Search Results (215)

Recently, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the common neurodegenerative disorders, which primarily occurs in old age. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) is an effective imaging technique used in clinical practice for determining the period of AD patients. An efficient deep learning framework is proposed in this paper for AD detection, which is inspired from clinical practice. The proposed deep learning framework significantly enhances the performance of AD classification by requiring less processing time. Initially, in the proposed framework, the sMRI images are acquired from a real-time dataset and two online datasets including Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle flagship work of ageing (AIBL), and Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Next, a fuzzy-based superpixel-clustering algorithm is introduced to segment the region of interest (RoI) in sMRI images. Then, the informative deep features are extracted in segmented RoI images by integrating the probabilistic local ternary pattern (PLTP), ResNet-50, and Visual Geometry Group (VGG)-16. Furthermore, the dimensionality reduction is accomplished by through the modified gorilla troops optimizer (MGTO). This process not only enhances the classification performance but also diminishes the processing time of the capsule network (CapsNet), which is employed to classify the classes of AD. In the MGTO algorithm, a quasi-reflection-based learning (QRBL) process is introduced for generating silverback’s quasi-refraction position for further improving the optimal position’s quality. The proposed fuzzy based superpixel-clustering algorithm and MGTO-CapsNet model obtained a pixel accuracy of 0.96, 0.94, and 0.98 and a classification accuracy of 99.88%, 96.38%, and 99.94% on the ADNI, real-time, and AIBL datasets, respectively. Full article

Given the existence of techniques that disrupt conventional RF communication channels, the demand for innovative alternatives to electromagnetic-based communications is clear. Covert communication, which claims to conceals the communication channel, has been explored using bio-inspired sounds in aquatic environments, but its application in terrestrial areas is largely unexplored. This work develops a mathematical analysis of a wireless sensor network that operates stealthily in outdoor environments by using birdsong audio signals from local birds for covert communication. Stored bird sounds are modified to insert sensor data while altering the sound minimally, both in characteristics and random silence/song patterns. This paper introduces a technique that modifies a fourth-level coefficient detail with a wavelet transform, then applies an inverse transform to achieve imperceptible audio modifications. The mathematical analysis includes a statistical study of the On/Off periods of different birds’ songs and a Markov chain capturing the system’s main dynamics. We derive the system throughput to highlight the potential of using birdsong as a covert communication medium in terrestrial environments. Additionally, we compare the performance of the sound-based network to the RF-based network to identify the proposed system’s capabilities. Full article

The question “How does it work” has motivated many scientists. Through the study of natural phenomena and behaviors, many intelligence algorithms have been proposed to solve various optimization problems. This paper aims to offer an informative guide for researchers who are interested in tackling optimization problems with intelligence algorithms. First, a special neural network was comprehensively discussed, and it was called a zeroing neural network (ZNN). It is especially intended for solving time-varying optimization problems, including origin, basic principles, operation mechanism, model variants, and applications. This paper presents a new classification method based on the performance index of ZNNs. Then, two classic bio-inspired algorithms, a genetic algorithm and a particle swarm algorithm, are outlined as representatives, including their origin, design process, basic principles, and applications. Finally, to emphasize the applicability of intelligence algorithms, three practical domains are introduced, including gene feature extraction, intelligence communication, and the image process. Full article

The last few decades have led to the rise of research focused on propulsion and control systems for bio-inspired unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which provide more maneuverable alternatives to traditional UUVs in underwater missions. Recent work has explored the use of time-series neural network surrogate models to predict thrust and power from vehicle design and fin kinematics. We expand upon this work, creating new forward neural network models that encapsulate the effects of the material stiffness of the fin on its kinematic performance, thrust, and power, and are able to interpolate to the full spectrum of kinematic gaits for each material. Notably, we demonstrate through testing of holdout data that our developed forward models capture the thrust and power associated with each set of parameters with high resolution, enabling highly accurate predictions of previously unseen gaits and thrust and FOM gains through proper materials and kinematics selection. As propulsive efficiency is of utmost importance for flapping-fin UUVs in order to extend their range and endurance for essential operations, a non-dimensional figure of merit (FOM), derived from measures of propulsive efficiency, is used to evaluate different fin designs and kinematics and allow for comparison with other bio-inspired platforms. We use the developed FOM to analyze optimal gaits and compare the performance between different fin materials. The forward model demonstrates the ability to capture the highest thrust and FOM with good precision, which enables us to improve thrust generation by 83.89% and efficiency by 137.58% with proper fin stiffness and kinematics selection, allowing us to improve material selection for bio-inspired fin design. Full article

As an alternative to flat architectures, clustering architectures are designed to minimize the total energy consumption of sensor networks. Nonetheless, sensor nodes experience increased energy consumption during data transmission, leading to a rapid depletion of energy levels as data are routed towards the base station. Although numerous strategies have been developed to address these challenges and enhance the energy efficiency of networks, the formulation of a clustering-based routing algorithm that achieves both high energy efficiency and increased packet transmission rate for large-scale sensor networks remains an NP-hard problem. Accordingly, the proposed work formulated an energy-efficient clustering mechanism using a chaotic genetic algorithm, and subsequently developed an energy-saving routing system using a bio-inspired grey wolf optimizer algorithm. The proposed chaotic genetic algorithm–grey wolf optimization (CGA-GWO) method is designed to minimize overall energy consumption by selecting energy-aware cluster heads and creating an optimal routing path to reach the base station. The simulation results demonstrate the enhanced functionality of the proposed system when associated with three more relevant systems, considering metrics such as the number of live nodes, average remaining energy level, packet delivery ratio, and overhead associated with cluster formation and routing. Full article

Industry 4.0 integrates the intelligent networking of machines and processes through advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs). Despite advancements, small mechanical manufacturing enterprises face significant challenges transitioning to ICT-supported Industry 4.0 models due to a lack of technical expertise and infrastructure. These enterprises commonly encounter variable production volumes, differing priorities in customer orders, and diverse production capacities across low-, medium-, and high-level outputs. Frequent issues with machine health, glitches, and major breakdowns further complicate optimizing production scheduling. This paper presents a novel production management approach that harnesses bio-inspired methods alongside Internet of Things (IoT) technology to address these challenges. This comprehensive approach integrates the real-time monitoring and intelligent production order distribution, leveraging advanced LoRa wireless communication technology. The system ensures efficient and concurrent data acquisition from multiple sensors, facilitating accurate and prompt capture, transmission, and storage of machine status data. The experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in data collection time and system responsiveness, enabling the timely detection and resolution of machine failures. Additionally, an enhanced genetic algorithm dynamically allocates tasks based on machine status, effectively reducing production completion time and machine idle time. Case studies in a screw manufacturing facility validate the practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed system. The seamless integration of the scheduling algorithm with the real-time monitoring subsystem ensures a coordinated and efficient production process, ultimately enhancing productivity and resource utilization. The proposed system’s robustness and efficiency highlight its potential to revolutionize production management in small-scale manufacturing settings. Full article

Colon cancer is a prevalent and potentially fatal disease that demands early and accurate diagnosis for effective treatment. Traditional diagnostic approaches for colon cancer often face limitations in accuracy and efficiency, leading to challenges in early detection and treatment. In response to these challenges, this paper introduces an innovative method that leverages artificial intelligence, specifically convolutional neural network (CNN) and Fishier Mantis Optimizer, for the automated detection of colon cancer. The utilization of deep learning techniques, specifically CNN, enables the extraction of intricate features from medical imaging data, providing a robust and efficient diagnostic model. Additionally, the Fishier Mantis Optimizer, a bio-inspired optimization algorithm inspired by the hunting behavior of the mantis shrimp, is employed to fine-tune the parameters of the CNN, enhancing its convergence speed and performance. This hybrid approach aims to address the limitations of traditional diagnostic methods by leveraging the strengths of both deep learning and nature-inspired optimization to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of colon cancer diagnosis. The proposed method was evaluated on a comprehensive dataset comprising colon cancer images, and the results demonstrate its superiority over traditional diagnostic approaches. The CNN–Fishier Mantis Optimizer model exhibited high sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy in distinguishing between cancer and non-cancer colon tissues. The integration of bio-inspired optimization algorithms with deep learning techniques not only contributes to the advancement of computer-aided diagnostic tools for colon cancer but also holds promise for enhancing the early detection and diagnosis of this disease, thereby facilitating timely intervention and improved patient prognosis. Various CNN designs, such as GoogLeNet and ResNet-50, were employed to capture features associated with colon diseases. However, inaccuracies were introduced in both feature extraction and data classification due to the abundance of features. To address this issue, feature reduction techniques were implemented using Fishier Mantis Optimizer algorithms, outperforming alternative methods such as Genetic Algorithms and simulated annealing. Encouraging results were obtained in the evaluation of diverse metrics, including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and F1-Score, which were found to be 94.87%, 96.19%, 97.65%, and 96.76%, respectively. Full article

This paper presents a novel use of a bio-inspired retina model as a scene preprocessing stage for the recognition of letters and numbers on Chilean vehicle license plates. The goal is to improve the effectiveness and ease of pattern recognition. Inspired by the responses of mammalian retinas, this retinal model reproduces both the natural adjustment of contrast and the enhancement of object contours by parvocellular cells. Among other contributions, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the architecture, advantages, and limitations of the model; investigates the tuning parameters of the model; and evaluates its performance when integrating a convolutional neural network and a spiking neural network into an optical character recognition (OCR) algorithm, using 40 different genuine license plate images as a case study and for testing. The results obtained demonstrate the reduction of error rates in character recognition based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), spiking neural networks (SNNs), and OCR. It is concluded that this bio-inspired retina model offers a wide spectrum of potential applications to further explore, including motion detection, pattern recognition, and improvement of dynamic range in images, among others. Full article

Submerged aquatic vegetation plays a fundamental role as a habitat for the biodiversity of marine species. To carry out the research and monitoring of submerged aquatic vegetation more efficiently and accurately, it is important to use advanced technologies such as underwater robots. However, when conducting underwater missions to capture photographs and videos near submerged aquatic vegetation meadows, algae can become entangled in the propellers and cause vehicle failure. In this context, a neurobiologically inspired control architecture is proposed for the control of unmanned underwater vehicles with redundant thrusters. The proposed control architecture learns to control the underwater robot in a non-stationary environment and combines the associative learning method and vector associative map learning to generate transformations between the spatial and velocity coordinates in the robot actuator. The experimental results obtained show that the proposed control architecture exhibits notable resilience capabilities while maintaining its operation in the face of thruster failures. In the discussion of the results obtained, the importance of the proposed control architecture is highlighted in the context of the monitoring and conservation of underwater vegetation meadows. Its resilience, robustness, and adaptability capabilities make it an effective tool to face challenges and meet mission objectives in such critical environments. Full article

Event cameras are bio-inspired neuromorphic sensors that have emerged in recent years, with advantages such as high temporal resolutions, high dynamic ranges, low latency, and low power consumption. Event cameras can be used to build event-based imaging polarimeters, overcoming the limited frame rates and low dynamic ranges of existing systems. Since events cannot provide absolute brightness intensity in different angles of polarization (AoPs), degree of linear polarization (DoLP) recovery in non-division-of-time (non-DoT) event-based imaging polarimeters is an ill-posed problem. Thus, we need a data-driven deep learning approach. Deep learning requires large amounts of data for training, and constructing a dataset for event-based non-DoT imaging polarimeters requires significant resources, scenarios, and time. We propose a method for generating datasets using simulated polarization distributions from existing red–green–blue images. Combined with event simulator V2E, the proposed method can easily construct large datasets for network training. We also propose an end-to-end event-based DoLP recovery network to solve the problem of DoLP recovery using event-based non-DoT imaging polarimeters. Finally, we construct a division-of-time event-based imaging polarimeter simulating an event-based four-channel non-DoT imaging polarimeter. Using real-world polarization events and DoLP ground truths, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed simulation method and network. Full article

The planning, regulation and effectiveness of the product design process depend on various characteristics. Recently, bio-inspired collective intelligence approaches have been applied in this process in order to create more appealing product forms and optimize the design process. In fact, the use of neural network models in product form design analysis is a complex process, in which the type of network has to be determined, as well as the structure of the network layers and the neurons in them; the connection coefficients, inputs and outputs have to be explored; and the data have to be collected. In this paper, an impulsive discrete fractional neural network modeling approach is introduced for product design analysis. The proposed model extends and complements several existing integer-order neural network models to the generalized impulsive discrete fractional-order setting, which is a more flexible mechanism to study product form design. Since control and stability methods are fundamental in the construction and practical significance of a neural network model, appropriate impulsive controllers are designed, and practical Mittag-Leffler stability criteria are proposed. The Lyapunov function strategy is applied in providing the stability criteria and their efficiency is demonstrated via examples and a discussion. The established examples also illustrate the role of impulsive controllers in stabilizing the behavior of the neuronal states. The proposed modeling approach and the stability results are applicable to numerous industrial design tasks in which multi-agent systems are implemented. Full article

Precise morphology acquisition for the variable wing leading edge is essential for its bio-inspired adaptive control. Therefore, this study proposes a morphological reconstruction method for the variable wing leading edge, utilizing the node curvature vectors-based curvature propagation method (NCV-CPM). By establishing a strain–arc curvature function, the method fundamentally mitigates the impact of surface curvature angle on curvature computation accuracy at sensing points. We introduce a technique that uses high-order curvature fitting functions to determine the curvature vectors of arc segment nodes. This method reduces cumulative errors in curvature computation linked to the linear interpolation-based curvature propagation method (LI-CPM) at unattached sensor positions. Integrating curvature–strain functions aids in wing leading-edge strain field reconstruction, supporting structural health monitoring. Additionally, a particle swarm algorithm optimizes the sensing point distribution, reducing network complexity. This study demonstrates significantly enhanced morphological reconstruction accuracy compared to those obtained with conventional LI-CPM. Full article

Stagnation at local optima represents a significant challenge in bio-inspired optimization algorithms, often leading to suboptimal solutions. This paper addresses this issue by proposing a hybrid model that combines the Orca predator algorithm with deep Q-learning. The Orca predator algorithm is an optimization technique that mimics the hunting behavior of orcas. It solves complex optimization problems by exploring and exploiting search spaces efficiently. Deep Q-learning is a reinforcement learning technique that combines Q-learning with deep neural networks. This integration aims to turn the stagnation problem into an opportunity for more focused and effective exploitation, enhancing the optimization technique’s performance and accuracy. The proposed hybrid model leverages the biomimetic strengths of the Orca predator algorithm to identify promising regions nearby in the search space, complemented by the fine-tuning capabilities of deep Q-learning to navigate these areas precisely. The practical application of this approach is evaluated using the high-dimensional Heartbeat Categorization Dataset, focusing on the feature selection problem. This dataset, comprising complex electrocardiogram signals, provided a robust platform for testing the feature selection capabilities of our hybrid model. Our experimental results are encouraging, showcasing the hybrid strategy’s capability to identify relevant features without significantly compromising the performance metrics of machine learning models. This analysis was performed by comparing the improved method of the Orca predator algorithm against its native version and a set of state-of-the-art algorithms. Full article

To improve the rapidity of path planning for drones in unknown environments, a new bio-inspired path planning method using E-DQN (event-based deep Q-network), referring to introducing event stream to reinforcement learning network, is proposed. Firstly, event data are collected through an airsim simulator for environmental perception, and an auto-encoder is presented to extract data features and generate event weights. Then, event weights are input into DQN (deep Q-network) to choose the action of the next step. Finally, simulation and verification experiments are conducted in a virtual obstacle environment built with an unreal engine and airsim. The experiment results show that the proposed algorithm is adaptable for drones to find the goal in unknown environments and can improve the rapidity of path planning compared with that of commonly used methods. Full article

Continuum robots play the role of end effectors in various surgical robots and endoscopic devices. While soft continuum robots (SCRs) have proven advantages such as safety and compliance, more research and development are required to enhance their capability for specific medical scenarios. This research aims at designing a soft robot, considering the concepts of geometric and kinematic similarities. The chosen application is a semi-invasive medical application known as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The feasibility of fabrication of a soft endoscopic device derived from the Chorda dorsalis paragon was shown empirically by producing a three-segment pneumatic SCR. The main novelties include bioinspired design, modeling, and a navigation control strategy presented as a novel algorithm to maintain a kinematic similarity between the soft robot and the rigid counterpart. The kinematic model was derived based on the method of transformation matrices, and an algorithm based on a self-organizing map (SOM) network was developed and applied to realize kinematic similarity. The simulation results indicate that the control method forces the soft robot tip to follow the path of the rigid probe within the prescribed distance error (5 mm). The solution provides a soft robot that can surrogate and succeed the traditional rigid counterpart owing to size, workspace, and kinematics. Full article