Bionics in patents – semantic-based analysis for the exploitation of bionic principles in patents

In this paper we present a sophisticated method to exploit bionic inventions in patents with the help of semantic patent analysis. This method enables users to visualize similarities in patent content in a semantic patent map. These maps could be used for strategic decision-making, e.g. for developing technologies and commercial usage and – no less important – for providing new insights to researchers and practitioners involved in bionics. A case study of US-based patents between 1976 and 2006 clearly shows that most bionic inventions are patented as medical applications in the area of surgery. Other fields of technological applications, however, apparently do not make use of bionic ideas for solving inventive problems. As a result, bionics may provide great potential for solving technical problems that needs to be exploited, e.g. perhaps to be carried out with the help of TRIZ.