Do Smart Adaptive Systems Exist? Hybrid Intelligent Systems Perspective

Abstract

Rapid development in computer and sensor technology not only used for highly specialised applications but widespread and pervasive across a wide range of business and industry has facilitated easy capture and storage of immense amounts of data. Examples of such data collection include medical history data in health care, financial data in banking, point of sale data in retail, plant monitoring data based on instant availability of various sensor readings in various industries, or airborne hyperspectral imaging data in natural resources identification to mention only a few. However, with an increasing computer power available at affordable prices and the availability of vast amount of data there is an increasing need for robust methods and systems, which can take advantage of all available information. In essence there is a need for intelligent and smart adaptive methods but do they really exist? Are there any existing intelligent techniques which are more suitable for certain type of problems than others? How do we select those methods and can we be sure that the method of choice is the best for solving our problem? Do we need a combination of methods and if so then how to best combine them for different purposes? Are there any generic frameworks and requirements which would be highly desirable for solving data intensive and unstationary problems? All these questions and many others have been the focus of research vigorously pursued in many disciplines and some of them will be discussed in the talk and have been addressed in greater detail in our recently compiled book with the same title: ”Do Smart Adaptive Systems Exist?”. One of the more promising approaches to constructing smart adaptive systems is based on intelligent technologies including artificial neural networks, fuzzy systems, methods from machine learning, parts of learning theory and evolutionary computing which have been especially successful in applications where input-output data can be collected but the underlying physical model is unknown. The incorporation of intelligent technologies has been used in the conception and design of complex systems in which analytical and expert systems techniques are used in combination. Viewed from a much broader perspective, the above mentioned intelligent technologies are constituents of a very active research area known under the names of soft computing, computational intelligence or hybrid intelligent systems. However, hybrid soft computing frameworks are relatively young, even comparing to the individual constituent technologies, and a lot of research is required to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless hybridization and combination of intelligent technologies within a flexible open framework seem to be the most promising direction in achieving the truly smart and adaptive systems today. Despite all the challenges it is unquestionable that smart adaptive intelligent systems and intelligent technology have started to have a huge impact on our everyday life and many applications can already be found in various commercially available products as illustrated in the recent report compiled by one of the world’s leading think tank advanced technology organisations and very suggestively titled: ”Get smart: How intelligent technology will enhance our world”.