Navigating the I-TRIZ Knowledge Base Using Hyperbolic Trees

The I-TRIZ knowledge base consists of over 400 operators and several hundred case studies. At its current size, the knowledge base is overwhelming to browse and use effectively without the assistance of some kind of software tool and future plans include greatly expanding the content in the body of the operators and adding several thousand case studies. Currently available software assists practitioners in utilizing the knowledge base to synthesize innovative improvements to systems by focusing attention to a subset of the operators—those the software determines to be applicable to the system under study. Even with the software’s assistance, it is easy to get lost in “operator space.” We seek a method of displaying the content of the knowledge base allowing users to interactively navigate through operators and case studies while retaining the sense of where they are in the knowledge base. We also seek an interface inviting users to explore a knowledge base that will continually grow in size and complexity.