Automated re-invention of six patented optical lens systems using genetic programming

This paper describes how genetic programming was used as an invention machine to automatically synthesize complete designs for six optical lens systems that duplicated the functionality of previously patented lens systems. The automatic synthesis was done “from scratch”—that is, without starting from a preexisting good design and without pre-specifying the number of lenses, the physical layout of the lenses, the numerical parameters of the lenses, or the non-numerical parameters of the lenses. One of the six genetically evolved lens systems infringed a previously issued patent; three contained many of the essential features of the patents, without infringing; and the others were non-infringing novel designs that duplicated (or improved upon) the performance specifications contained in the patents. One of the six patents was issued in the 21 st-century. The six designs were created in a substantially similar and routine way, suggesting that the approach used may have widespread utility. The genetically evolved designs are instances of humancompetitive results produced by genetic programming in the field of optical design