Beyond Brainstorming What to do when your ideas fizzle

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Beyond BrainstormingWhat to do when your ideas
fizzle?

• For FLL and FIRST

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Introductions

• K.K. Quah
• Owner, Technology Learning Classes for Kids
• involved in education of science and math in
  after school programs, summer camps, etc.
• Mentor 1 year, FLL coach 3 years
• Mark Egbert
• Owner, Excellerated Leaning
• involved in education of computer technology,
  science and math

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What We Will Talk About

• Discussion of some practical techniques for
  generating ideas/solutions besides brainstorming,
  anecdotes from FLL only
• Discussion for manipulators NOT robot
• Talk through problem solving process
• For LEGO pieces, will use LDraw names
• Will have a demo area in front after session

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Components of Each Mission

• Like the movie From the Earth to the Moon when
  NASA Flight Director said the basic things were
  Orbit, EVA, Rendezvous, Docking and Long Duration
  Flight
• In FLL missions, the basic components are
• get the robot to the target area,
• deploy the manipulator,
• return robot to base (optional)

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Make following assumptions about the Robot
Robot has one motor Each side, A and C. Red
areas can hold attachments Large Bicycle
Wheels in back. Skid Wheels in front. Light
sensor in front. (blue)
C
A
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Typical Problem Solving Process

• Get Mission/Objective
• Generate Ideas Plan Prototype
• Build Initial Solution (Prototype)
• Evaluate or Think of Improvements
• Rebuild Better Solution
• Repeat step 4 as necessary

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Planning Prototypes (3 Ps)

• Path must determine path to target
• Program path will help determine the complexity
  of the programs used.
• Pieces the type of approach, angle of approach
  will determine the kind of manipulator that must
  be designed.

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Expectations to Keep in Mind

• The initial answer is usually NOT the best.
• There is always room for improvement.
• The plan may be useless but planning is
  essential. Eisenhower
• Art is a series of recoveries from the first
  drawn line.
• How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice(3x).
  How do you evaluate a model? Observe(3x)KK

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Look at FLL Missions

• Starting solution does not have to be
  complicated. I encourage the simplest a simple
  stick (extended axle)
• Use problem solving iteration to get to better
  solution.
• See details on Sample Species Mission.

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Sample Species Mission - 1
Mission Tag gray fish without touching other
fishes
Contact Area
Initial Solution Issue Need larger contact with
target
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Sample Species Mission - 2
Contact Area
Second Solution Issue Need softer contact with
target. Hard contact makes it touch other fishes.
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Sample Species Mission - 3
Contact Area
Final Solution Flexible Tip makes softer contact.
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Another Point of View

• Compare the fishes from the side and you see the
  tail of the gray fish is 3 plates higher than the
  highest point in the green fish.

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How do you Get the Next Idea

• Analysis of Past Solutions
• Brainstorming (Alex Osborn)
• Brainwriting (variation of brainstorming)
• Attribute Listing (Robert Platt Crawford)
• Morphological Analysis (Fritz Zwicky)
• Orthogonal Thinking

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Path of Robot to Sling Pipeline(more complex 2
mission combo)
Sling
Forwards
Backwards
Pipeline
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Attribute Listing

• Listing all attributes or qualities of a problem
  or object. In this case, the robot and the
  manipulator will have different listings.
• Then systematically analyze each attribute or
  groups of attributes and attempt to change them
  in as many ways as possible.
• Here attributes are mostly physical BUT in real
  world problems, they might be social,
  psychological, etc.

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Manipulator Attribute Listing (Prof. Robert Platt
Crawford, U. of Nebraska)

• Dimensions length, width, height (up/down)
• Weight payload (up/down)
• Attachment point to Robot (right/left,
  front/back, top/bottom, at an angle)
• Sensor triggered (yes/no). Light/Touch.
• Impact with Target (hard/soft)
• Contact Place on Target (R/L, F/B, T/B, at what
  angle)
• Contact Region with Target (point, line, area)

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Dolphin and Pipeline Mission - 1
Initial Solution Issue Front contact area too
small.
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Dolphin and Pipeline Mission - 2
Second Solution Issue Dolphin gets in the way of
other missions
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Dolphin and Pipeline Mission - 3
Dolphin Deflector (not required as Dolphin can be
removed)
Third Solution Issue Sometimes does not come
back at correct angle after hitting dolphin sling
and wall.
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Dolphin and Pipeline Mission - 4
Final Solution The axles help square up
manipulator to wall.
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Morphological Analysis (Fritz Zwicky)

• Uses matrix where items on horizontal axes are
  again physical attributes.
• Vertical axes are characteristics, adverbs,
  adjectives, prepositions, etc.
• Force one set of characteristics against the
  other to create new ideas that can be used
• Not all will work BUT some will yield good results

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Example Morphological Analysis
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Orthogonal Thinking (mentioned in van Oechs book)

• An approach borrowed from MBA business strategy
  class.
• Idea is to look at the opposite elements to a
  particular business to try to discover what the
  new business can become.
• E.g. vertical integration v. horizontal
  stratification
• Pull v. Push, Back v. Front, Inside v. Outside

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Container and Cargo Mission - 1
Option 1 Pull from back
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Container and Cargo Mission - 2
Option 2 Pull from inside front
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Container and Cargo Mission - 3
Option 3 Pull from outside front (prevent grabber
slipping off)
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Close-up of Pawl and Ratchet
Pawl (Bushing)
Ratchet Gear
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Generate Ideas using

• Analysis of Past Solutions (group)
• Brainstorming (group)
• Brainwriting (group)
• Attribute Listing
• Morphological Analysis
• Orthogonal Thinking

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Sources and Links

• A Whack on the side of the head by Roger von
  Oech
• 101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques by
  James M. Higgins