PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY, THEORY AND PRACTICE

For most of engineering students the physics means difficulties in the study. To understand theoretical physical effects, laws and formulas, students need to see their practical applications in technology world. Although they can find many examples in textbooks and they have practical training in laboratories, there is still lack of motivation to learn and to understand physics.
In this paper we present the application of an interesting software tool called Goldfire Innovator from Invention Machine Corporation. Goldfire Innovator enables engineers to use theoretical scientific disciplines to help them formulate problems effectively thanks to deep analyses of the existing problem or situation, and to search in many databases filled with potentially relevant ideas and solutions.
Goldfire Innovator consists of several modules: the Goldfire module contains a number of tools that utilize the TRIZ problem-solving methodology to help users clearly define problems and perform value analysis on them. Once the problem is clearly defined in the Goldfire, the Researcher module enables engineers to perform semantic searches of a number of powerful databases to find relevant solutions and concepts, which can be used to generate new product ideas. The third module of Goldfire Innovator, Innovation Trend Analysis, helps to identify and analyze new technology trends, and to drive product and process improvements in the progressive direction.
From the point of view of physics teaching the Goldfire Innovator overcomes usual lack in the educational process – the insufficient interconnection between theory and practice. It gives an excellent possibility to show students technical applications of physical laws, and helps in this way to the understanding of physical theories. At the same time, it demonstrates that principal technical innovations can be solved only with theoretical background.
In addition, bachelor students familiarize themselves with this very efficient software tool which they can employ in their future work.