On 10 April 2017, Mario Moretti Polegato participated the Top Experiences event which organized by Polytechnic of Turin. The following brief innovative idea has submitted personally to the Dr Mario Moretti by the author. Meanwhile, the author desires to share openly the comparable idea with readers those work to improve the job condition of Heavy Truck Drivers (HTD) concerning the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS). The history of innovation taught a valuable lesson in which the usage of innovative product a bit later when it survives the fluid phase and enters the transition phase of Innovation’s Dynamic, might diffuse in many other similar or familiar segments of different applications...
1. BREATHING TRUCK SEAT
The Idea of GEOX Breathing Seat Which Revolutionary Designed
to Serve Drivers of Trucks and Commercial Vehicles
Empirical Research and Innovative Idea
Sajjad Khaksari, Polytechnic of Turin, July 2017
INTRODUCTION
It was in the early 1990s that Mario Moretti Polegato [1], suffering
from hot and sweaty feet, used a pocketknife to cut holes in the
soles of his sneakers, thereby creating the first pair of “shoes that
breathe”. Succeeding, he decided to embark on his own, opening a
small company to manufacture these “breathing” shoes under the
GEOX brand name. On 28 July 2009, the board of directors
(BOD) of GEOX approved the footwear and apparel company's
half-year results, which showed consolidated sales of US$653
million. That was an outstanding accomplishment and
appreciation for GEOX that had only been in the business since
1995 [2]. However, while the GEOX (Moretti) innovation has
invented to facilitate the process of taking air into and expelling it
from the shoes of footwear users, the technology has an enormous
potential power to facilitate the working process of a larger
numbers of labors in different sections - different industries.
A LESSON FROM HISTORY OF INNOVATION
On 10 April 2017, Mario Moretti Polegato participated the Top
Experiences event which organized by Polytechnic of Turin. The
following brief innovative idea has submitted personally to the Dr
Mario Moretti by the author. Meanwhile, the author desires to
share openly the comparable idea with readers those work to
improve the job condition of Heavy Truck Drivers (HTD)
concerning the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment
Series (OHSAS). The history of innovation taught a valuable
lesson in which the usage of innovative product a bit later when it
survives the fluid phase and enters the transition phase of
Innovation’s Dynamic, might diffuse in many other similar or
familiar segments of different applications [3]. For example, once
the chain has invented, the design of bicycles has changed
dramatically (in a positive manner and) in kind of revolutionary
design fashions. Indeed earlier, in 1941, Georges de Mestral [4] who
invented “Hook and Loop Fastener”, went on a walk with his dog.
He noticed that his dog and his pants were covered with
cockleburs. His curiosity drove him to study the burs under a
microscope. The discovery of de Mestral rises from the observation
and inspiration of nature [5].
THE GEOX NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITY
The corresponding usage expansion might happen in the case of
GEOX innovation. The GEOX technology has an appropriate
and inherent capacity to conquer more industrial boundaries and
take control of some other modern manufacturing divisions such
as that Truck Seat Manufacturing. However, unlike of city
automobiles (the non-commercial vehicles), the seats of heavy
commercial vehicles are almost in severe persistent, continuous
use during their lifecycle. Truck drivers are restrained to seat at
least 9 to 10 hours per day on their traditional seats those do not
hold breath. The 56 weekly Driving Hours are not the exclusive
duration of truck's seat usage because during the entire of truck
drivers working days they suppose to wait for loading or
unloading logistics operations. Even during the lunch time
normally truck drivers are sitting on their truck seats. After all,
besides, the long haul truck drivers are limited to benefit from
their truck seats during their Mandatory Weekend Hours of Rest
(45 hours). Particularly the drivers of heavy trucks or commercial
vehicles would confirm undoubtedly the real acute feeling of that
little-by-little torture (seating without moving). The individual,
quiet, and painful experience that step-by-step sicken the spinal
cord, skin, and testis of truck drivers. The academic researchers
and scientific articles are correctly highlighted the ergonomic
problem, musculoskeletal obstacles, and severe disturbance
amongst professional truck drivers.
GEOX INNOVATIVE SOLUTION
In such dramatic circumstances, the continued innovation of
GEOX from footwear to the future truck seat-wear has an
inherent ability to improve the Heavy Truck Seats Manufacturing
Technology. Notably, the innovative idea of “seats that breathe”,
might reduce the problem of truck drivers significantly. Amidst
the GEOX technology, truck drivers will no longer suffer from
the no-breathing (traditional) truck seats. The following figure
(Fig. 1) illustrates the sketch that designed to highlight the
achievable future of truck seat production in which the process
of taking air into and expelling it from the heavy truck's seat
actually would realized.
In conclusion, the briefly introduced idea proposed to yield the
importance of an innovative truck seat design which might
characterize the possible opportunities and emphasize those
negative health effects which are concealed behind the
traditional truck’s seats.
REFERENCES
[1] Mario Moretti Polegato - Wiki
[2] Ali Farhoomand, Havovi Joshi (2010), “Geox: Breathing
Innovation into Shoes”, Harvard Business Publishing
[3] Christensen CM, Verlinden M, Westerman G (2002)
Disruption, Disintegration, and the dissipation of differentiability.
Ind Corp Change 11(5):955–993
[4] National Inventors Hall of Fame entry (1999), Georges de
Mestral (1907 - 1990), Highland Park St. NW
[5] Inspired Ideas by Nature; https://asknature.org
Fig. 1: The sketch that has drawn during an empirical experience