INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
RESEARCH LABORATORY
AND
THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
ON NEURO-VISION RESEARCH
(IRIS)
College of Engineering
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada S7N 5A9
ADVANCING TOWARDS THE FUTURE
The path that leads to scientific discovery very often begins
when one of us takes an adventurous step into the world of endless
possibilities. Scientists intrigued by a mere glimpse of a subtle
variation may uncover a clue or link, and from that fragment emerges
an idea to be developed and worked into shape.
BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
Humans, like many other biological species, are endowed with very rich
sensors, complex and flexible neuro-control mechanisms, and a
mysterious carbon based organ - the brain. The brain contains the
faculty of cognition and perception. The basic sensing, control and
perception abilities are innate, while the advanced faculty of
cognition is developed through learning and experience.
The human's richest sense - vision, and its cognitive faculty - the
brain, have always intrigued philosophers, psychologists,
neuro-physiologists, mathematicians and engineers. The understanding
of the phenomena of 'sight' and 'perception' still remains one of the
deepest challenges confronted by scientists.
At the Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory, we have accepted the
challenges of learning from the biological sensors, the neuro-motor
control mechanisms, and the cognitive faculty - the brain. These
synergetic and aggressive studies have potential application in
numerous fields of technology: health sciences, space exploration,
manufacturing, agriculture and mining, industries, and intelligent
robotic systems.
We are attempting to learn and recapitulate some of these functions
and phenomena using innovative mathematical tools and neural-like
structures. The recapitulation of these mathematical functions can be
implemented into robust algorithms with the potential of being cast
into microchips using the new technology of opto-electronics and other
analog-like parallel processing techniques.
Biological processes have much to offer engineers for the development
of new mathematical methods and scientific tools. An understanding of
the natural sensory phenomena (vision, hearing, smell, touch and
taste) can lead to the development of smart sensors, intelligent
devices and innovative autonomous robotic systems.
THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
ON
NEURO-VISION RESEARCH
(IRIS)
The CENTRE of Excellence on Neuro Vision Research, at the Intelligent
Systems Research Laboratory, is a node within the Institute for
Robotics and intelligent Systems (IRIS), a research network
established by the Canadian Federal Government to promote the
development of leading edge technologies.
The neuro-vision research at this Laboratory ranges from the basic
development of new neural mathematical tools to the implementation of
hardware based neural computing structures for emulating retinal and
cortical visual functions.
This work is new and innovative, and we are working hard to generate a
critical mass for conducting various basic studies on the neural
functions of the retina and visual cortex.
This research has some long-term objectives with a potential for many
vision system applications in industrial robotics.
The theme "biological basis for neuro-vision" is to emulate many of
the innate phenomena of the biological vision process and this is the
intellectual challenge that the faculty, researchers and the student
body of this Laboratory have accepted. One of our long term dreams is
to provide vision prosthesis to visually impaired individuals who can
not enjoy the beauty of this colourful world.
AN INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGE
The synergetic research and development work performed at this
Laboratory could provide new technological directions for diverse
interests and innovative research on new sensors and intelligent
systems with limitless possibilities.
The intellectual challenge of the Intelligent Systems Research
laboratory is to orchestrate both basic and applied research on vision
sensors, devices and systems with a potential for generating new
knowledge and intelligent robotic systems.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
The studies on neural-control, neuro-vision and neural-fuzzy logic
will lead to the development of robust new signal processing, image
processing, and neural-control algorithms with potential applications
to vision prosthesis for the visually impaired, medical imaging,
medical sensors, space and ocean explorations and robotics for
manufacturing and agricultural industry.
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AREAS
(i) Neuro-Vision Research
Biological vision as a basis for neuro-vision, receptive fields of
visual channels and visual-cortex, emulation and generalisation of
receptive fields, generalised discriminant functions, dynamic P-N
neural processor, associative memory, visual functions such as visual
memory etc., cognitive visual fields, vision perception, vision
prosthesis, and, in general, the inverse biomedical engineering.
(ii) Neuro-Control Research
Cognitive controllers, learning and adaptive control, intelligent
control systems, inverse dynamics adaptive control (IDAC) algorithms,
fuzzy logic controllers, nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory, and, in
general, neural-computing as applied to complex industrial processes
and flexible space structures.
(iii) Neural-Fuzzy Logic Research
Cognitive information, cognitive processes, neuro-computing, fuzzy
logic, fuzzy calculus, fuzzy networks and fuzzy chaos.
Motto
To nurture the spirit of cooperation and strive to improve the quality
of life in this global village through excellence in education and
research.
SOURCES OF FUNDING
- Network of CENTRE of Excellence (IRIS)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) (operating
and equipment research funds)
- Science and Technology Division,
Province of Saskatchewan (infrastructure support)
- University of Saskatchewan (Infrastructure and Graduate
Scholarships)
GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH:
AN INVITATION
Presently, the Laboratory has a large number of pot-doctoral fellows
and graduate students from Canada and abroad. We have several
cooperative research projects underway with international community.
Graduates in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer
Science, Engineering Physics and the Biological Sciences are welcome
to apply for M.Sc. and Ph.D. studies. We also welcome postdoctoral
and sabbatical leave applications.
Dr. Madan M. Gupta, Director
Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory
College of Engineering
University of Saskatchewan
57 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada S7N 5A9
Phone: (306) 966 - 5451
Fax: (306) 966 - 5427
Email............Madan_Gupta@engr.usask.ca
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This page is maintained by Jim_Bugg@engr.usask.ca.
Last Update: January 5, 1997