CompuServe Thread

#Neural Network!

18 messages in this thread
#56691From: daniel wolfMay 7, 1992 2:42 AM
MegageM is pleased to announce NeuroPro 2.0 for the Amiga. NeuroPro 2.0 is an advanced Neural Network Artificial Intelligence system with state-ofthe-art features. NP2.0 supports up to 768 neurons (256 per layer, 3 layers) with over 130,000 connections for sophisticated applications. NP2.0 graphically displays the operation of the entire neural network in real time. NP2.0 incorporates 3 complete user interfaces: a 'pushbutton, AmigaDos 2.0-look' graphic user interface, a menu interface with keyboard shortcuts, and ARexx. Most functions can be accomplished via any of the three interfaces. NP2.0 supports three types of data: bit arrays, text, and graphic images. With NeuroPro 2.0 you can design and train networks to translate any data type on the input to any other on the output, e.g. text to text translation, bit arrays to text, text to images. Images are supported for input & output layers of 64 (8×8 pixel image) or 256 (16×16 pixel image) neurons. Data for inputs and outputs can be loaded from IFF files which are easily editable in Deluxe Paint. Text files for input and output training data are supported for any layer. Up to 32 characters of text may be applied as input data (256 neurons) or training set data. Input and output data sets can be saved as bit arrays, text, or graphic images (IFF files). Trained networks can also be saved for later recall and applications with different data sets. You can use NP2.0 to develop systems for language translation, text to phonetic/speech translation, image recognition, game theory, financial analysis, and other artificial intelligence applications. With its strength in its varietyof data types, NP2.0 breaks the barriers to practical applications of smart pattern recognition systems for the Amiga. NP2.0 is written completely in fast, efficient 68xxx assembly language. NP2.0 uses the widely successful 3-layer back-propagation algorithm. A version for 68881/882/68040 is included which can train up to 250,000 connections per sec on 040. Performance like expensive dedicated hardware. SLP $199.95 Contact MegageM 1903 Adria Santa Maria, CA 93454 805-349-1104
#56753From: David ArtMay 7, 1992 11:06 PM
Daniel, NeuroPro 2.0 sounds very interesting to me. Can you tell me about the documentation that you provide with the program? David
#56772From: daniel wolfMay 8, 1992 4:26 AM
a full printed manual accompanies the program, but (be reasonable) it isn't a complete text explaining everything about neural networks. it does give numerous references to textbooks and articles which are relevant (but which I have no permission to reprint). The manual will include tutorials on several applications which exploit a wide range of the program's features.
#56863From: David ArtMay 9, 1992 10:52 AM
Dan, A full printed manual with eferences to textbooks and articles about neural networks sounds good. Since I'm not familiar with neural networks, I was wondering what to expect in terms of documentation. Nowadays, documentation seems to run the whole gamut from a 512 byte ReadMe file saying to click the icon to run the program to a multi-volume set of manuals. As far as being reasonable, though, it's not totally unheard of for a highly technical or specialized program to be sold including a book on the subject. Since neural networks are relatively new and not generally understood by people, you might want to consider including a recommended textbook. (Just a marketing suggestion, though, not meant to be a criticism. 8) Do you have any literature that you could send out on the product, or possibly a crippled demo version that you could upload? David
#57036From: daniel wolfMay 12, 1992 3:56 AM
David, thanks for the input. I just might try to find a modestly priced book on NN's and include it with the product. Great suggestion! There was a great series of articles on NN's in AI Expert Magazine which they compiled into a special issue – maybe that would be the ticket. Great idea. I can't even think of what it would take to write it myself and make it better than what's already out there. I want to avoid the super-technical explanations as appear in some texts. My manual for FractalPro is about 40 pages. I expect NeuroPro 2.0's manual to be similar in size – I got away from docs on disk a long time ago and a 512-byte readme file just wouldn't come close to usefulness with a program like NeuroPro 2.0. Neural Networks are about 6 years old now and very well understood in the AI community and computer science schools. I not only will send you literature (please provide an address) but I will also upload a crippled demo within a couple of weeks. I am near a final BETA (can't find any more bugs, just polishing user-friendliness) and testing on various Amiga configurations to assure compatibility, etc. The program starts with a built-in text translation problem it can solve so I can surely supply a demo (which won't be able to load or save anything and will have many features disabled like ARexx, training options, etc.). I did a timing test and got 21000 connections per second training speed on a 16mhz 68020/881/32-bit ram A1000 system. 275000 connections per second on my 25mhz 68040 A2000. I looked over a PD neural network program (on Fish disk 581 I think) and it is interesting but nowhere near the sophistication and flexibility of NeuroPro 2.0 (which displays the ongoing operation of the network, has 2.0-look button gadget + menu +ARexx interfaces and can handle a truly wide variety of data types). I hope people out there like it. This is a labor of love with the small sales potential on the Amiga platform and I've really tried to make it NICE.
#57061From: Steve Jackson GamesMay 12, 1992 1:27 PM
This sounds like it might have applications in xlating from our current typesetting format to one we're thinking of switching to. I'd appreciate literature as well. If you can fax it, 512/447-1144, attn: Loyd. If not, please snailmail it to Loyd Blankenship, c/o Steve Jackson Games, PO Box 18957, Austin, TX, 78760. Thanks! Loyd
#57370From: daniel wolfMay 16, 1992 6:27 AM
check out the demo version now on AmigaTech forum, Library 6 (ASM) title: NeuroProDemo.lha I sure hope this does what you want but I am not quite sure what youre problem really amounts to???
#57154From: Paul ToalMay 13, 1992 8:44 PM
Sounds like a neat project, but what does it do (so quickly 🙂 ) –Paul Whappin' from the Wine Country
#57373From: daniel wolfMay 16, 1992 6:30 AM
see demo version now available as NeuroProDemo.lha on AmigaTech forum Library 6 (ASM Programming). It does pattern recognition – text to image, text to text, etc. e.g. language translation, radar signature recognition, speech translation, etc. etc. It is a general purpose system for creating intelligent pattern recognition systems.
#57446From: Paul ToalMay 17, 1992 6:48 AM
I never heard of this before. Sounds like some pretty cool stuff. I gotta go fiddle with it some more, and go to the bookStore. Thanks for the scoop,
#57514From: daniel wolfMay 18, 1992 2:22 AM
please report on your experience with the downloaded demo program I put in AmigaTech Library 6. I'm trying to find a decent introductory book that isn't cost prohibitive to include with the commercial program at no additional charge. Neural networks are indeed very cool stuff.
#57524From: Paul ToalMay 18, 1992 5:04 AM
Daniel, I have installed the software, but I'm not quite sure what I'm seeing yet. Is there a real simple learn-convert thingie I can try, or see. I think the two samples are too complex for me to appreciate what the capabilities are. I gotta find a book or something! –Paul Whappin' from the Wine Country
#57793From: daniel wolfMay 22, 1992 3:12 AM
i presume you downloaded NproDemo? The built-in demo is of learning to translate English text to Spanish text. Try to find AI Expert magazine's special issue on neural networks which came out a few months back – it was available in many computer and book stores, just a few bucks. I'm trying to find some to include with the software (commercial version). There probably will be either that or some book in addition to the manual. The software does already have some fairly nifty tutorials. There's one which learns to phonetically spell the spanish numbers 0 to 32, then the network can output them as a text file and Amiga can read aloud. Via ARexx or another text file loaded as inputs you can feed data to the network and have NeuroPro save the corresponding outputs from the network into a text file in ram, one pattern at a time. It is quite interesting to observe the network generate 'correct' output even when presented with data which have been somewhat modified (input data, that is) from what the network was 'trained' on. Neuropro can be operated one command at a time from a CLI/Shell. Hearing the Amiga read aloud in Spanish is amusing at least and suggestive of more sophisticated capabilities…
#57830From: Ron LegroMay 22, 1992 4:28 PM
I assume you're familiar with the expert system Amiga package Magellan. Would you care to compare that with the neural net package? >>>> Ron Legro / Milwaukee via WHAP! "Wherever you go, there you are!"
#57331From: David ArtMay 15, 1992 7:29 PM
I've E-mailed you my address and am looking forward to getting the information and seeing the demo. I've been interested in learning more about neural networks for a while now. Your program sounds like it might just be the ticket.
#57375From: daniel wolfMay 16, 1992 6:32 AM
David, it is on AmigaTech Library 6 (ASM) as NeuroProDemo.lha. Have fun. Hope to hear back from you. Remember this is a mostly disabled demo version only. The real thing is fully functional and MUCH MUCH faster at training. The demo does show what goes on and the full potential of the commercial program.
#56868From: Douglas FleischmanMay 9, 1992 11:27 AM
Is MegageM set up for credit card users yet? In the past it was a check (or maybe COD) only business. That NP2.0 sounds very impressive indeed!
#57037From: daniel wolfMay 12, 1992 4:02 AM
funny you should ask. i have been hounding my bank manager for a year, and they recently got taken over by Bank of AMerica so things have changed and they are reprocessing my application to take credit card payments. It has been a real pain not to be able to like everyone else, but I can't find a bank that doesn't think my customers will try to steal millions$. Those guys are paranoid. I've never even had a customer bounce a check and somehow the bank thinks suddenly they'll lose a million if I let customers pay by Visa or Mastercard. I have no ideahow much business I've lost but I don't own the bank and I can't force 'em to help me make money (which helps them make money). Go figure. I'm meeting with the manager today with a recent Dunn and Bradstreet report, all my product reviews, tax returns, sales reports from 1991, a copy of my book, a copy of my patent, and possibly a dog an pony show to try and convince these guys that I'm not a thief (and neither are my customers!). Wish me luck (gee, from that diatribe you might think I'd gotten frustrated trying to get permission to take credit card payments….). Thanks for the kind words on NPro2.0. I'm trying to make this one REAL nice – a real piece of jazz software.