Analog-Digital Self-Learning Fuzzy Spiking Neural Network in Image Processing Problems

Computational intelligence provides a variety of means that can perform complex image processing in a rather effective way. Among them, self-learning systems, especially selflearning artificial neural networks (self-organizing maps, ART neural networks, ‘BrainState-in-a-Box’ neuromodels, etc.) (Haykin, 1999) and fuzzy clustering systems (fuzzy cmeans, algorithms of Gustafson-Kessel, Yager-Filev, Klawonn-Hoeppner, etc) (Bezdek et al., 2005; Sato-Ilic & Jain, 2006), occupy a significant place as they make it possible to solve a data processing problem in the absence of a priori knowledge of it. While there are many artificial neural networks that can be successfully used in image processing tasks, the most prominent of them are networks of a new, the third generation, commonly known as spiking neural networks (Maass & Bishop, 1998; Gerstner & Kistler, 2002). On the one hand, spiking neural networks are biologically more plausible than neural networks of the previous generations that is of fundamental importance for computational intelligence from theoretical point of view. On the other hand, networks of spiking neurons appeared to be computationally more powerful than conventional neural networks (Maass, 1997b). In addition, complex data processing via artificial neural networks of the second generation is time consuming due to multi-epoch learning; instead, spiking neural networks can perform the same processing tasks much faster as they require a few learning epochs only (Bohte et al., 2002; Berredo, 2005; Meftah et al., 2008; Lindblad & Kinser, 2005). All these facts are causing considerable interest in networks of spiking neurons as a powerful computational intelligence tool for image processing Although spiking neural networks are becoming a popular computational intelligence tool for various technical problems solving, their architecture and functioning are treated in terms of neurophysiology rather than in terms of any technical sciences apparatus in the most research works on engineering subjects. Yet none technically plausible description of spiking neurons functioning has been provided. In contrast to artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic systems are capable of performing accurate and efficient data processing under a priori and current uncertainty, particularly if classes to be separated overlap one another. Integrating artificial neural networks and fuzzy systems together allows of combining capabilities of both in a synergetic way (Jang et al., 1997), thus producing hybrid intelligent systems that achieve high performance and reliability in real life problems solving, particularly in image processing. Obviously,