NIPS'96 Workshop - Blind Signal Processing

[Andrew Back]

                    CALL FOR PAPERS

              NIPS'96 Postconference Workshop 

      BLIND SIGNAL PROCESSING AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
        (Neural Information Processing Approaches)

              Snowmass (Aspen), Colorado USA
                   Sat Dec 7th, 1996


    A. Cichocki and A. Back

    Brain Information Processing Group
    Frontier Research Program RIKEN,
    Institute of Physical and Chemical Research,
    Hirosawa 2-1, Saitama 351-01,
    WAKO-Shi,
    JAPAN
    Email: cia at zoo.riken.go.jp, back at zoo.riken.go.jp
    Fax:   (+81) 48 462 4633.
    URL: http://zoo.riken.go.jp/bip.html


Blind Signal Processing is an emerging area of research in neural 
networks and image/signal processing with many potential applications. 
It originated in France in the late 80's and since then there has 
continued to be a strong and growing interest in the field.

Blind signal processing problems can be classified into three areas: 
(1) blind signal separation of sources and/or independent component analysis 
(ICA), (2) blind channel identification and (3) blind deconvolution and 
blind equalization.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of this workshop are to:

  Give presentations by experts in the field on the state of the art in 
  this exciting area of research.

  Compare the performance of recently developed adaptive un-supervised 
  learning algorithms for neural networks.

  Discuss issues surrounding prospective applications and the 
  suitability of current neural network models. Hence we seek to provide 
  a forum for better understanding current limitations of neural network 
  models.

  Examine issues surrounding local, online adaptive learning algorithms
  and their robustness and biologically plausibility or justification.

  Discuss issues concerning effective computer simulation programs.

  Discuss open problems and perspectives for future research in this
  area.

Especially, we intend to discuss the following items:

1. Criteria for blind separation and blind deconvolution problems
   (both for time and frequency domain approaches)

2. Natural (or relative) gradient approach to blind signal processing.

3. Neural networks for blind separation of time delayed and convolved 
   signals.

4. On line adaptive learning algorithms for blind signal processing 
   with variable learning rate (learning of learning rate).

5.Open problems, e.g.  dynamic on-line determination of number of sources 
  (more sources than sensors), influence of noise, robustness of algorithms,
   stability, convergence, identifiability,  non-causal, non-stationary
   dynamic systems .

6. Applications in different areas of science and engineering,
   e.g., non-invasive  medical diagnosis (EEG, ECG), 
   telecommunication, voice recognition problems, image processing and
   enhancement.

WORKSHOP FORMAT

The workshop will be 1-day in length, combining some invited expert 
speakers and a significant group discussion time. We will open up 
the workshop in a moderated way. The intent here is to permit a 
free-flowing, but productive discourse on the topics relevant to this 
area. Participants will be encouraged to consider the implications of 
the current findings in their own work, and to raise questions 
accordingly. We invite and encourage potential participants to 
"come prepared" for open discussions.


SUBMISSION OF WORKSHOP EXTENDED ABSTRACTS

If you would like to contribute, please send an abstract or extended summary
as soon as possible to: 

    Andrew Back
    Laboratory for Artificial Brain Systems,
    Frontier Research Program RIKEN,
    Institute of Physical and Chemical Research,
    Hirosawa 2-1, Saitama 351-01,
    WAKO-Shi,
    JAPAN
 
    Email:  back at zoo.riken.go.jp
    Phone: (+81) 48 467 9629
    Fax:   (+81) 48 462 4633.

Manuscripts may be sent in by email (in postscript format), air mail or by fax.

Important Dates:

Submission of abstract deadline:         16 September, 1996 
Notification of acceptance:              1 October,  1996 
Final paper to be sent by:               30 October, 1996

A set of workshop notes will be produced. For accepted papers to be 
included in the notes, papers accepted for presentation will need to 
be supplied to us by the due date of 30 Oct, 1996.
For the format of papers, the usual NIPS style file should be used
with up to 16 pages allowed.

Please contact the workshop organizers for further information, or consult 
the NIPS WWW home page:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/Web/Groups/NIPS/