How can nature-inspired evolution help us create the perfect optical lens? Assistant Professor Anna Kononova explores this question in her research. High-tech industries, like computer chip manufacturers, require ultra-precise lenses to keep up with the demand for increasingly complex designs.
Anna uses evolutionary computing, a technique that mimics natural selection. Just as nature evolves the fittest species, computers generate and test many lens designs, keeping the best and refining them over generations. This approach helps create cutting-edge technology with incredible precision.
Idea by Dimitra Kouimtzidou
Research, planning & coordination by Marcel Tichelaar & Dimitra Kouimtzidou
Interview, production & editing by Michiel van Poelgeest