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Select an improving parameter and a worsening parameter.
Show all 39 engineering parameters

Click the improving parameter first, then the worsening parameter.

Show all 40 inventive principles
1Segmentation
  • A. Divide an object into independent parts.
  • B. Make an object easy to assemble or disassemble.
  • C. Increase the degree of fragmentation or segmentation.
2Extraction
  • A. Separate an interfering part or property from an object, or single out the only necessary part (or property) of an object.
3Local Quality
  • A. Change an object’s structure from uniform to non-uniform.
  • B. Change an external environment (or external influence) from uniform to non-uniform.
  • C. Make each part of an object function in conditions most suitable for its operation.
  • D. Make each part of an object fulfill a different and/or complementary useful function.
4Asymmetry
  • A. Change the shape or properties of an object from symmetrical to asymmetrical.
  • B. Change the shape of an object to suit external asymmetries (e.g. ergonomic features).
  • C. If an object is asymmetrical, increase its degree of asymmetry.
5Combining
  • A. Bring closer together (or merge) identical or similar objects or operations in space.
  • B. Make objects or operations contiguous or parallel; bring them together in time.
6Universality
  • A. Make a part or object perform multiple functions; eliminate the need for other parts.
7Nesting
  • A. Place one object inside another.
  • B. Place multiple objects inside others.
  • C. Make one part pass (dynamically) through a cavity in the other.
8Counterweight
  • A. To compensate for the weight of an object, merge it with other objects that provide lift.
  • B. To compensate for the weight of an object, make it interact with the environment (e.g. use aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, buoyancy and other forces).
9Prior counter-action
  • A. If it will be necessary to perform an action with both harmful and useful effects, this action should be replaced with anti-actions to control harmful effects.
  • B. Create beforehand stresses in an object that will oppose known undesirable working stresses later on.
10Prior action
  • A. Perform, before it is needed, the required change of an object (either fully or partially).
  • B. Pre-arrange objects such that they can come into action from the most convenient place without losing time for their delivery.
11Cushion in advance
  • A. Prepare emergency means beforehand to compensate for the relatively low reliability of an object (belt and braces).
12Equi-potentiality
  • A. If an object has to be raised or lowered, redesign the object’s environment so the need to raise or lower is eliminated or performed by the environment.
13Inversion
  • A. Invert the action(s) used to solve the problem (e.g. instead of cooling an object, heat it).
  • B. Make movable parts (or the external environment) fixed, and fixed parts movable.
  • C. Turn the object (or process) upside down.
14Spheroidality
  • A. Instead of using rectilinear parts, surfaces, or forms, use curvilinear ones; move from flat surfaces to spherical ones; from parts shaped as a cube to ball-shaped structures.
  • B. Use rollers, balls, spirals, domes.
  • C. Go from linear to rotary motion (or vice versa).
  • D. Use centrifugal forces.
15Dynamicity
  • A. Allow (or design) the characteristics of an object, external environment, or process to change to be optimal or to find an optimal operating condition.
  • B. Divide an object into parts capable of movement relative to each other.
  • C. If an object (or process) is rigid or inflexible, make it movable or adaptive.
  • D. Increase the degree of free motion.
16Partial or overdone action
  • A. If 100 percent of an object is hard to achieve using a given solution method then, by using slightly less or slightly more of the same method, the problem may be considerably easier to solve.
17Another dimension
  • A. If an object contains or moves in a straight line, consider use of dimensions or movement outside the line.
  • B. If an object contains or moves in a plane, consider use of dimensions or movement outside the current plane.
  • C. Use a multi-storey arrangement of objects instead of a single-storey arrangement.
  • D. Tilt or re-orient the object, lay it on its side.
  • E. Use another side of a given area.
18Mechanical vibration
  • A. Cause an object to oscillate or vibrate.
  • B. Increase its frequency (even up to the ultrasonic).
  • C. Use an object’s resonant frequency.
  • D. Use piezoelectric vibrators instead of mechanical ones.
  • E. Use combined ultrasonic and electromagnetic field oscillations.
19Periodic action
  • A. Instead of continuous action, use periodic or pulsating actions.
  • B. If an action is already periodic, change the periodic magnitude or frequency.
  • C. Use pauses between actions to perform a different action.
20Continuity of a useful action
  • A. Carry on work continuously; make all parts of an object work at full load or optimum efficiency, all the time.
  • B. Eliminate all idle or intermittent actions or work.
21Skipping
  • A. Conduct a process, or certain stages (e.g. destructible, harmful or hazardous operations) at high speed.
22Blessing in Disguise
  • A. Use harmful factors (particularly, harmful effects of the environment or surroundings) to achieve a positive effect.
  • B. Eliminate the primary harmful action by adding it to another harmful action to resolve the problem.
  • C. Amplify a harmful factor to such a degree that it is no longer harmful.
23Feedback
  • A. Introduce feedback (referring back, cross-checking) to improve a process or action.
  • B. If feedback is already used, change its magnitude or influence in accordance with operating conditions.
24Mediator
  • A. Use an intermediary carrier article or intermediary process.
  • B. Merge one object temporarily with another (which can be easily removed).
25Self-service
  • A. Make an object serve or organise itself by performing auxiliary helpful functions.
  • B. Use waste resources, energy, or substances.
26Copying
  • A. Instead of an unavailable, expensive, fragile object, use simpler and inexpensive copies.
  • B. Replace an object, or process with optical copies.
  • C. If visible optical copies are already used, move to infrared or ultraviolet copies.
27Cheap Disposables
  • A. Replace an expensive object with a multiple of inexpensive objects, compromising certain qualities, such as service life.
28Mechanics substitution
  • A. Replace a mechanical means with a sensory (optical, acoustic, taste or smell) means.
  • B. Use electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields to interact with the object.
  • C. Change from static to movable fields, from unstructured fields to those having structure.
  • D. Use fields in conjunction with field-activated (e.g. ferromagnetic) particles.
29Pneumatic or hydraulic construction
  • A. Use gas and liquid parts of an object instead of solid parts (e.g. inflatable, filled with liquids, air cushion, hydrostatic, hydro-reactive).
30Flexible membranes or thin film
  • A. Use flexible shells and thin films instead of three dimensional structures.
  • B. Isolate the object from the external environment using flexible shells and thin films.
31Use of porous material
  • A. Make an object porous or add porous elements (inserts, coatings, etc.).
  • B. If an object is already porous, use the pores to introduce a useful substance or function.
32Changing the color
  • A. Change the colour of an object or its external environment.
  • B. Change the transparency of an object or its external environment.
  • C. In order to improve observability of things that are difficult to see, use coloured additives or luminescent elements.
  • D. Change the emissivity properties of an object subject to radiant heating.
33Homogeneity
  • A. Make objects interacting with a given object of the same material (or material with identical properties).
34Discarding and recovering
  • A. Make portions of an object that have fulfilled their functions go away (discard by dissolving, evaporating, etc.) or modify these directly during operation.
  • B. Conversely, restore consumable parts of an object directly in operation.
35Physical or Chemical Properties
  • A. Change an object’s physical state (e.g. to a gas, liquid, or solid).
  • B. Change the concentration or consistency.
  • C. Change the degree of flexibility.
  • D. Change the temperature.
  • E. Change the pressure.
  • F. Change other parameters.
36Phase transformation
  • A. Use phenomena occurring during phase transitions (e.g. volume changes, loss or absorption of heat, etc.).
37Thermal expansion
  • A. Use thermal expansion (or contraction) of materials.
  • B. If thermal expansion is being used, use multiple materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion.
38Strong oxidants
  • A. Replace common air with oxygen-enriched air.
  • B. Replace enriched air with pure oxygen.
  • C. Expose air or oxygen to ionizing radiation.
  • D. Use ionized oxygen.
  • E. Replace ozonized (or ionized) oxygen with ozone.
39Inert environment
  • A. Replace a normal environment with an inert one.
  • B. Add neutral parts, or inert additives to an object.
40Composite materials
  • A. Change from uniform to composite (multiple) materials where each material is tuned to a particular functional requirement.

Altshuller’s 39 × 39 contradiction matrix. Each cell suggests the inventive principles most commonly applied to that parameter pair.