The broad use of neural networks in real-time engineering systems

Neural networks is a very popular emerging technology that has applications in a wide variety of fields such as: electrical and computer engineering, signal processing, computer science, cognitive science, neurobiology, optics, mathematics, and physics. Properties of this multidisciplinary field, originally inspired by biological systems, are adaptiveness and self organization, massively parallel nature, robustness and fault- and noise-tolerance. This paper, after presenting an overview of neural networks, their properties and advantages over conventional computers, will discuss how novel neural network architectures and implementations can be included in larger systems to provide solutions to scientific and engineering problems. An example of a neural network hearing model is discussed where neural networks and time-frequency analysis are used to extract essential information from complex inputs