Where do your research ideas originate from?
I used to source all of mine from academic literature & conferences, or from my own research.
But these can become echo chambers that limit thinking & creativity.
🔥 Here are 4 overlooked places to find impactful research problems:
I used to source all of mine from academic literature & conferences, or from my own research.
But these can become echo chambers that limit thinking & creativity.
🔥 Here are 4 overlooked places to find impactful research problems:
1️⃣ Your own life
• This is why I started studying low back #biomechanics
• I was a parent to young kids & experiencing back pain
• I was curious if we could create more practical exoskeletons that'd fit into my own life
It started as an undergrad project then grew into more:
• This is why I started studying low back #biomechanics
• I was a parent to young kids & experiencing back pain
• I was curious if we could create more practical exoskeletons that'd fit into my own life
It started as an undergrad project then grew into more:
2️⃣ Spending time w/ users
• In academia we often talk about this
• But we tend to involve users too late in R&D
• And I'm not convinced we spend enough time doing it
Hearing pain points directly from #prosthetics users is what prompted the daily activities we now study:
• In academia we often talk about this
• But we tend to involve users too late in R&D
• And I'm not convinced we spend enough time doing it
Hearing pain points directly from #prosthetics users is what prompted the daily activities we now study:
3️⃣ Spending time w/ clinicians
• They see & know so much that we don't
• They have important applied research problems
• But you must spend enough time w/ them to understand the problems & constraints
Much of our wearables & running research came from convos w/ clinicians:
• They see & know so much that we don't
• They have important applied research problems
• But you must spend enough time w/ them to understand the problems & constraints
Much of our wearables & running research came from convos w/ clinicians:
4️⃣ Industry-facing conferences
• This is honestly like a cheat code
• You get to learn about real contemporary problems
• Sometimes you discover emerging topics years before they're in the scientific literature
This is how we started studying thermal comfort of exoskeletons:
• This is honestly like a cheat code
• You get to learn about real contemporary problems
• Sometimes you discover emerging topics years before they're in the scientific literature
This is how we started studying thermal comfort of exoskeletons:
TL/DR
The scientific literature is great. But it isn't the only place to source research problems.
Explore these overlooked sources for inspiration:
1. Examining your own life
2. Spending time with users
3. Spending time with clinicians
4. Attending industry conferences
The scientific literature is great. But it isn't the only place to source research problems.
Explore these overlooked sources for inspiration:
1. Examining your own life
2. Spending time with users
3. Spending time with clinicians
4. Attending industry conferences
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
