Generic evolutionary design

Generic evolutionary design means the creation of a range of different designs by evolution. This paper introduces generic evolutionary design by a computer, describing a system capable of the evolution of a wide range of solid object designs from scratch, using a genetic algorithm.
The paper reviews relevant literature, and outlines a number of advances necessitated by the development of the system, including: a new generic representation of solid objects, a new multiobjective fitness ranking method, and variable-length chromosomes. A library of modular evaluation software is also described, which allows a user to define new design problems quickly and easily by picking combinations of modules to guide the evolution of designs.
Finally, the feasibility of generic evolutionary design by a computer is demonstrated by presenting the successful evolution of both conventional and unconventional designs for a range of different solid-object design tasks, e.g. tables, heatsinks, prisms, boat hulls, aerodynamic cars.