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Invent Resources:
You
may wonder who invents some of the common gadgets you see every day in
TV and magazine advertisements -- things like a credit card calculator
or a microwave corn popper. Chances are good it came from the minds of
Invent Resources, Inc. (IRI) a company in Winchester, Massachusetts that
invents seemingly anything, including the aforementioned devices. They
label their service "invent on demand," and they've made a career
and passion of inventing.
"It's both fun and rewarding," says Dr. Richard Pavelle, president of IRI. The firm has projects all over the world in a wide range of industries and technologies, both low and high tech, though they avoid software and pharmaceuticals.
How does such a company come about? Pavelle was working on the research staff at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science and Lincoln Laboratory in 1988 when he felt an urge to go in a different direction and consult on inventing. It was in his blood, he says. "I had been inventing since high school." He went to work with a group of 30 other consultants, and four kindred spirits gravitated to each other and later set out to form IRI. They started in 1993 informally and then went fulltime in 1996.
Today, IRI consists of the same four seasoned scientists and engineers plus one who has joined them since the start. An applied mathematician, physicist, and computer scientist, Pavelle holds a Ph.D. in mathematical physics from the University of London and an undergraduate degree in physics from Columbia University. George Freedman is an MIT-trained engineer who founded and directed Raytheon's New Products Center, which had the mission of conceiving and developing new products for the company's divisions and subsidiaries. A. Ze'ev Hed has degrees in solid state physics and nuclear physics and served as president and COO of a medical instrumentation company. Sol Aisenberg, also a co-founder of IRI, has a Ph.D. from MIT in physical electronics and has held part-time appointments as a staff member at MIT, lecturer at Harvard Medical School, and visiting research professor in the Bioengineering Department of Boston University. The newest member, Joseph Friedberg is an M.D. who heads a surgical research laboratory, working part-time for IRI.
Together, the five members have guided the development of more than 200 products and have received more than 100 patents, formed more than 60 licensing arrangements, and have over 30 patent applications in process. They hold distinguished awards, including twelve R&D 100 Awards from R&D Magazine.
Pavelle developed and patented the credit card calculator for Casio Computer Company, Sharp Computer Corporation, and Canon Corporation. He also has patents on golf club faces from 1974 that led to the concept of an expanded sweet spot, now used by all manufacturers of golf clubs. Recent patents involve new types of polarized sunglasses and electrochemical processes that will lead to large reductions in charging times for batteries.
IRI's creations also include a ten-second hand dryer, microwave coffee maker, new means for protecting fruits and vegetables from spoilage in a refrigerator, car seat cover that relieves driving stress, and tennis racket sensor that offers the player feedback about the quality of the hit. And their inventions aren't just the latest consumer gizmos; for example, they include an optical cancer diagnosis system and a monitor of motor oil quality. Other clients have included well-known companies such as Air Products and Chemicals, Arthur D. Little, General Electric Gulf + Western, Lockheed Missile and Aerospace, Mattel, Raytheon, Regal Ware, Revere Copper & Brass, Rubbermaid, and Velcro.
In an ideal scenario, companies approach IRI when they seek innovations in product lines, have hit technical bottlenecks, need improvements in manufacturing processes, or need assistance with obtaining, reviewing, and strengthening patents. But as Pavelle relates, "Marketing is key. Inventing is the easy part." This means they must go out and drum up business by approaching companies, asking them for a wish list of things they would like developed. Maybe it's something they've been unable to develop or just have a vague idea about. As a means of enticing businesses to use their services, Pavelle says, "We differentiate ourselves by doing it for free," meaning IRI charges no upfront cost during the invention process. He explains that, unlike with consulting engineers, it doesn't pay for inventors to consult on an hourly pay basis because companies can make millions from their inventions, and this way, IRI can share in profits and get paid according to the success of the invention.
Under IRI's payment structure, companies must show they have the resources to market an invention. After they see they can invent something for a company, IRI makes a proposal to them under the proviso that IRI keeps the rights to it. The company may sign a licensing agreement and pay for the right to use the invention, or they can pay royalties. Pavelle says the axiom "you use it or lose it" applies, meaning if the company doesn't develop it, IRI can market it elsewhere.
Pavelle explains the normal process they take with a client: "We brainstorm the problem and come up with anywhere from three to as many as 20 possible approaches. We may then have an additional conversation with the client to reduce the number of approaches. We then look very closely at the physics behind the approaches and do some calculations to further limit them." Later, if the client seeks a proof-of-principle prototype, they'll have a model-maker build one, often using a fabricator from MIT they have a relationship with. The model-maker can generate CAD drawings for doing this, although sometimes the devices are simple enough they can bypass drawings. Then they may do some elaborate testing on the device. "We do the testing ourselves unless we're working directly with the client's engineering team, and then we often supervise testing at their site."
This points out that inventors work extensively with engineers in various forms. IRI doesn't hire them on staff, but they sometimes hire engineering consultants to work on projects. And conversely, engineering firms sometimes approach them for help on projects. In a symbiotic relationship, engineers apply practical design skills to the inventive process nurtured by physicists and other scientists. As a result, inventors such as IRI flourish, and engineers share in the fun of inventing devices that benefit society . . . and might show up in TV and magazine ads.
Company: Invent Resources, Inc.
Type: Invention firm
Location: Winchester, Massachusetts
Services: Develop inventions for organizations and assist with obtaining, reviewing, and strengthening patents
Contact: Richard Pavelle, president, 781-729-3746, rp@theworld.com
Website: www.weinvent.com
Progressive
Engineer
Editor: Tom Gibson
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©2004 Progressive Engineer