Written exams - Leadership and Innovation (2019-2020)

INNOVATION

A plasma display is an emissive flat panel display where light is created by phosphors excited by a plasma discharge between two flat panels of glass. During the early 60s, the University of Illinois used regular televisions as computer monitors for their in-house computer network. The inventors of plasma researched the technology as an alternative to the cathode ray tube-based televisions being used till then. By July of 1964, the team had built the first plasma display panel with one single cell. After that, television broadcast companies considered developing plasma television as an alternative to televisions using cathode ray tubes. However, another technology was rising: LCD or liquid crystal displays made flat-screen television possible, which hindered the further commercial development of plasma displays. It took many years for plasma televisions to become successful. After more than 60 years of continuous improvements, today's plasma televisions use millions of cells.

and allow High resolutions on a flat screen. They display sharper contrasts and deeper blacks than LCD displays, and technological developments have increased their lifespan – which was a major drawback of Plasma displays and still remains lower than the LCDs.

a) The S-shaped curve of Plasma technology is today higher than that of LCD technology

b) The S-shaped curve of Plasma technology is today lower than that of LCD technology

c) Looking at both curves today, we may understand the investment policy pursued on both technologies in the past

d) A technology manager should compare the curves per each relevant performance before taking any investment decision on the two technologies

2. 3D Hubs calls itself "the world’s largest network of manufacturing services". 3D Hubs offers 3D printing, CNC Machining, and Injection Molding and operates a global network of manufacturing partners. Engineers can easily upload their design and instantly receive quotations from manufacturing partners.

Once they select their preferred quotation, they can close the order with a click and the manufacturing partner starts the production right away. 3D Hubs also releases a quarterly Digital Manufacturing Report covering recent trends in the manufacturing industry. The report includes print quality ratings, 3D printer model popularity, print categories, most used CNC and 3D printing materials, color choices, and demographics. The report is based on data from 6,000 active international suppliers that create over 200,000 parts each quarter. 3D Hubs: a) It is an industrywide platform where engineers can foster innovation b) It is a non-transactional or orthogonal platform because it uses the transactions on the platform to create the report in a client-as a target perspective c) It is a transactional two-sided platform linking engineers and manufacturing partners d) It is an internal platform because it offers 3D printing, CNC Machining and so on to other engineers 3. We all are familiar with the<p>The diamond frame is the main component of a bicycle, onto which wheels and other components are fitted. However, it is not the most effective way of translating human leg force into speed. In 2016, Todd Reichert achieved a speed of 144.17 kilometers per hour on his self-constructed, fully covered recumbent bike called "Eta". Graeme Obree, who set the hour record in track cycling in 1993 and 1994, has also experimented with alternative frame shapes for bicycles. In 2013, he set a new world speed record in a prone position on his self-built Beastie Bike at the World Human Speed Championships in Battle Mountain, Nevada. Despite these innovations, products not based on the diamond frame would be skeptically received by the market. Therefore, the following statement is true:</p> <p>a) Diamond frame is an example of the dominant design</p>

c) Emergence of Beastie Bike and Eta marks the beginning of the transition phase in the Abernathy-Utterback model

d) Emergence of Beastie Bike and Eta marks the beginning of the specific phase in the Abernathy-Utterback model

4. Arduino is an open-source hardware and software company, project and user community that designs and manufactures microcontroller kits for building digital devices. The Arduino project aims to provide a low-cost and easy way for novices and professionals to create devices that interact with their environment using sensors and actuators. Common examples of such devices include simple robots, thermostats and motion detectors. Arduino LilyPad is an Arduino Main Board designed for e-textiles and wearables projects. It comes in round shape, embeds the same number of functionalities as a regular Arduino board and can be embedded into fabrics and for this reason it

stands out of the boards available in the Arduino community. Over the years, the LilyPad Arduino has been used as a system for experimenting with embedded computation that allows users to build their own soft wearables. For instance, one of the most beautiful applications that have been created with the LilyPad card is Electronic Traces. A project that allows people to create digital paintings through the movement of the dancers.

1. User Toolkit: because, by noticing what users do, tacit needs are elicited
2. User Toolkit: because users are actively involved in testing existing products along the project cycles
3. User Toolkit: because users are involved as designers of new solutions
4. None of the previous

5. Calimoto is a GPS navigator specialized for motorcyclists. This is how they introduce themselves: "Winding country roads, nature and freedom. We want every rider to find the perfect route. Therefore, we have developed an app designed for motorcyclists. True to our motto "no more

Calimoto is a good example of platform innovation because it offers a service leveraging the data gathered during the usage of the service.

Bikers would love to avoid "straight roads".

A blockchain is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography. Each block typically contains a hash pointer as a link to a previous block, a timestamp and transaction data. By design, blockchains are inherently resistant to modification of the data. The Harvard Business Review describes it as "an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way". A blockchain is typically managed by a peer-to-peer network collectively adhering to a protocol for validating new blocks. Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks, which requires collusion of the network majority.

a) It represents a case of innovation of meaning, since it offers users a new reason why to use a cryptosystem

Written Exams - Leadership and Innovation

– Politecnico di Milano 2019/2020 b) It is a case of open innovation, since it is managed by a peer-to-peer network to foster innovation through it c) It is a case of transaction two-sided platforms since it builds on a peer-to-peer network d) None of the previous 7. Founded in 1899, Miele is a German manufacturer of high-end domestic appliances and commercial equipments. During a Miele investigation of the increasingly growing number of people with allergies, a mother was observed hoovering her child's mattress multiple times. "Because then I know that it's clean!" she exclaimed when she was asked the reason why of that action. A few times later, a vacuum cleaner with hygiene sensors at the nozzle was released. This had a small light indicator that turned from red, through amber, to green as clean progress, allowing people with allergies to know when a room or cleaning surface was dust-free. The previous sentence describes an innovation coming from: a) Leadership

Users Analysis: because a sample of customers are observed in their natural context to understand their behaviour

Ethnography: because users are observed in their natural context to understand their needs

Lead User Analysis: because users are expecting to obtain high benefit from a solution to their needs

Ethnography: because users are involved in the project cycles to leverage on their capability to spot innovative solutions

Unlike virtual reality, which is a totally computer-generated environment, Augmented Reality (AR) typically adds information to a user's surroundings. It can provide data like a heads-up display when driving, overlay visual data on a patient during surgery, or provide instructions to a manufacturing employee. The primary value of AR is the manner in which components of the digital world blend into a person's perception of the real world, not as a simple display of data, but through the integration of immersive sensations, which are perceived as natural

case of component-based innovation because they combine two existing technologies: wearable devices and augmented reality. Wearable technologies are smart electronic devices that are worn close to or on the surface of the skin, while augmented reality enhances user experience by integrating virtual elements into the real world. The wide adoption of mobile and wearable devices has contributed to the increasing popularity of augmented reality applications. Augmented reality wearable devices like the HoloLens use infrared lasers to scan and map the real world, allowing for a more immersive experience. These devices can detect, analyze, and transmit information about the wearer's body signals, enhancing remote collaboration.case of technology-push innovation as they combine two existing technologies to develop new products. d) None of the previous LE