Artificial neural networks: a review of commercial hardware

Artificial neural networks (ANN) became a common solution for a wide variety of problems in many fields, such as control and pattern recognition to name but a few. Many solutions found in these and other ANN fields have reached a hardware implementation phase, either commercial or with prototypes. The most frequent solution for the implementation of ANN consists of training and implementing the ANN within a computer. Nevertheless this solution might be unsuitable because of its cost or its limited speed. The implementation might be too expensive because of the computer and too slow when implemented in software. In both cases dedicated hardware can be an interesting solution.

The necessity of dedicated hardware might not imply building the hardware since in the last two decades several commercial hardware solutions that can be used in the implementation have reached the market.

Unfortunately not every integrated circuit will fit the needs: some will use lower precision, some will implement only certain types of networks, some don’t have training built in and the information is not easy to find.

This article is confined to reporting the commercial chips that have been developed specifically for ANN, leaving out other solutions.

This option has been made because most of the other solutions are based on cards which are built either with these chips, Digital Signal Processors or Reduced Instruction Set Computers.     

Artificial neural networks: a tutorial

Artificial neural nets (ANNs) are massively parallel systems with large numbers of interconnected simple processors. The article discusses the motivations behind the development of ANNs and describes the basic biological neuron and the artificial computational model. It outlines network architectures and learning processes, and presents some of the most commonly used ANN models. It concludes with character recognition, a successful ANN application     

基于小波神经网络的污水处理厂出水水质预测

在分析传统污水处理厂出水水质预测方法的基础上,提出一种核主元分析和小波神经网洛相结合的预测新方法。首先利用核主元分析实现输入变量的降维和去相关,然后运用小波神经网络建立预测模型。采用统计学理论的中的结构风险最小化原则为目标来训练网络的结构,采用自适应正交最小二乘法来训练网络权值,该方法最大限度地保证了网络的泛化能力。实验结果表明,该预测模型具有预测精度高,使用方便等优点。     

Artificial neural networks for vibration based inverse parametric identifications: A review

Vibration behavior of any solid structure reveals certain dynamic characteristics and property parameters of that structure. Inverse problems dealing with vibration response utilize the response signals to find out input factors and/or certain structural properties. Due to certain drawbacks of traditional solutions to inverse problems, ANNs have gained a major popularity in this field. This paper reviews some earlier researches where ANNs were applied to solve different vibration-based inverse parametric identification problems. The adoption of different ANN algorithms, input-output schemes and required signal processing were denoted in considerable detail. In addition, a number of issues have been reported, including the factors that affect ANNs’ prediction, as well as the advantage and disadvantage of ANN approaches with respect to general inverse methods Based on the critical analysis, suggestions to potential researchers have also been provided for future scopes.     

Application of artificial neural networks for water quality prediction

The term “water quality” is used to describe the condition of water, including its chemical, physical, and biological characteristics. Modeling water quality parameters is a very important aspect in the analysis of any aquatic systems. Prediction of surface water quality is required for proper management of the river basin so that adequate measure can be taken to keep pollution within permissible limits. Accurate prediction of future phenomena is the life blood of optimal water resources management. The artificial neural network is a new technique with a flexible mathematical structure that is capable of identifying complex non-linear relationships between input and output data when compared to other classical modeling techniques. Johor River Basin located in Johor state, Malaysia, which is significantly degrading due to human activities and development along the river. Accordingly, it is very important to implement and adopt a water quality prediction model that can provide a powerful tool to implement better water resource management. Several modeling methods have been applied in this research including: linear regression models (LRM), multilayer perceptron neural networks and radial basis function neural networks (RBF-NN). The results showed that the use of neural networks and more specifically RBF-NN models can describe the behavior of water quality parameters more accurately than linear regression models. In addition, we observed that the RBF finds a solution faster than the MLP and is the most accurate and most reliable tool in terms of processing large amounts of non-linear, non-parametric data.

     

污水处理过程的递阶神经网络建模

针对污水处理过程的多变量和多非线性子系统的串级结构特点, 提出了一种基于活性污泥过程机理的递 阶神经网络建模方法.该方法将神经网络与过程机理模型以串级方式连接, 以神经网络辨识活性污泥过程模型中的非线性组分反应速率. 分析各子过程建模误差的关系, 给出了模型的稳定学习算法和稳定性理论分析. 最后通过某污水处理厂生化脱氮过程实际运行数据的实验表明所提出的建模方法是有效的.     

污水处理过程COD指标集成软测量模型

针对污水处理过程中水质参数COD指标难以在线检测的问题,提出一种基于分布式改进BP神经网络和灰色预测的COD指标集成软测量模型。为反映污水处理过程的不同工况,采用满意聚类算法对数据样本进行聚类处理,将数据样本划分为若干个子样本集,利用改进BP神经网络方法分别为每个子样本集建立预测模型,计算当前输入数据与各个聚类中心的欧式距离,将欧式距离较小的部分预测模型的输出进行综合,得到分布式神经网络的COD指标预估值;为反映COD指标的时间相关性,基于COD指标历史数据采用改进灰色预测建模方法计算得到当前时刻COD指标的预估值;采用动态加权方法将获得两个COD指标预估值进行加权集成。仿真实验表明,集成软测量模型具有较好的预测性能,可以满足污水处理过程COD指标实时检测的精度要求。     

Evolutionary artificial neural networks: a review

This paper reviews the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to optimize artificial neural networks (ANNs). First, we briefly introduce the basic principles of artificial neural networks and evolutionary algorithms and, by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of EAs and ANNs, explain the advantages of using EAs to optimize ANNs. We then provide a brief survey on the basic theories and algorithms for optimizing the weights, optimizing the network architecture and optimizing the learning rules, and discuss recent research from these three aspects. Finally, we speculate on new trends in the development of this area.     

Artificial neural networks for robotics coordinate transformation

Artificial neural networks with such characteristics as learning, graceful degradation, and speed inherent to parallel distributed architectures might provide a flexible and cost solution to the real time control of robotics systems. In this investigation artificial neural networks are presented for the coordinate transformation mapping of a two-axis robot modeled with Fischertechnik physical modeling components. The results indicate that artificial neural systems could be utilized for practical situations and that extended research in these neural structures could provide adaptive architectures for dynamic robotics control.     

Artificial neural networks for job shop simulation

This paper explores the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) as a valid alternative to the traditional job-shop simulation approach. Feed forward, multi-layered neural network metamodels were trained through the back-error-propagation (BEP) learning algorithm to provide a versatile job-shop scheduling analysis framework. The constructed neural network architectures were capable of satisfactorily estimating the manufacturing lead times (MLT) for orders simultaneously processed in a four-machine job shop. The MLTs produced by the developed ANN models turned out to be as valid as the data generated from three well-known simulation packages, i.e. Arena, SIMAN, and ProModel. The ANN outputs proved not to be substantially different from the results provided by other valid models such as SIMAN and ProModel when compared against the adopted baseline, Arena. The ANN-based simulations were able to fairly capture the underlying relationship between jobs' machine sequences and their resulting average flowtimes, which proves that ANNs are a viable tool for stochastic simulation metamodeling.     

Artificial neural networks for infant mortality modelling

This work aims to investigate a simple to use and easy to interpret methodology for assessing the relative importance of input variables in artificial neural networks (ANNs) applied to epidemiological modelling. The independent variables were 43 variables of the social, economic, environmental and health sector of 59 Brazilian municipalities, and the outcomes were infant mortality rates from these municipalities. Two assays were developed for the ANN modelling. On the first, all 43 variables were taken as input; and on the second, input variables were chosen with the help of factor analysis (FA). The relative importance of the input variables was investigated by means of bootstrap replications of the ANN model on the second assay. Further, multiple linear regression models (LRMs) were developed with the same data set and compared to the ANN models. The FA analysis allowed the selection of eight variables for the second assay. The percent of explained variance R(2) on the ANNs was in the range 0.74-0.80, while linear models had R(2)=0.4-0.5. These findings were validated by the bootstrap replications, in which the ANN models remained with higher R(2) and lower mean square error than the LRMs. The analysis of the best (second) ANN model indicated the highest ranking of importance for the variables literacy, agricultural and livestock sector jobs, number of commercial establishments and telephones. The approach presented here successfully integrated a data-oriented model with expert knowledge, indicating the potentiality of ANN modelling in the prediction, planning and assessment of public health actions.     

Artificial neural networks for molecular sequence analysis

Artificial neural networks provide a unique computing architecture whose potential has attracted interest from researchers across different disciplines. As a technique for computational analysis, neural network technology is very well suited for the analysis of molecular sequence data. It has been applied successfully to a variety of problems, ranging from gene identification, to protein structure prediction and sequence classification. This article provides an overview of major neural network paradigms, discusses design issues, and reviews current applications in DNA/RNA and protein sequence analysis.     

Artificial neural networks and deep learning in urban geography: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) and their latest advancement in deep learning are blooming in computer science. Geography has integrated these artificial intelligence techniques, but not with the same enthusiasm. The main reason for hesitation is that ANNs are still confronted as complex and black boxes. However, ANNs might be more solid methods than conventional approaches when dealing with complex geographical problems. This study considers the great potential of ANNs for research in urban geography. First, using the PRISMA protocol, it provides a statistical review of 140 papers on studies that employed ANNs in urban geography between 1997 and 2016. Second, it performs a quantitative meta-analysis using non-parametric bootstrapping. 45 (of the 140) papers were assessed regarding ANNs' overall accuracy (OA) achieved when used for urban growth prediction or urban land-use classification. Third, a new guideline for reporting ANNs is proposed. Statistical review indicated that ANNs performed better in 75.7% of case studies compared to conventional methods. Meta-analysis found that on bootstrapped averages, the median OA achieved when using, ANNs was higher than the median OA achieved by other techniques by 2.3% (p < .001). ANNs also performed better when used for classification compared to prediction. Analysis also identified inadequate presentation of ANNs and related results when used in urban studies. For this reason, a new guideline for reporting ANNs is suggested in this work to ensure consistency and easier dissemination of individual lessons learned. These findings aim to motivate further studies on ANNs and deep learning in urban geography.     

Artificial neural networks for modeling in reaction process systems

This work is focused on developing a more efficient computational scheme for estimation of process reaction rates based on NN models. Two scenarios are considered: (1) the kinetics coefficients of the process are completely known and the process states are partly known (measured); (2) the kinetics coefficients and the states of the process are partly known. The contribution of the paper is twofold. From one side we formulate a hybrid (ANN and mechanistic) model that outperforms the traditional reaction rate estimation approaches. From other side, a new procedure for NN supervised training is proposed when target outputs are not available. The two scenarios are successfully tested for two benchmark problems, estimation of the precipitation rate of calcium phosphate and estimation of sugar crystallization growth rate.     

Artificial neural networks for document analysis and recognition

Artificial neural networks have been extensively applied to document analysis and recognition. Most efforts have been devoted to the recognition of isolated handwritten and printed characters with widely recognized successful results. However, many other document processing tasks, like preprocessing, layout analysis, character segmentation, word recognition, and signature verification, have been effectively faced with very promising results. This paper surveys the most significant problems in the area of offline document image processing, where connectionist-based approaches have been applied. Similarities and differences between approaches belonging to different categories are discussed. A particular emphasis is given on the crucial role of prior knowledge for the conception of both appropriate architectures and learning algorithms. Finally, the paper provides a critical analysts on the reviewed approaches and depicts the most promising research guidelines in the field. In particular, a second generation of connectionist-based models are foreseen which are based on appropriate graphical representations of the learning environment.     

Artificial neural networks for flexible manufacturing systems scheduling

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are information processing systems motivated by the goals of reproducing the cognitive processes and organizational models of neurobiological systems. By virtue of their computational structure, ANN's feature attractive characteristics such as graceful degradation, robust recall with noisy and fragmented data, parallel distributed processing, generalization to patterns outside of the training set, nonlinear modeling capabilities, and learning. These computational features could provide enhanced inferencing functionality and real-time capabilities to develop approaches for traditional difficult problems such as flexible manufacturing system (FMS) scheduling. In this paper three different schemes of ANN's are applied to the FMS scheduling problem. These include a) relaxation-based networks, b) competitive-based schemes, and c) adaptive pattern recognition scheduling.     

Control rules of aeration in a submerged biofilm wastewater treatment process using fuzzy neural networks

The present work is part of a global development of reliable real-time control and supervision tools applied to wastewater pollution removal processes. In these processes, oxygen is a key substrate in animal cell metabolism and its consumption is thus a parameter of great interest for the monitoring. In this paper, an integrated neural-fuzzy process controller was developed to control aeration in an Aerated Submerged Biofilm Wastewater Treatment Process (ASBWTP). In order to improve the fuzzy neural network performance, the self-learning ability embedded in the fuzzy neural network model was emphasized for improving the rule extraction performance. The fuzzy neural network proves to be very effective in modeling the aeration performs better than artificial neural networks (ANN).For comparing between operation with and without the fuzzy neural controller, an aeration unit in an Aerated Submerged Biofilm Wastewater Treatment Process (ASBWTP) was picked up to support the derivation of a solid fuzzy control rule base. It is shown that, using the fuzzy neural controller, in terms of the cost effectiveness, it enables us to save almost 33% of the operation cost during the time period when the controller can be applied. Thus, the fuzzy neural network proved to be a robust and effective DO control tool, easy to integrate in a global monitoring system for cost managing.     

污水处理出水水质软测量建模研究

污水水质参数监测技术是限制实时在线控制的一个重要因素。本论文进行了基于神经网络软测量技术的污水处理出水水质软测量建模的研究,目标是解决污水处理厂重要出水水质指标因人工化验检测而产生的严重滞后问题,以实现污水处理出水水质的预测及控制。