Intelligent Combination Systems

In the last decade intelligent methodologies like artificial neural networks, fuzzy systems, genetic algorithms, and knowledge based systems (or expert systems) have been applied in a number of industrial applications. However, the approach of using these technologies by themselves alone has exposed some limitations which have discouraged their use in some industrial applications. For example, knowledge based systems are also sometimes known as “sudden death systems” because of their brittleness, and lack of graceful degradation. Artificial neural networks on the other hand, have problems generating explanations for their results (although, to some extent this problem has been addressed by the rule extraction techniques described in the last chapter). Genetic algorithms and fuzzy systems are known to be computationally expensive. Besides, as indicated in the last chapter, fuzzy systems have problems in determining the membership functions.