Color perception plays an important role in object recognition and scene understanding both for humans and intelligent vision systems. Recent advances in digital color imaging and computer hardware technology have led to an explosion in the use of color images in a variety of applications including medical imaging, content-based image retrieval, biometrics, watermarking, digital inpainting, remote sensing, visual quality inspection, among many others. As a result, automated processing and analysis of color images has become an active area of research, to which the large number of publications of the past two decades bears witness. The multivariate nature of color image data presents new challenges for researchers and practitioners as the numerous methods developed for single channel images are often not directly applicable to multichannel ones. The goal of this volume is to summarize the state-of-the-art in the early stages of the color image processing pipeline."

Session 1 includes 109 papers selected from 2011 3rd International Asia Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (CAR 2011), held on December 24-25, 2011, Shenzhen, China. This session will act as an international forum for researchers and practitioners interested in the advances in and applications of Intelligent Control Systems. It is an opportunity to present and observe the latest research, results, and ideas in these areas. Intelligent control is a rapidly developing, complex, and challenging field of increasing practical importance and still greater potential. Its applications have a solid core in robotics and mechatronics but branch out into areas as diverse as process control, automotive industry, medical equipment, renewable energy and air conditioning. So, this session will aim to strengthen relationships between industry, research laboratories and universities. All papers published in session 1 will be peer evaluated by at least two conference reviewers. Acceptance will be based primarily on originality and contribution.

This book addresses the fundamental theory and key technologies of narrowband and broadband mobile communication systems specifically for railways. It describes novel relaying schemes that meet the different design criteria for railways and discusses the applications of signal classification techniques as well as offline resource scheduling as a way of advancing rail practice. Further, it introduces Novel Long Term Evolution for Railway (LTE-R) network architecture, the Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of LTE-R and its performance evaluation and discusses in detail security technologies for rail-dedicated mobile communication systems. The advanced research findings presented in the book are all based on high-speed railway measurement data, which offer insights into the propagation mechanisms and corresponding modeling theory and approaches in unique railway scenarios.It is a valuable resource for researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of rail traffic systems, telecommunication and information systems.

This vital new resource offers engineers and researchers a window on important new technology that will supersede the barcode and is destined to change the face of logistics and product data handling. In the last two decades, radio-frequency identification has grown fast, with accelerated take-up of RFID into the mainstream through its adoption by key users such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart and the US Department of Defense. RFID has many potential applications due to its flexibility, capability to operate out of line of sight, and its high data-carrying capacity. Yet despite optimistic projections of a market worth $25 billion by 2018, potential users are concerned about costs and investment returns. Clearly demonstrating the need for a fully printable chipless RFID tag as well as a powerful and efficient reader to assimilate the tag's data, this book moves on to describe both. Introducing the general concepts in the field including technical data, it then describes how a chipless RFID tag can be made using a planar disc-loaded monopole antenna and an asymmetrical coupled spiral multi-resonator. The tag encodes data via the "spectral signature" technique and is now in its third-generation version with an ultra-wide band (UWB) reader operating at between 5 and 10.7GHz.

The need of video compression in the modern age of visual communication cannot be over-emphasized. This monograph will provide useful information to the postgraduate students and researchers who wish to work in the domain of VLSI design for video processing applications. In this book, one can find an in-depth discussion of several motion estimation algorithms and their VLSI implementation as conceived and developed by the authors. It records an account of research done involving fast three step search, successive elimination, one-bit transformation and its effective combination with diamond search and dynamic pixel truncation techniques. Two appendices provide a number of instances of proof of concept through Matlab and Verilog program segments. In this aspect, the book can be considered as first of its kind. The architectures have been developed with an eye to their applicability in everyday low-power handheld appliances including video camcorders and smartphones.

The book has focussed on the different aspects of sensing technology, i.e. high reliability, adaptability, recalibration, information processing, data fusion, validation and integration of novel and high performance sensors specifically aims to use to inspect mechanical health of structure and similar applications. This book is dedicated to Sensing systems for Structural Health Monitoring offers to variety of users, namely, Master and PhD degree students, researchers, practitioners, especially Civil and Construction engineers. The book will provide an opportunity of a dedicated and a deep approach in order to improve their knowledge in this specific field.

This monograph provides an introductory discussion of evanescent waves and plasmons, describes their properties and uses, and shows how they are fundamental when operating with nanoscale optics. Far field optics is not suitable for the design, description, and operation of devices at this nanometre scale. Instead one must work with models based on near-field optics and surface evanescent waves. The new discipline of plasmonics has grown to encompass the generation and application of plasmons both as a travelling excitation in a nanostructure and as a stationary enhancement of the electrical field near metal nanosurfaces. The book begins with a brief review of the basic concepts of electromagnetism, then introduces evanescent waves through reflection and refraction, and shows how they appear in diffraction problems, before discussing the role that they play in optical waveguides and sensors. The application of evanescent waves in super-resolution devices is briefly presented, before plasmons are introduced. The surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are then treated, highlighting their potential applications also in ultra-compact circuitry. The book concludes with a discussion of the quantization of evanescent waves and quantum information processing. The book is intended for students and researchers who wish to enter the field or to have some insight into the matter. It is not a textbook but simply an introduction to more complete and in-depth discussions. The field of plasmonics has exploded in the last ten years, and most of the material treated in this book is scattered in original or review papers. A short comprehensive treatment is missing; this book is intended to provide just that.

For those involved with the design and analysis of electro-optical systems, the book outlines current and future ground, air and spacebourne applications of electro-optical systems. It describes their performance requirements and practical methods of achieving design objectives.

Written by leading optical phase microscopy experts, this book is a comprehensive reference to phase microscopy and nanoscopy techniques for biomedical applications, including differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, phase contrast microscopy, digital holographic microscopy, optical coherence tomography, tomographic phase microscopy, spectral-domain phase detection, and nanoparticle usage for phase nanoscopy

The Editors show biomedical and optical engineers how to use phase microscopy for visualizing unstained specimens, and support the theoretical coverage with applied content and examples on designing systems and interpreting results in bio- and nanoscience applications.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the principles and techniques of optical phase microscopy and nanoscopy with biomedical applications.

Tips/advice on building systems and working with advanced imaging biomedical techniques, including interpretation of phase images, and techniques for quantitative analysis based on phase microscopy.

Interdisciplinary approach that combines optical engineering, nanotechnology, biology and medical aspects of this topic. Each chapterincludes practical implementations and worked examples. "

This book presents recent advances, new ideas and novel techniques related to the field of nonlinear dynamics, including localized pattern formation, self-organization and chaos. Various natural systems ranging from nonlinear optics to mechanics, fluids and magnetic are considered. The aim of this book is to gather specialists from these various fields of research to promote cross-fertilization and transfer of knowledge between these active research areas. In particular, nonlinear optics and laser physics constitute an important part in this issue due to the potential applications for all-optical control of light, optical storage, and information processing. Other possible applications include the generation of ultra-short pulses using all-fiber cavities.

This book lies at the interface of machine learning - a subfield of computer science that develops algorithms for challenging tasks such as shape or image recognition, where traditional algorithms fail - and photonics - the physical science of light, which underlies many of the optical communications technologies used in our information society. It provides a thorough introduction to reservoir computing and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Recently, photonic implementations of reservoir computing (a machine learning algorithm based on artificial neural networks) have made a breakthrough in optical computing possible. In this book, the author pushes the performance of these systems significantly beyond what was achieved before. By interfacing a photonic reservoir computer with a high-speed electronic device (an FPGA), the author successfully interacts with the reservoir computer in real time, allowing him to considerably expand its capabilities and range of possible applications. Furthermore, the author draws on his expertise in machine learning and FPGA programming to make progress on a very different problem, namely the real-time image analysis of optical coherence tomography for atherosclerotic arteries.

This book presents a comprehensive, systematic approach to the development of vision system architectures that employ sensory-processing concurrency and parallel processing to meet the autonomy challenges posed by a variety of safety and surveillance applications. Coverage includes a thorough analysis of resistive diffusion networks embedded within an image sensor array. This analysis supports a systematic approach to the design of spatial image filters and their implementation as vision chips in CMOS technology. The book also addresses system-level considerations pertaining to the embedding of these vision chips into vision-enabled wireless sensor networks.Describes a system-level approach for designing of vision devices and embedding them into vision-enabled, wireless sensor networks; Surveys state-of-the-art, vision-enabled WSN nodes; Includes details of specifications and challenges of vision-enabled WSNs; Explains architectures for low-energy CMOS vision chips with embedded, programmable spatial filtering capabilities; Includes considerations pertaining to the integration of vision chips into off-the-shelf WSN platforms."

This book is a collection of selected peer-reviewed papers presented at the International Conference on Signal Processing and Communication (ICSC 2018). It covers current research and developments in the fields of communications, signal processing, VLSI circuits and systems, and embedded systems. The book offers in-depth discussions and analyses of latest problems across different sub-fields of signal processing and communications. The contents of this book will prove to be useful for students, researchers, and professionals working in electronics and electrical engineering, as well as other allied fields.

This book explains digital signal processing topics in detail, with a particular focus on ease of understanding. Accordingly, it includes a wealth of examples to aid in comprehension, and stresses simplicity. The book is divided into four chapters, which respectively address the topics sampling of continuous time signals; multirate signal processing; the discrete Fourier transform; and filter design concepts. It provides original practical techniques to draw the spectrum of aliased signals, together with well-designed numerical examples to illustrate the operation of the fast transforms, filter algorithms, and circuit designs. Readers of this book should already have some basic understanding of signals and transforms. They will learn fundamental concepts for signals and systems, as the focus is more on digital signal processing concepts rather than continuous time signal processing topics.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical concepts and experimental applications of planar waveguides and other confined geometries, such as optical fibres. Covering a broad array of advanced topics, it begins with a sophisticated discussion of planar waveguide theory, and covers subjects including efficient production of planar waveguides, materials selection, nonlinear effects, and applications including species analytics down to single-molecule identification, and thermo-optical switching using planar waveguides. Written by specialists in the techniques and applications covered, this book will be a useful resource for advanced graduate students and researchers studying planar waveguides and optical fibers.

Optical biomimetics, the study of natural systems to inspire novel solutions to problems in optical technologies, has attracted growing interest. Optical biomimetics reviews key research in this area, focusing on the techniques and approaches used to characterise and mimic naturally occurring optical effects.
Beginning with an overview of natural photonic structures, Optical biomimetics goes on to discuss optical applications of biomolecules, such as retinylidene and bacteriorhodopsin, polarisation effects in natural photonic structures and their applications, and biomimetic nanostructures for anti-reflection (AR) devices. Control of iridescence in natural photonic structures is explored through the case of butterfly scales, alongside a consideration of nanostructure fabrication using natural synthesis. The investigation into silk optical materials is followed by a final discussion of the control of florescence in natural photonic structures.
With its distinguished editor and international team of expert contributors, Optical biomimetics is a valuable guide for scientists and engineers in both academia and industry who are already studying biomimetics, and a fascinating introduction for those who wish to move into this interesting new field.
Reviews key research in optical biomimetics, focusing on the techniques and approaches used to characterise and mimic naturally-occurring optical effectsDiscusses optical applications of biomolecules, such as retinylidene and bacteriorhodopsinExplores the control of iridescence in natural photonic structures through the case of butterfly scales

This book provides an introduction to design of biomedical optical imaging technologies and their applications. The main topics include: fluorescence imaging, confocal imaging, micro-endoscope, polarization imaging, hyperspectral imaging, OCT imaging, multimodal imaging and spectroscopic systems.

Each chapter is written by the world leaders of the respective fields, and will cover:

principles and limitations of optical imaging technology, system design and practical implementation for one or two specific applications, including design guidelines, system configuration, optical design, component requirements and selection, system optimization and design examples, recent advances and applications in biomedical researches and clinical imaging.

This book serves as a reference for students and researchers in optics and biomedical engineering.

Gas sensor products are very often the key to innovations in the fields of comfort, security, health, environment, and energy savings. This compendium focuses on what the research community labels as solid state gas sensors, where a gas directly changes the electrical properties of a solid, serving as the primary signal for the transducer. It starts with a visionary approach to how life in future buildings can benefit from the power of gas sensors. The requirements for various applications, such as for example the automotive industry, are then discussed in several chapters. Further contributions highlight current trends in new sensing principles, such as the use of nanomaterials and how to use new sensing principles for innovative applications in e.g. meteorology. So as to bring together the views of all the different groups needed to produce new gas sensing applications, renowned industrial and academic representatives report on their experiences and expectations in research, applications and industrialisation.

This book describes the development of a new low-cost medium wavelength IR (MWIR) monolithic imager technology for high-speed uncooled industrial applications. It takes the baton on the latest technological advances in the field of vapor phase deposition (VPD) PbSe-based MWIR detection accomplished by the industrial partner NIT S.L., adding fundamental knowledge on the investigation of novel VLSI analog and mixed-signal design techniques at circuit and system levels for the development of the readout integrated device attached to the detector. In order to fulfill the operational requirements of VPD PbSe, this work proposes null inter-pixel crosstalk vision sensor architectures based on a digital-only focal plane array (FPA) of configurable pixel sensors. Each digital pixel sensor (DPS) cell is equipped with fast communication modules, self-biasing, offset cancellation, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and fixed pattern noise (FPN) correction. In-pixel power consumption is minimized by the use of comprehensive MOSFET subthreshold operation.

This book examines paintings using a computational and quantitative approach. Specifically, it compares paintings to photographs, addressing the strengths and limitations of both. Particular aesthetic practices are examined such as the vista, foreground to background organisation and the depth planes. These are analysed using a range of computational approaches and clear observations are made. New generations of image-capture devices such as Google goggles and the light field camera, promise a future in which the formal attributes of a photograph are made available for editing to a degree that has hitherto been the exclusive territory of painting. In this sense paintings and photographs are converging, and it therefore seems an opportune time to study the comparisons between them. In this context, the book includes cutting-edge work examining how some of the aesthetic attributes of a painting can be transferred to a photograph using the latest computational approaches.

This is a guide to the physics and engineering of semiconductor lasers - from basic physics to modern design applications for optical communications and photonic switching. It offers descriptions of bistability, ultrashort optical pulse generation and the two-section laser diode. The text is aimed at engineers and system designers in the fields of communication, switching, measurement systems and information processing. It should also be useful for scientists and engineers studying laser diodes; and for graduate students in electronics and electrical engineering.

Recent advancements in the field of telecommunications, medical imaging and signal processing deal with signals that are inherently time varying, nonlinear and complex-valued. The time varying, nonlinear characteristics of these signals can be effectively analyzed using artificial neural networks. Furthermore, to efficiently preserve the physical characteristics of these complex-valued signals, it is important to develop complex-valued neural networks and derive their learning algorithms to represent these signals at every step of the learning process. This monograph comprises a collection of new supervised learning algorithms along with novel architectures for complex-valued neural networks. The concepts of meta-cognition equipped with a self-regulated learning have been known to be the best human learning strategy. In this monograph, the principles of meta-cognition have been introduced for complex-valued neural networks in both the batch and sequential learning modes. For applications where the computation time of the training process is critical, a fast learning complex-valued neural network called as a fully complex-valued relaxation network along with its learning algorithm has been presented. The presence of orthogonal decision boundaries helps complex-valued neural networks to outperform real-valued networks in performing classification tasks. This aspect has been highlighted. The performances of various complex-valued neural networks are evaluated on a set of benchmark and real-world function approximation and real-valued classification problems.

This thesis demonstrates techniques that provide faster and more accurate solutions to a variety of problems in machine learning and signal processing. The author proposes a "greedy" algorithm, deriving sparse solutions with guarantees of optimality. The use of this algorithm removes many of the inaccuracies that occurred with the use of previous models.