F. Sorbello | Università degli Studi di Palermo (original) (raw)

Papers by F. Sorbello

Research paper thumbnail of A monitoring framework exploiting the synergy between actual and virtual wireless sensors

This paper describes a framework that allows realistic monitoring of a wireless sensor network in... more This paper describes a framework that allows realistic monitoring of a wireless sensor network in order to assess its behavior before actually deploying all the nodes. Designing a wireless sensor network for a specific application typically involves a preliminary phase of simulations that rely on specialized software, whose behavior does not necessarily reproduce what will be experienced by an actual

Research paper thumbnail of Bright pupil detection in an embedded, real-time drowsiness monitoring system

Proceedings - International Conference on Advanced Information Networking and Applications, AINA, 2010

... The acquisition system, used for monitoring the driver's face, is based on the J... more ... The acquisition system, used for monitoring the driver's face, is based on the JSP DF-402 ... The prototyped drowsiness monitoring system performs real-time processing of a video stream coming from the ... Table II summarizes the used FPGA resources for the prototyped system. ...

Research paper thumbnail of A real-time non-intrusive FPGA-based drowsiness detection system

Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 2011

Automotive has gained several benefits from the Ambient Intelligent researches involving the depl... more Automotive has gained several benefits from the Ambient Intelligent researches involving the deployment of sensors and hardware devices into an intelligent environment surrounding people, meeting users' requirements and anticipating their needs. One of the main topics in automotive is to anticipate driver needs and safety, in terms of preventing critical and dangerous events. Considering the high number of caused accidents, one of the most relevant dangerous events affecting driver and passengers safety is driver's drowsiness and hypovigilance. This paper presents a low-intrusive, real-time driver's drowsiness detection system for common vehicles. The proposed system exploits the ''bright pupil'' phenomenon generated by a 850 nm IR source light embedded on the car dashboard. This visual effect, due to the retina's property of reflecting the 90% of the incident light, makes easier the detection of driver's eyes. At the same time, the ''bright pupil'' effect is used to quantify the driver's drowsiness level as the percentage of time in which the driver's eyes are closed more than 80%. The efficiency of the image processing chain, together with an embedded hardware device exploiting the availability of mature reconfigurable hardware technology, such as Field Programmable Gate Array, allow to implement a real-time detection system able to process an entire 720 9 576 frame in 16.7 ms. The effectiveness of the proposed system has been successfully tested with a human subject operating in real conditions.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-modal biometric authentication systems

Research paper thumbnail of A fast fusion technique for fingerprint and iris spatial descriptors in multimodal biometric systems

Research paper thumbnail of An Embedded Real-Time Automatic Lane-Keeping System

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2007

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are safety systems capable of identifying an unavoidabl... more Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are safety systems capable of identifying an unavoidable dangerous scenario and reacting coherently. An automatic lane-keeping system is designed to prevent dangerous events when the driver left inadvertently his/her own lane. In this paper a real-time automatic lane-keeping system is proposed. The main features of the system are the lane markers location process as well as the generation of the vehicle’s steering angle. The system has been prototyped using the Celoxica RC203 board, equipped with a Xilinx Virtex II FPGA, for real-time processing of real motorway scenes coming from a CCD camera on a moving vehicle. The required processing time is 25,521 ms per frame, so that the system could process 39 frames/sec. Vehicle’s steering angle is computed with good approximation.

Research paper thumbnail of Design and Implementation of an Efficient Fingerprint Features Extractor

2014 17th Euromicro Conference on Digital System Design, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Fingerprint Image Enhancement Using Directional Morphological Filter

EUROCON 2005 - The International Conference on "Computer as a Tool", 2005

Fingerprint images quality enhancement is a topic phase to ensure good performance in an Automati... more Fingerprint images quality enhancement is a topic phase to ensure good performance in an Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) based on minutiae matching. In this paper a new fingerprint enhancement algorithm based on morphological filter is introduced. The algorithm is based on tree steps: directional decomposition, morphological filter and composition. The performance of the proposed approach has been evaluated on two set of images: the first one is DB3 database from Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC) and the second one is self collected using an optical scanner.

Research paper thumbnail of CliffoSor: A Parallel Embedded Architecture for Geometric Algebra and Computer Graphics

Seventh International Workshop on Computer Architecture for Machine Perception (CAMP'05), 2005

Geometric object representation and their transformations are the two key aspects in computer gra... more Geometric object representation and their transformations are the two key aspects in computer graphics applications. Traditionally, compute-intensive matrix calculations are involved to model and render 3D scenery. Geometric algebra (a.k.a. Clifford algebra) is gaining growing attention for its natural way to model geometric facts coupled with its being a powerful analytical tool for symbolic calculations. In this paper, the architecture of CliffoSor (Clifford Processor) is introduced. ClifforSor is an embedded parallel coprocessing core that offers direct hardware support to Clifford algebra operators. A prototype implementation on an FPGA board is detailed. Initial test results show more than 4× speedup for Clifford products against the analogous operations in GAIGEN, a standard geometric algebra library generator for general purpose processors.

Research paper thumbnail of Image processing chain for digital still cameras based on the SIMPil architecture

The new generation of wireless devices herald the development of products for integrated portable... more The new generation of wireless devices herald the development of products for integrated portable image and video communication requiring to image and video applications high computing performance. Portable MultiMedia Supercomputers (PMMS), a new class of architectures, allow to combine high computational performance, needed by multimedia applications, and a big energy efficiency, needed by portable devices. Among PMMS, the SIMPil (SIMD

Research paper thumbnail of A MAS security framework implementing reputation based policies and owners access control

Multi-agent systems expose users to risks related to lack of knowledge above interacting users. S... more Multi-agent systems expose users to risks related to lack of knowledge above interacting users. Such systems should provide tools to protect their own resources from illegal accesses by unauthorized users. This paper describes a security framework for multi-agent systems preventing a trusted agent to interact with malicious agents and granting agent and platform resources. This feature is obtained adding an

Research paper thumbnail of A sliced coprocessor for native clifford algebra operations

Computer graphics applications require efficient tools to model geometric objects. The traditiona... more Computer graphics applications require efficient tools to model geometric objects. The traditional approach based on compute-intensive matrix calculations is error-prone due to a lack of integration between geometric reasoning and matrix-based algorithms. Clifford algebra offers a solution to these issues since it permits specification of geometry at a coordinate-free level. The best way to exploit the symbolic computing power of

Research paper thumbnail of Morphological enhancement and triangular matching for fingerprint recognition

Among the principal problems for realizing a robust Automated Fingerprint Identification System (... more Among the principal problems for realizing a robust Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) there are the images quality and matching algorithms. In this paper a fingerprint enhancement algorithm based on morphological filter and a triangular matching are introduced. The enhancement phase is based on tree steps: directional decomposition, morphological filter and composition. For the matching phase a global transformation to overcame the effects of rotation, displacement and deformation between acquired and stored fingerprint is performed using the number of similar triangular, having fingerprint minutiae as vertexes. The performance of the proposed approach has been evaluated on two set of images: the first one is DB3 database from Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC) and the second one is self collected using an optical scanner.

Research paper thumbnail of An FPGA implementation of a quadruple-based multiplier for 4D Clifford algebra

Geometric or Clifford algebra is an interesting paradigm for geometric modeling in fields as comp... more Geometric or Clifford algebra is an interesting paradigm for geometric modeling in fields as computer graphics, machine vision and robotics. In these areas the research effort is actually aimed at finding an efficient implementation of geometric algebra. The best way to exploit the symbolic computing power of geometric algebra is to support its data types and operators directly in hardware.

Research paper thumbnail of An embedded module for iris micro-characteristics extraction

In this paper a new approach, based on iris microcharacteristics, has been used to make possible ... more In this paper a new approach, based on iris microcharacteristics, has been used to make possible an embedded biometric extractor. This recognition approach is based on ophthalmologic studies that have proven the existence of different micro-characteristics as well as fingerprint minutiae. These micro-characteristics are permanent and immutable and they can be used to create strong and robust identification systems. Biometric recognition systems are critical components of our everyday lives. Since such electronic products evolve to software intensive systems, where software, becoming larger, more complex and prevalent, introduces many problems in the development phases. The development of embedded devices is one of the possible solutions to make possible reactive systems in the complex field of software intensive systems. The embedded micro-characteristics extractor proposed in this paper represents the first step to make available an embedded iris-based recognizer. The system has been prototyped on the Celoxica RC203E board, using hardware with programmable FPGA technologies and is able to perform iris processing and micro-characteristics extraction. The goodness of the proposed approach has been tested using an iris image from the CASIA database. The considered iris micro-characteristics are nucleus and collarette and the execution time to extract them is about of 1.1 seconds.

Research paper thumbnail of An embedded fingerprints classification system based on weightless neural networks

Automatic fingerprint classification provides an important indexing scheme to facilitate efficien... more Automatic fingerprint classification provides an important indexing scheme to facilitate efficient matching in large-scale fingerprint databases in Automatic Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFISs). The paper presents a new fast fingerprint classification module implementing on embedded Weightless Neural Network (RAM-based neural network). The proposed WNN architecture uses directional maps to classify fingerprint images in the five NIST classes (Left Loop, Right Loop, Whorl, Arch and Tented Arch) without anyone enhancement phase. Starting from the directional map, the WNN architecture computes the fingerprint classification rate. The proposed architecture is implemented on Celoxica RC2000 board employing a Xilinx Virtex-II 2v6000 FPGA and it is computationally few expensive regards execution time and used hardware resources. To validate the goodness of proposed classificator, three different tests have been executed on two databases: a proprietary and FVC database. The best classification rate obtained is of 85.33% with an execution time of 1.15ms.

Research paper thumbnail of A user-friendly interface for fingerprint recognition systems based on natural language processing

Biometric recognition systems represent a valid solution to the safety problem of Internet access... more Biometric recognition systems represent a valid solution to the safety problem of Internet accessibility, even if they do not always provide an environment easily comprehensible by users and operators with a mid-level of competence. This gap can be partially filled if, instead of using the conventional access routines to the authentication system, the user could simply write to the system through the interface and using high level sentences and requests be able to use its own natural language to reach the intended goal. On the other hand, biometrics features are widely used for recognition and identification all over the world, generating large databases.In this paper a user-friendly interface for the use and management of biometric recognition systems is proposed. The interface allows for a simpler and more natural access to the functionalities offered by biometric systems, increasing system usability. The interface allows for an intuitive parameterization of functions and procedures of system algorithms, for the optimized management of great databases by unspecialized operators. In addition, the interface addresses the fail-to-enrol issue, because the quality of the acquired fingerprint is computed at the acquisition time.

Research paper thumbnail of BioAnalysis: A framework for structural and functional robustness analysis of metabolic networks

ABSTRACT The main objective of this work is to analyze metabolic networks evolution in terms of t... more ABSTRACT The main objective of this work is to analyze metabolic networks evolution in terms of their robustness and fault tolerance capabilities. In metabolic networks, errors can be seen as random removal of network nodes, while attacks are high-connectivity-degree node deletion aimed at compromising network activity. This paper proposes a software framework, namely BioAnalysis, used to test the robustness and the fault tolerance capabilities of real metabolic networks, when mutations and node deletions affect the network structure. The performed simulations are related to the central metabolic network of the well-known E. coli single-celled bacterium and involve either hub nodes or non-hub nodes, whose influence on the network robustness and activity is different. The performed trials have shown that the node connectivity degree as well as the node functional role in the network are key issues to evaluate the impact of node deletion on network robustness and activity. With more details, functional analysis has demonstrated that low-connectivity-degree nodes may drastically influence the normal behaviour of the network, while high-connectivity-degree nodes may produce soft failure in network operations. The results coming from described simulations have been confirmed by similar in vivo laboratory tests on real cluster of E. Coli bacteria.

Research paper thumbnail of An embedded processor for metabolic networks optimization

In recent years biological processes modelling and simulation have become two key issues in analy... more In recent years biological processes modelling and simulation have become two key issues in analyzing complex cellular systems. The computational requirements suggest to investigate alternative solutions to the common supercomputers and clusters in order to optimize and overcome computational bottleneck. The goal of this work is the design and the realization of an embedded processor for metabolic networks optimization in order to examine their behaviour and robustness under malfunctions of one or more nodes. The embedded processor has been prototyped on the Celoxica RC203E board, equipped with programmable FPGA technologies. A case studied outlining the E. Coli bacteria metabolic network is also presented.

Research paper thumbnail of Proceedings of the 2nd Congress of the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence on Trends in Artificial Intelligence

Research paper thumbnail of A monitoring framework exploiting the synergy between actual and virtual wireless sensors

This paper describes a framework that allows realistic monitoring of a wireless sensor network in... more This paper describes a framework that allows realistic monitoring of a wireless sensor network in order to assess its behavior before actually deploying all the nodes. Designing a wireless sensor network for a specific application typically involves a preliminary phase of simulations that rely on specialized software, whose behavior does not necessarily reproduce what will be experienced by an actual

Research paper thumbnail of Bright pupil detection in an embedded, real-time drowsiness monitoring system

Proceedings - International Conference on Advanced Information Networking and Applications, AINA, 2010

... The acquisition system, used for monitoring the driver's face, is based on the J... more ... The acquisition system, used for monitoring the driver's face, is based on the JSP DF-402 ... The prototyped drowsiness monitoring system performs real-time processing of a video stream coming from the ... Table II summarizes the used FPGA resources for the prototyped system. ...

Research paper thumbnail of A real-time non-intrusive FPGA-based drowsiness detection system

Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 2011

Automotive has gained several benefits from the Ambient Intelligent researches involving the depl... more Automotive has gained several benefits from the Ambient Intelligent researches involving the deployment of sensors and hardware devices into an intelligent environment surrounding people, meeting users' requirements and anticipating their needs. One of the main topics in automotive is to anticipate driver needs and safety, in terms of preventing critical and dangerous events. Considering the high number of caused accidents, one of the most relevant dangerous events affecting driver and passengers safety is driver's drowsiness and hypovigilance. This paper presents a low-intrusive, real-time driver's drowsiness detection system for common vehicles. The proposed system exploits the ''bright pupil'' phenomenon generated by a 850 nm IR source light embedded on the car dashboard. This visual effect, due to the retina's property of reflecting the 90% of the incident light, makes easier the detection of driver's eyes. At the same time, the ''bright pupil'' effect is used to quantify the driver's drowsiness level as the percentage of time in which the driver's eyes are closed more than 80%. The efficiency of the image processing chain, together with an embedded hardware device exploiting the availability of mature reconfigurable hardware technology, such as Field Programmable Gate Array, allow to implement a real-time detection system able to process an entire 720 9 576 frame in 16.7 ms. The effectiveness of the proposed system has been successfully tested with a human subject operating in real conditions.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-modal biometric authentication systems

Research paper thumbnail of A fast fusion technique for fingerprint and iris spatial descriptors in multimodal biometric systems

Research paper thumbnail of An Embedded Real-Time Automatic Lane-Keeping System

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2007

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are safety systems capable of identifying an unavoidabl... more Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are safety systems capable of identifying an unavoidable dangerous scenario and reacting coherently. An automatic lane-keeping system is designed to prevent dangerous events when the driver left inadvertently his/her own lane. In this paper a real-time automatic lane-keeping system is proposed. The main features of the system are the lane markers location process as well as the generation of the vehicle’s steering angle. The system has been prototyped using the Celoxica RC203 board, equipped with a Xilinx Virtex II FPGA, for real-time processing of real motorway scenes coming from a CCD camera on a moving vehicle. The required processing time is 25,521 ms per frame, so that the system could process 39 frames/sec. Vehicle’s steering angle is computed with good approximation.

Research paper thumbnail of Design and Implementation of an Efficient Fingerprint Features Extractor

2014 17th Euromicro Conference on Digital System Design, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Fingerprint Image Enhancement Using Directional Morphological Filter

EUROCON 2005 - The International Conference on "Computer as a Tool", 2005

Fingerprint images quality enhancement is a topic phase to ensure good performance in an Automati... more Fingerprint images quality enhancement is a topic phase to ensure good performance in an Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) based on minutiae matching. In this paper a new fingerprint enhancement algorithm based on morphological filter is introduced. The algorithm is based on tree steps: directional decomposition, morphological filter and composition. The performance of the proposed approach has been evaluated on two set of images: the first one is DB3 database from Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC) and the second one is self collected using an optical scanner.

Research paper thumbnail of CliffoSor: A Parallel Embedded Architecture for Geometric Algebra and Computer Graphics

Seventh International Workshop on Computer Architecture for Machine Perception (CAMP'05), 2005

Geometric object representation and their transformations are the two key aspects in computer gra... more Geometric object representation and their transformations are the two key aspects in computer graphics applications. Traditionally, compute-intensive matrix calculations are involved to model and render 3D scenery. Geometric algebra (a.k.a. Clifford algebra) is gaining growing attention for its natural way to model geometric facts coupled with its being a powerful analytical tool for symbolic calculations. In this paper, the architecture of CliffoSor (Clifford Processor) is introduced. ClifforSor is an embedded parallel coprocessing core that offers direct hardware support to Clifford algebra operators. A prototype implementation on an FPGA board is detailed. Initial test results show more than 4× speedup for Clifford products against the analogous operations in GAIGEN, a standard geometric algebra library generator for general purpose processors.

Research paper thumbnail of Image processing chain for digital still cameras based on the SIMPil architecture

The new generation of wireless devices herald the development of products for integrated portable... more The new generation of wireless devices herald the development of products for integrated portable image and video communication requiring to image and video applications high computing performance. Portable MultiMedia Supercomputers (PMMS), a new class of architectures, allow to combine high computational performance, needed by multimedia applications, and a big energy efficiency, needed by portable devices. Among PMMS, the SIMPil (SIMD

Research paper thumbnail of A MAS security framework implementing reputation based policies and owners access control

Multi-agent systems expose users to risks related to lack of knowledge above interacting users. S... more Multi-agent systems expose users to risks related to lack of knowledge above interacting users. Such systems should provide tools to protect their own resources from illegal accesses by unauthorized users. This paper describes a security framework for multi-agent systems preventing a trusted agent to interact with malicious agents and granting agent and platform resources. This feature is obtained adding an

Research paper thumbnail of A sliced coprocessor for native clifford algebra operations

Computer graphics applications require efficient tools to model geometric objects. The traditiona... more Computer graphics applications require efficient tools to model geometric objects. The traditional approach based on compute-intensive matrix calculations is error-prone due to a lack of integration between geometric reasoning and matrix-based algorithms. Clifford algebra offers a solution to these issues since it permits specification of geometry at a coordinate-free level. The best way to exploit the symbolic computing power of

Research paper thumbnail of Morphological enhancement and triangular matching for fingerprint recognition

Among the principal problems for realizing a robust Automated Fingerprint Identification System (... more Among the principal problems for realizing a robust Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) there are the images quality and matching algorithms. In this paper a fingerprint enhancement algorithm based on morphological filter and a triangular matching are introduced. The enhancement phase is based on tree steps: directional decomposition, morphological filter and composition. For the matching phase a global transformation to overcame the effects of rotation, displacement and deformation between acquired and stored fingerprint is performed using the number of similar triangular, having fingerprint minutiae as vertexes. The performance of the proposed approach has been evaluated on two set of images: the first one is DB3 database from Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC) and the second one is self collected using an optical scanner.

Research paper thumbnail of An FPGA implementation of a quadruple-based multiplier for 4D Clifford algebra

Geometric or Clifford algebra is an interesting paradigm for geometric modeling in fields as comp... more Geometric or Clifford algebra is an interesting paradigm for geometric modeling in fields as computer graphics, machine vision and robotics. In these areas the research effort is actually aimed at finding an efficient implementation of geometric algebra. The best way to exploit the symbolic computing power of geometric algebra is to support its data types and operators directly in hardware.

Research paper thumbnail of An embedded module for iris micro-characteristics extraction

In this paper a new approach, based on iris microcharacteristics, has been used to make possible ... more In this paper a new approach, based on iris microcharacteristics, has been used to make possible an embedded biometric extractor. This recognition approach is based on ophthalmologic studies that have proven the existence of different micro-characteristics as well as fingerprint minutiae. These micro-characteristics are permanent and immutable and they can be used to create strong and robust identification systems. Biometric recognition systems are critical components of our everyday lives. Since such electronic products evolve to software intensive systems, where software, becoming larger, more complex and prevalent, introduces many problems in the development phases. The development of embedded devices is one of the possible solutions to make possible reactive systems in the complex field of software intensive systems. The embedded micro-characteristics extractor proposed in this paper represents the first step to make available an embedded iris-based recognizer. The system has been prototyped on the Celoxica RC203E board, using hardware with programmable FPGA technologies and is able to perform iris processing and micro-characteristics extraction. The goodness of the proposed approach has been tested using an iris image from the CASIA database. The considered iris micro-characteristics are nucleus and collarette and the execution time to extract them is about of 1.1 seconds.

Research paper thumbnail of An embedded fingerprints classification system based on weightless neural networks

Automatic fingerprint classification provides an important indexing scheme to facilitate efficien... more Automatic fingerprint classification provides an important indexing scheme to facilitate efficient matching in large-scale fingerprint databases in Automatic Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFISs). The paper presents a new fast fingerprint classification module implementing on embedded Weightless Neural Network (RAM-based neural network). The proposed WNN architecture uses directional maps to classify fingerprint images in the five NIST classes (Left Loop, Right Loop, Whorl, Arch and Tented Arch) without anyone enhancement phase. Starting from the directional map, the WNN architecture computes the fingerprint classification rate. The proposed architecture is implemented on Celoxica RC2000 board employing a Xilinx Virtex-II 2v6000 FPGA and it is computationally few expensive regards execution time and used hardware resources. To validate the goodness of proposed classificator, three different tests have been executed on two databases: a proprietary and FVC database. The best classification rate obtained is of 85.33% with an execution time of 1.15ms.

Research paper thumbnail of A user-friendly interface for fingerprint recognition systems based on natural language processing

Biometric recognition systems represent a valid solution to the safety problem of Internet access... more Biometric recognition systems represent a valid solution to the safety problem of Internet accessibility, even if they do not always provide an environment easily comprehensible by users and operators with a mid-level of competence. This gap can be partially filled if, instead of using the conventional access routines to the authentication system, the user could simply write to the system through the interface and using high level sentences and requests be able to use its own natural language to reach the intended goal. On the other hand, biometrics features are widely used for recognition and identification all over the world, generating large databases.In this paper a user-friendly interface for the use and management of biometric recognition systems is proposed. The interface allows for a simpler and more natural access to the functionalities offered by biometric systems, increasing system usability. The interface allows for an intuitive parameterization of functions and procedures of system algorithms, for the optimized management of great databases by unspecialized operators. In addition, the interface addresses the fail-to-enrol issue, because the quality of the acquired fingerprint is computed at the acquisition time.

Research paper thumbnail of BioAnalysis: A framework for structural and functional robustness analysis of metabolic networks

ABSTRACT The main objective of this work is to analyze metabolic networks evolution in terms of t... more ABSTRACT The main objective of this work is to analyze metabolic networks evolution in terms of their robustness and fault tolerance capabilities. In metabolic networks, errors can be seen as random removal of network nodes, while attacks are high-connectivity-degree node deletion aimed at compromising network activity. This paper proposes a software framework, namely BioAnalysis, used to test the robustness and the fault tolerance capabilities of real metabolic networks, when mutations and node deletions affect the network structure. The performed simulations are related to the central metabolic network of the well-known E. coli single-celled bacterium and involve either hub nodes or non-hub nodes, whose influence on the network robustness and activity is different. The performed trials have shown that the node connectivity degree as well as the node functional role in the network are key issues to evaluate the impact of node deletion on network robustness and activity. With more details, functional analysis has demonstrated that low-connectivity-degree nodes may drastically influence the normal behaviour of the network, while high-connectivity-degree nodes may produce soft failure in network operations. The results coming from described simulations have been confirmed by similar in vivo laboratory tests on real cluster of E. Coli bacteria.

Research paper thumbnail of An embedded processor for metabolic networks optimization

In recent years biological processes modelling and simulation have become two key issues in analy... more In recent years biological processes modelling and simulation have become two key issues in analyzing complex cellular systems. The computational requirements suggest to investigate alternative solutions to the common supercomputers and clusters in order to optimize and overcome computational bottleneck. The goal of this work is the design and the realization of an embedded processor for metabolic networks optimization in order to examine their behaviour and robustness under malfunctions of one or more nodes. The embedded processor has been prototyped on the Celoxica RC203E board, equipped with programmable FPGA technologies. A case studied outlining the E. Coli bacteria metabolic network is also presented.

Research paper thumbnail of Proceedings of the 2nd Congress of the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence on Trends in Artificial Intelligence