Convolution neural networks optimization and its application for facial expression recognition

• Grant number: 14/12593-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Computer Science - Computing Methodologies and Techniques
• Principal researcher: Aparecido Nilceu Marana
• Grantee: Bárbara Caroline Benato
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/11298-9 - On the optimization of convolutional neural networks using bat algorithm, BE.EP.IC 14/25214-6 - On the optimization of convolutional neural networks and its application for Face-based emotion recognition, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have been extensively employed in the last years as an alternative to the traditional methods of feature extraction. Their methodology is based on the hierarchical processing of human brain, and they have obtained good results for image classification tasks, since they are invariant to changes in scale and rotation. However, a big issue of such approaches concern with their parameter configuration, which can reach dozens and, depending on the neural network size, hundreds of parameters. Such parameter configuration is essential to the good performance of a CNN, being a manual choice of them a problem with high combinatorial complexity. This project aims at modeling the problem of CNN parameter optimization as being an evolutionary optimization task, since just a few works have been conducted in this context. The present work has as main goal to study and also to apply a recent proposed evolutionary algorithm called Migrating Birds Optimization (MBO) for CNN parameter optimization. Additionally, the proposed approach will be evaluated in the context of human facial expression recognition.