TRIZ
This is a website that documents the
TRIZ 40 Principles
TRIZ is an Engineering discipline that came over from Russia. There are 40 Principles and the idea is that if you have a problem that needs to be solved, run through each of the 40 Principles until you find the best solution.
Sort of like Brian Eno's
Oblique Strategies but for serious geeks.
A few Principles:
25. Self-service
Make an object serve itself by performing auxiliary helpful functions
- A soda fountain pump that runs on the pressure of the carbon dioxide that is used to *fizz* the drinks. This assures that drinks will not be flat, and eliminates the need for sensors.
- Halogen lamps regenerate the filament during use--evaporated material is redeposited.
- To weld steel to aluminum, create an interface from alternating thin strips of the 2 materials. Cold weld the surface into a single unit with steel on one face and copper on the other, then use normal welding techniques to attach the steel object to the interface, and the interface to the aluminum. (This concept also has elements of Principle 24, Intermediary, and Principle 4, Asymmetry.)
4. Asymmetry
Change the shape of an object from symmetrical to asymmetrical.
- Asymmetrical mixing vessels or asymmetrical vanes in symmetrical vessels improve mixing (cement trucks, cake mixers, blenders).
- Put a flat spot on a cylindrical shaft to attach a knob securely.
9. Preliminary anti-action
If it will be necessary to do an action with both harmful and useful effects, this action should be replaced with anti-actions to control harmful effects.
- Buffer a solution to prevent harm from extremes of pH.
Create beforehand stresses in an object that will oppose known undesirable working stresses later on.
- Pre-stress rebar before pouring concrete.
- Masking anything before harmful exposure: Use a lead apron on parts of the body not being exposed to X-rays. Use masking tape to protect the part of an object not being painted
A lot of this is just basic problem solving by shaking things up a bit.
Still, to have a quantified list of things to try does help a lot of people.
Good stuff!
Posted by DaveH at July 19, 2005 10:18 PM