Feature generation using genetic programming with application to fault classification

One of the major challenges in pattern recognition problems is the feature extraction process which derives new features from existing features, or directly from raw data in order to reduce the cost of computation during the classification process, while improving classifier efficiency. Most current feature extraction techniques transform the original pattern vector into a new vector with increased discrimination capability but lower dimensionality. This is conducted within a predefined feature space, and thus, has limited searching power. Genetic programming (GP) can generate new features from the original dataset without prior knowledge of the probabilistic distribution. A GP-based approach is developed for feature extraction from raw vibration data recorded from a rotating machine with six different conditions. The created features are then used as the inputs to a neural classifier for the identification of six bearing conditions. Experimental results demonstrate the ability of GP to discover automatically the different bearing conditions using features expressed in the form of nonlinear functions. Furthermore, four sets of results-using GP extracted features with artificial neural networks (ANN) and support vector machines (SVM), as well as traditional features with ANN and SVM-have been obtained. This GP-based approach is used for bearing fault classification for the first time and exhibits superior searching power over other techniques. Additionally, it significantly reduces the time for computation compared with genetic algorithm (GA), therefore, makes a more practical realization of the solution.