Use of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) in the analysis of assistive products for personal mobility in order to detect innovation opportunities

Abstract

This paper presents a way of detecting innovation opportunities for assistive products for personal mobility applying the laws of technical evolution. These laws are formulated in the theory of inventive problem solving, TRIZ. Theproducts belong to class 12 of UNE-EN ISO 9999 standard and the analysis is made in conjunction with engineers and industrial designers. This study proposes an innovative way to represent the technical system of this type ofmobility aid products as a whole, this is, as a machine-human integral unit. The results obtained show innovationopportunities in the following fields: optimization of transmission systems, movement control and brake system, high efficiency energy use and improvement in the accessibility levels, both, from user to product and from product to environment.