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Using AI to improve PALs.
July 31, 2024
In 2022, NOVAR Technologies introduced its AI-GET algorithm, designed for optimizing progressive addition lenses (PALs).
This advanced algorithm leverages Genetic Algorithms (GAs), a branch of artificial intelligence inspired by Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
Genetic algorithms are heuristic search techniques that simulate the natural selection process, selecting the most fit individuals for reproduction to produce a new generation. In this context, each “individual” represents a potential solution, and their “fitness” is a measure of how well they solve the problem at hand.
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NOVAR says that its AI-GET algorithm enables an unsupervised approach to finding “the optimal combination of spherical power and astigmatism at every point on a PAL. This is achieved by starting with high-level conditions for these optical properties.”
The result, according to NOVAR, is “a PAL with wide visual fields and minimized optical aberrations, leading to near-instant adaptation and unprecedented comfort for the wearer.”
While it is well understood that an ideal PAL, devoid of aberrations, is mathematically unattainable, NOVAR says this design technology represents a significant step toward achieving near-ideal lenses.
These lenses are designed to offer wide fields of vision across all areas and minimal peripheral aberration.
In line with its policy of expanding this technology, NOVAR recently developed a variant of its AI-GET algorithm for the design of anti-reflective (AR) coatings. This technology autonomously identifies the best combination of materials, layer order and thickness to meet specific reflectance or transmittance targets, further enhancing the performance and quality of optical products.
