Cost)– Size: Width of ships => 0, => 100m

• Elements– Ship: can be changed– Ice: hard , but many patents

3. Analytical stage

• Ideal Result: the ship, by it-self, moves through the ice at high speed with a normal consumption of energy

• Which part cannot perform: the front • Why not? Press again the ice• Under what conditions? Width => 0• This part becomes flat.

Smaller strip of ice

4. Chosen concept

• ☺ Knife-thin walls: 20-25 times less than the usual width

• No shortcoming• Gains vs. Losses

– Break as little ice as possible

5. Operative Stage

• Increase speed = increase power of the engine

• No contradiction

6. Synthetic stage

• Super-systems– No need for an icebreaker

• Might utilize other methods of ice breaking instate of blades.

• Might utilize this idea for earth excavation work.

Final result

Summary

• TRIZ = The Ideal Machine + Technical Contradictions + 40 principles

• Creativity = Newness + Usefulness

An inventor is not just someone who comes up with ideas. Most people have ideas. The difference between the average person and the inventor is that the inventor for some reason has the urge to see his ideas through to fruition.

Clive Sinclair (1940 - )British inventor and entrepreneur.

References

• TRIZ journals, www.triz-journal.com• Isak Bukhman and Stephen Brown, "The TRIZ give way

to the wind, and give the wind away: a repeatable process for improving sustainable wind energy generation", TRIZ journal, April 2005. (http://www.triz-journal.com/archives/2005/06/04.pdf)