Michael Potter Distinguished Researcher Kate Gleason College of Engineering

1. From an Inventor's Point of View Michael Potter Distinguished Researcher Kate Gleason College of Engineering Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, New York 14623 Office 585-475-5561 FAX 585-475-7845 mdpemc@rit.edu

2. Have you seen my latest Invention?

3. Agenda • Secrets of Inventing Success • All you need to know (sort of) • Some ‘not-so-good’ ideas • The main reasons for failure • Some more regarding Success • Some great recent inventions • What’s on the Horizon

4. What is the first thing an inventor needs to know?

5. What is the first thing an inventor needs to know? • What’s the problem? • Problems are opportunities • Necessity is …

6. What is the first thing an inventor needs to know? • What’s the problem? • Problems are opportunities • Necessity is the female or male parental monospecific polychromatic bipedal heterotroph of all invention

7. Some help for innovation • The “Henry Ford” approach • Example Post-it notes • “If you know what you are looking for, you are limited by what you know.” (Jerome I. Friedman) • Cross paradigmatic thinking • Alterable Threshold Voltage FET’s  Embedded Electronic Charge MEMS Technology • Keep quiet, NDA, CDA, need to know, etc.

8. What is the second thing an inventor needs to know?

9. What is the second thing an inventor needs to know? • Is my solution novel? Is there new teaching? • Literature search • Patent search (www.uspto.gov) • Picture hanger hook • The inventor is the champion • “…..one of ordinary skill…..can practice the invention…..” • Patent attorney editing • Office actions • Cell phone prior art

11. What is the third thing an inventor needs to know?

12. What is the third thing an inventor needs to know? • Is there a market? • If not, it’s probably a bad (economic) idea • If the idea is disruptive, apply “The rule of 10” • Square wheels • The {10 – 40 – 40 – 10} rule

13. Some examples (actual issued patents) where market research may have been less than perfect

19. Some Reasons for Failure

20. FACT: Very few independent inventors ever see their inventions succeed • Many causes of failure, one is greed (money, control, unwilling to share) • “I focus on doing the right thing and the money comes.” (Kathleen Dever) • The fantasy that “Everybody will want one”

26. What is the fourth thing an inventor needs to know?

27. What is the fourth thing an inventor needs to know? • A good idea is a good idea – don’t give up • MeterMark • iBot

28. iBot & IT • Dean Kamen • A True Visionary • Creates the future as he sees it

29. The iBOT – Mobility on Par

30. Personal Transporter“The Segway”

31. Distance:  120 feet Flight time: 12 seconds

32. SOLO TREK

33. Micro-Power Supply

34. Energy Harvester

35. Hot Areas of Commercial Nano Development 5 yrs 10-15 yrs Personal health diagnostics 6 17 Personalized drugs 3 9 Disposable Displays 6 9 Artificial bone tissue/organ 3 8 Novel foods 0 6 Solar power 6 6 Retinal/cochlear/ neural implants 0 6 Smart paints/pigments/coatings 33 6 Security/crime detection 2 3 Smart clothing 3 2 Prevention of congenital disease 0 0 Robotic surgery 0 0 Microsatellites 2 0 Space medicine 0 0 Games/entertainment 5 0 Survey of 100 (so-called) worldwide “nano” experts

36. Not all experts are futurist

39. The first human trials of the detectors will begin this year. http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20020110A2 . (9/5/2001)

40. Summary • Anyone can be an inventor • What’s the problem • Prior art search • Estimate the “real” value • Realistic and fair expectations • Persistence