Learning to Navigate the Energy Landscape

In this paper, we present a novel and efficient architecture for addressing computer vision problems that use `Analysis by Synthesis'. Analysis by synthesis involves the minimization of the reconstruction error which is typically a non-convex function of the latent target variables. State-of-the-art methods adopt a hybrid scheme where discriminatively trained predictors like Random Forests or Convolutional Neural Networks are used to initialize local search algorithms. While these methods have been shown to produce promising results, they often get stuck in local optima. Our method goes beyond the conventional hybrid architecture by not only proposing multiple accurate initial solutions but by also defining a navigational structure over the solution space that can be used for extremely efficient gradient-free local search. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach on the challenging problem of RGB Camera Relocalization. To make the RGB camera relocalization problem particularly challenging, we introduce a new dataset of 3D environments which are significantly larger than those found in other publicly-available datasets. Our experiments reveal that the proposed method is able to achieve state-of-the-art camera relocalization results. We also demonstrate the generalizability of our approach on Hand Pose Estimation and Image Retrieval tasks

A Genetic Programming Approach to Geometrical Digital Content Modeling in Web Oriented Applications

The paper presents the advantages of using genetic techniques in web oriented problems. The specific area of genetic programming applications that paper approaches is content modeling. The analyzed digital content is formed through the accumulation of targeted geometrical structured entities that have specific characteristics and behavior. The accumulated digital content is analyzed and specific features are extracted in order to develop an analysis system through the use of genetic programming. An experiment is presented which evolves a model based on specific features of each geometrical structured entity in the digital content base. The results show promising expectations with a low error rate which provides fair approximations related to analyzed geometrical structured entities.Genetic Algorithm, Genetic Programming, Fitness, Geometrical Structured Entities, Analysis

AI and OR in management of operations: history and trends

The last decade has seen a considerable growth in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for operations management with the aim of finding solutions to problems that are increasing in complexity and scale. This paper begins by setting the context for the survey through a historical perspective of OR and AI. An extensive survey of applications of AI techniques for operations management, covering a total of over 1200 papers published from 1995 to 2004 is then presented. The survey utilizes Elsevier's ScienceDirect database as a source. Hence, the survey may not cover all the relevant journals but includes a sufficiently wide range of publications to make it representative of the research in the field. The papers are categorized into four areas of operations management: (a) design, (b) scheduling, (c) process planning and control and (d) quality, maintenance and fault diagnosis. Each of the four areas is categorized in terms of the AI techniques used: genetic algorithms, case-based reasoning, knowledge-based systems, fuzzy logic and hybrid techniques. The trends over the last decade are identified, discussed with respect to expected trends and directions for future work suggested

Geometric guides for interactive evolutionary design

This thesis describes the addition of novel Geometric Guides to a generative Computer-Aided Design (CAD) application that supports early-stage concept generation. The application generates and evolves abstract 3D shapes, used to inspire the form of new product concepts. It was previously a conventional Interactive Evolutionary system where users selected shapes from evolving populations. However, design industry users wanted more control over the shapes, for example by allowing the system to influence the proportions of evolving forms. The solution researched, developed, integrated and tested is a more cooperative human-machine system combining classic user interaction with innovative geometric analysis. In the literature review, different types of Interactive Evolutionary Computation (IEC), Pose Normalisation (PN), Shape Comparison, and Minimum-Volume Bounding Box approaches are compared, with some of these technologies identified as applicable for this research. Using its Application Programming Interface, add-ins for the Siemens NX CAD system have been developed and integrated with an existing Interactive Evolutionary CAD system. These add-ins allow users to create a Geometric Guide (GG) at the start of a shape exploration session. Before evolving shapes can be compared with the GG, they must be aligned and scaled (known as Pose Normalisation in the literature). Computationally-efficient PN has been achieved using geometric functions such as Bounding Box for translation and scaling, and Principle Axes for the orientation. A shape comparison algorithm has been developed that is based on the principle of non-intersecting volumes. This algorithm is also implemented with standard, readily available geometric functions, is conceptually simple, accessible to other researchers and also offers appropriate efficacy. Objective geometric testing showed that the PN and Shape Comparison methods developed are suitable for this guiding application and can be efficiently adapted to enhance an Interactive Evolutionary Design system. System performance with different population sizes was examined to indicate how best to use the new guiding capabilities to assist users in evolutionary shape searching. This was backed up by participant testing research into two user interaction strategies. A Large Background Population (LBP) approach where the GG is used to select a sub-set of shapes to show to the user was shown to be the most effective. The inclusion of Geometric Guides has taken the research from the existing aesthetic focused tool to a system capable of application to a wider range of engineering design problems. This system supports earlier design processes and ideation in conceptual design and allows a designer to experiment with ideas freely to interactively explore populations of evolving solutions. The design approach has been further improved, and expanded beyond the previous quite limited scope of form exploration

Intelligent Data Storage and Retrieval for Design Optimisation – an Overview

This paper documents the findings of a literature review conducted by the Sir Lawrence Wackett Centre for Aerospace Design Technology at RMIT University. The review investigates aspects of a proposed system for intelligent design optimisation. Such a system would be capable of efficiently storing (and compressing if required) a range of types of design data into an intelligent database. This database would be accessed by the system during subsequent design processes, allowing for search of relevant design data for re-use in later designs, allowing it to become very efficient in reducing the time for later designs as the database grows in size. Extensive research has been performed, in both theoretical aspects of the project, and practical examples of current similar systems. This research covers the areas of database systems, database queries, representation and compression of design data, geometric representation and heuristic methods for design applications.

Graph matching using position coordinates and local features for image analysis

Encontrar las correspondencias entre dos imágenes es un problema crucial en el campo de la visión por ordenador i el reconocimiento de patrones. Es relevante para un amplio rango de propósitos des de aplicaciones de reconocimiento de objetos en las áreas de biometría, análisis de documentos i análisis de formas hasta aplicaciones relacionadas con la geometría desde múltiples puntos de vista tales cómo la recuperación de la pose, estructura desde el movimiento y localización y mapeo. La mayoría de las técnicas existentes enfocan este problema o bien usando características locales en la imagen o bien usando métodos de registro de conjuntos de puntos (o bien una mezcla de ambos). En las primeras, un conjunto disperso de características es primeramente extraído de las imágenes y luego caracterizado en la forma de vectores descriptores usando evidencias locales de la imagen. Las características son asociadas según la similitud entre sus descriptores. En las segundas, los conjuntos de características son considerados cómo conjuntos de puntos los cuales son asociados usando técnicas de optimización no lineal. Estos son procedimientos iterativos que estiman los parámetros de correspondencia y de alineamiento en pasos alternados. Los grafos son representaciones que contemplan relaciones binarias entre las características. Tener en cuenta relaciones binarias al problema de la correspondencia a menudo lleva al llamado problema del emparejamiento de grafos. Existe cierta cantidad de métodos en la literatura destinados a encontrar soluciones aproximadas a diferentes instancias del problema de emparejamiento de grafos, que en la mayoría de casos es del tipo "NP-hard". El cuerpo de trabajo principal de esta tesis está dedicado a formular ambos problemas de asociación de características de imagen y registro de conjunto de puntos como instancias del problema de emparejamiento de grafos. En todos los casos proponemos algoritmos aproximados para solucionar estos problemas y nos comparamos con un número de métodos existentes pertenecientes a diferentes áreas como eliminadores de "outliers", métodos de registro de conjuntos de puntos y otros métodos de emparejamiento de grafos. Los experimentos muestran que en la mayoría de casos los métodos propuestos superan al resto. En ocasiones los métodos propuestos o bien comparten el mejor rendimiento con algún método competidor o bien obtienen resultados ligeramente peores. En estos casos, los métodos propuestos normalmente presentan tiempos computacionales inferiores.Trobar les correspondències entre dues imatges és un problema crucial en el camp de la visió per ordinador i el reconeixement de patrons. És rellevant per un ampli ventall de propòsits des d’aplicacions de reconeixement d’objectes en les àrees de biometria, anàlisi de documents i anàlisi de formes fins aplicacions relacionades amb geometria des de múltiples punts de vista tals com recuperació de pose, estructura des del moviment i localització i mapeig. La majoria de les tècniques existents enfoquen aquest problema o bé usant característiques locals a la imatge o bé usant mètodes de registre de conjunts de punts (o bé una mescla d’ambdós). En les primeres, un conjunt dispers de característiques és primerament extret de les imatges i després caracteritzat en la forma de vectors descriptors usant evidències locals de la imatge. Les característiques son associades segons la similitud entre els seus descriptors. En les segones, els conjunts de característiques son considerats com conjunts de punts els quals son associats usant tècniques d’optimització no lineal. Aquests son procediments iteratius que estimen els paràmetres de correspondència i d’alineament en passos alternats. Els grafs son representacions que contemplen relacions binaries entre les característiques. Tenir en compte relacions binàries al problema de la correspondència sovint porta a l’anomenat problema de l’emparellament de grafs. Existeix certa quantitat de mètodes a la literatura destinats a trobar solucions aproximades a diferents instàncies del problema d’emparellament de grafs, el qual en la majoria de casos és del tipus “NP-hard”. Una part del nostre treball està dedicat a investigar els beneficis de les mesures de ``bins'' creuats per a la comparació de característiques locals de les imatges. La resta està dedicat a formular ambdós problemes d’associació de característiques d’imatge i registre de conjunt de punts com a instàncies del problema d’emparellament de grafs. En tots els casos proposem algoritmes aproximats per solucionar aquests problemes i ens comparem amb un nombre de mètodes existents pertanyents a diferents àrees com eliminadors d’“outliers”, mètodes de registre de conjunts de punts i altres mètodes d’emparellament de grafs. Els experiments mostren que en la majoria de casos els mètodes proposats superen a la resta. En ocasions els mètodes proposats o bé comparteixen el millor rendiment amb algun mètode competidor o bé obtenen resultats lleugerament pitjors. En aquests casos, els mètodes proposats normalment presenten temps computacionals inferiors

An Efficient Perceptual of Content Based Image Retrieval System Using SVM and Evolutionary Algorithms

The CBIR tends to index and retrieve images based on their visual content. CBIR avoids several issues related to traditional ways that of retrieving images by keywords. Thus, a growing interest within the area of CBIR has been established in recent years. The performance of a CBIR system mainly depends on the particular image representation and similarity matching operate utilized. The CBIR tends to index and retrieve images supported their visual content. CBIR avoids several issues related to traditional ways that of retrieving images by keywords. Thus, a growing interest within the area of CBIR has been established in recent years. The performance of a CBIR system principally depends on the actual image illustration and similarity matching operate utilized. therefore a replacement CBIR system is projected which can give accurate results as compared to previously developed systems. This introduces the new composite framework for image classification in a content-based image retrieval system. The projected composite framework uses an evolutionary algorithm to select training samples for support vector machine (SVM). to style such a system, the most popular techniques of content-based image retrieval are reviewed initial. Our review reveals some limitations of the existing techniques, preventing them to accurately address some issues