A digital license plate that can change display and track the vehicle is currently being tested in California. 116 of these innovative tags that come with e-ink screens and a GPS tracker are part of a pilot program in the Sacramento area. As with many innovations, these high-tech tags manufactured by Reviver Auto utilize multiple innovation templates in its design. The new digital license plate makes use of both Task Unification and Attribute Dependency – two of the five methods that make up Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT).
Task Unification involves assigning an additional task to an existing resource. And that resource is in the immediate vicinity of the problem, or what we called The Closed World. Essentially, it’s taking something that is already around you and giving it an additional job. Attribute Dependency works by creating (or breaking) a dependency between two attributes of a product or its environment.
The digital license plates utilize the Task Unification technique by giving the license plate the extra job of tracking the vehicle with GPS technology. And the Attribute Dependency method is evident when the vehicle powers off, allowing the license plate screen to change display if desired.
As Fox News states,
Users can modify the display with custom messages via an app and electronically update their registration without the need for a sticker or visit to the DMV. They’re being marketed as a fleet management tool for commercial outfits that can double as a promotional platform, as the screens can display company branding and advertisements when the vehicles are parked, while still showing the plate number in a smaller font.
Along with the convenience factor, a pitch to retail customers is that they are the ultimate vanity plate, with the potential to update them on a whim to show support for causes or sports teams, or simply to project a personal message for the day.
Systematic Inventive Thinking is something everyone can learn. And you can utilize either of these techniques to innovate helpful products. Visit these links to learn the step-by-step process for using Task Unification and Attribute Dependency.
