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Ideation for Managing COVID-19 Crisis by using TRIZ

Innovative Solutions for COVID-19 Virus Problem - Application of TRIZ


We have directed the attention of a powerful group of people - Tech Innovators & TRIZ Experts - to solve the most important and immediate problems associated with managing the current crisis of COVID-19. It is important that we start attacking the problem right away instead of waiting a miracle to happen. Since the problem is a complex one, we need to bring our Minds & Resources together to create innovative solutions. Most of us are working from home (WFH) now - there are some of us who have to be physically present at work to manage certain essential services. We have analyzed various problems faced at us Home and at Work-place during this time of crisis. The primary objective is to minimize exposure and risk and at the same time get our jobs done. Let us first look at three problems that we may face while at home for these 21 days A(1) Fresh Supplies at Home- How to get healthy food prepared on a daily basis while we have limited access to fresh supplies ? A(2) Engaging Children at Home - How to keep the children effectively engaged for long hours - education, entertainment, house chores etc ? A(3) Work from Home - How to work from home with an efficiency equal to or better than the workplace ?

Let us next look at the top three problems that we face while at the work-place. B(1) How to travel from home to work & back safely ? B(2) How to protect ourselves from exposure while we are at Work ? B(3) How to effectively connect the people at the work-place and those working from home ?

A1.   Fresh supplies at home - I worked with our Innovation Consultant and TRIZ Expert - Dr Bala Ramadurai to identify the various contradictions that we have to resolve in this case.

How to get healthy food prepared on a daily basis while we have limited access to fresh supplies ?
Conflict between Exposure to Person vs Produce



Our access to fresh supplies will depend on where we get the supplies. They could be outside, increasing the risk of personal exposure, while giving us control over exposure during delivery. Or we could choose to get the produce delivered at our doorstep, which reduces the risk of personal exposure, however, can make us wonder about the exposure of the produce during the delivery process.

Functionality:
So, the problem right now is: How do we reduce the exposure during packaging, billing, loading(on to the delivery truck), offloading(at customer site) and delivery of the produce?

Note - The risk of contamination of the produce (with or without packaging) exists in both cases.
Advantage of doorstep delivery is the payment mechanism - No risk of exposure if payment is made prior online.


The problem now is: how do we deliver more capacity using drone delivery? The obvious solution will be to increase the power of the drone to delivery more packages.


Now, we have a weight vs capacity problem. 

Idea: Can we use modular drones. Single drones for smaller objects and multiple drones for larger objects.

If we back up one step, prior to drone introduction. Remove drone, but introduce autonomous vehicles for last mile delivery. It could be a carriage or attachment to an existing truck, thus utilizing the high capacity of vehicles.

Limitation: The package/trolley has to be for a single house/home/customer.
Readiness of the delivery vehicle for such an attachment
Container capacity based charging/tariff model


Concept: For last mile, can we use an Autonomous vehicular attachment which delivers the package to a customer location.

We will take up the next problem - A(2) and publish a similar analysis in our next blog post.

- Shankar & Bala
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