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robot operated by chaos

maz — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:08:00 +0000

The AMOS-WD06 is a biologically inspired six-legged walking machine that is able to adapt it’s behavior self-organized. The learning machanism is based on the chaos theory.

18 sensors drive 18 motors by means of a simple neural control circuit, thereby generating 11 basic behavioural patterns (for example, orienting, taxis, self-protection and various gaits) and their combinations. The control signal quickly and reversibly adapts to new situations and also enables learning and synaptic long-term storage of behaviourally useful motor responses. (Nature Physics)

Thanks to my friend Thomas for pointing me to this interesting aproach of modular neural control (via heise).
Surfing the edge of chaos is – at least imho mostly – a good driver for innovation.

innovation checklist for large organizations

maz — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:58:04 +0000

Patricia Seybold conducted a case study concerning “The Anatomy of Innovation”. One of the main results is a kind of checklist for innovations within large organizations:

Hire an outside renegade.

Have him build and sell his vision.

Let him create his own team.

Locate the team off-site.

Take a blank slate approach.

Create a blueprint with an integrated cross-functional team.

Have the team implement the technology, the content, the user interface design, the business plan, and the marketing plan in parallel.

Leverage your corporate technology group by agreeing on design standards up front and having them conduct architectural reviews throughout.

Engage customers as hands-on advisors throughout the process.

Design your information architecture around customers’ activities towards their goals.

Build in instrumentation that lets you measure what matters to your customers as well as your sponsors.

Beta test with friendly customers and invite them to invite their friends.

Promote via the Internet and social media.

Make it easy for customers to tell you what role(s) they are playing.

Let customers see what activities they’ve performed, so they can pick up where they left off; profit from your ability to track what activities customers in different roles are doing.

Pretty useful imho, especially because of the open and cross functional approach as well as the integration of the customers. Because on the long run you innovate to win or retain customers.

through the eyes of a dragonfly

maz — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:24:08 +0000

Flapping its little wings 30 times per second
made of PET film, balsa wood and carbon
built by a research team from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands
with a total weight of 3.07 grams
equipped with a camera

It’s the world’s smallest camera plane – the DelFly Micro (found at technovelgy)!

Maybe James Bond should ask Q for that!

xmas & innovation

maz — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:22:30 +0000

Some things do not need an innovation. “Events” like Christmas are innovated enough by far calling them “Xmas”.

credit: Manuela Michalski (via The Design blog)

Other – even incremental – innovations concerning Christmas (like this type of tree) are imho not necessary – although I really like the design

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

creativity turns into innovation

maz — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:29:53 +0000

Creativity is thinking of new and appropriate ideas whereas innovation is the successful implementation of those ideas within an organization. In other words creativity is the concept and innovation is the process.
William Coyne, Senior Vice President for R&D at 3M

This quote deals with the core of my dissertation which is about “systems to support new concept development”.
Although I like this illustration because it demystifies innovation, it is a bit simplified. The way from the creative element to an implementable innovation concept is not trivial. Quite the contrary – the so called “fuzzy front end” is one of the most discussed parts of innovation management throughout the corresponding scientific literature.

You may be interessted in reading “The PDMA toolbook for new product development” for more detailed information.