Imre J. Rudas – författare

Engineering practice often has to deal with complex systems of multiple variable and multiple parameter models almost always with strong non-linear coupling. The conventional analytical techniques-based approaches for describing and predicting the behaviour of such systems in many cases are doomed to failure from the outset, even in the phase of the construction of a more or less appropriate mathematical model. These approaches normally are too categorical in the sense that in the name of “modelling accuracy” they try to describe all the structural details of the real physical system to be modelled. This can significantly increase the intricacy of the model and may result in a enormous computational burden without achieving considerable improvement of the solution. The best paradigm exemplifying this situation may be the classic perturbation theory: the less significant the achievable correction, the more work has to be invested to obtain it.

A further important component of machine intelligence is a kind of “structural uniformity” giving room and possibility to model arbitrary particular details a priori not specified and unknown. This idea is similar to the ready-to-wear industry, which introduced products, which can be slightly modified later on in contrast to tailor-made creations aiming at maximum accuracy from the beginning. These subsequent corrections can be carried out by machines automatically. This “learning ability” is a key element of machine intelligence.

The past decade confirmed that the view of typical components of the present soft computing as fuzzy logic, neural computing, evolutionary computation and probabilistic reasoning are of complementary nature and that the best results can be applied by their combined application.

Today, the two complementary branches of Machine Intelligence, that is, Artificial Intelligence and Computational Intelligence serve as the basis of Intelligent Engineering Systems. Thehuge number of scientific results published in Journal and conference proceedings worldwide substantiates this statement. The present book contains several articles taking different viewpoints in the field of intelligent systems.

This book provides readers with modern computational techniques for solving variety of problems from electrical, mechanical, civil and chemical engineering. Mathematical methods are presented in a unified manner, so they can be applied consistently to problems in applied electromagnetics, strength of materials, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, environmental engineering, biomedical engineering, signal processing, automatic control and more.

Intelligent engineering systems try to replicate fundamental abilities of humans and nature in order to achieve sufficient progress in solving complex problems. In an ideal case multi-disciplinary applications of different modern engineering fields can result in synergistic effects. Information technology and computer modeling are the underlying tools that play a major role at any stages of developing intelligent systems. Chapters in the present volume have been written by eminent scientists from different parts of the world, dealing with challenging problems for efficient modeling of intelligent systems. The reader can find different characteristics and methodologies of computational intelligence with real life applications. Various facets of intelligent engineering and information technology are addressed. Starting with theoretical issues from pseudo-analysis to parametric classes of digital fuzzy conjunctions for hardware implementation of fuzzy systems, diverse aspects of control including quantum as well as fuzzy control and hybrid approaches, intelligent robotics dealing with mobile and autonomous robots and new trends, approaches and results on information technology, machines, materials and manufacturing, and issues of intelligent systems and complex processes are covered.

This book presents the methodology and techniques of thermographic applications with focus primarily on medical thermography implemented for parametrizing the diagnostics of the human body. The first part of the book describes the basics of infrared thermography, the possibilities of thermographic diagnostics and the physical nature of thermography. The second half includes tools of intelligent engineering applied for the solving of selected applications and projects. Thermographic diagnostics was applied to problematics of paraplegia and tetraplegia and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The results of the research activities were created with the cooperation of the four projects within the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic entitled Digital control of complex systems with two degrees of freedom, Progressive methods of education in the area of control and modeling of complex object oriented systems on aircraft turbocompressor engines, Center for research of control of technical, environmental and human risks for permanent development of production and products in mechanical engineering and Research of new diagnostic methods in invasive implantology.