This volume gives a state of the art view of recent developments in the use of artificial neural networks for the analysis of remotely sensed satellite data. Remote sensing has now become a discipline in which ever increasing volumes of data, gathered from space together with growing application needs for high precision spatial products, need to be interpreted in shorter times and with increasing accuracy. Neural networks, as a new form of computational paradigm, seem well suited to many of the tasks involved in remotely sensed image analysis. This book demonstrates a wide range of uses of neural networks for remote sensing applications and provides the views of a large number European experts brought together in the framework of a concerted action supported by the European Commission.

The focus of the Asian Applied Computing Conference (AACC) is primarily to bring the research in computer science closer to practical applications. The conference is aimed primarily at topics that have immediate practical bene?ts. By hosting the conf- ence in the developingnations in Asia we aim to provide a forum for engagingboth the academic and the commercial sectors in that region. The ?rst conference "Information Technology Prospects and Challenges" was held in May 2003 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Thisyear theconferencenamewas changedto "Asian AppliedComputingConference" to re?ect both the regional- and the application-oriented nature of the conference. AACC is planned to be a themed conference with a primary focus on a small set of topics although other relevant applied topics will be considered. The theme in AACC 2004 was on the following topics: systems and architectures, mobile and ubiquitous computing, soft computing, man machine interfaces, and innovative applications for the developing world. AACC 2004 attracted 184 paper submissions from around the world, making the reviewing and the selection process tough and time consuming. The selected papers covered a wide range of topics: genetic algorithms and soft computing; scheduling, - timization andconstraintsolving; neuralnetworksandsupportvectormachines;natural language processing and information retrieval; speech and signal processing; networks and mobile computing; parallel, grid and high-performance computing; innovative - plications for the developing world; cryptography and security; and machine lea- ing. Papers were primarily judged on originality, presentation, relevance and quality of work. Papers that had clearly demonstrated results were given preference.

It is generally understood that the present approachs to computing do not have the performance, flexibility, and reliability of biological information processing systems. Although there is a comprehensive body of knowledge regarding how information processing occurs in the brain and central nervous system this has had little impact on mainstream computing so far. This book presents a broad spectrum of current research into biologically inspired computational systems and thus contributes towards developing new computational approaches based on neuroscience. The 39 revised full papers by leading researchers were carefully selected and reviewed for inclusion in this anthology. Besides an introductory overview by the volume editors, the book offers topical parts on modular organization and robustness, timing and synchronization, and learning and memory storage.