Albert Ali Salah


Research and Teaching Assistant at the 
Perceptual Intelligence Laboratory 
Computer Engineering Department 
Boğazici University 
Bebek 34342 Istanbul 
office: HKD BAL;
phone: (212) 359 4490
email: salah_at_boun.edu.tr
 
 

Upcoming Events

  • PhD dissertation defense, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, 24 January, 2007.
  • Presentation of the paper "Hidden Markov Model-based face recognition using selective attention" at the SPIE Conference on Human Vision and Electronic Imaging, San Jose, 1 February, 2007.
  • Talk on "Face recognition in humans and machines", iLab, University of Southern California, 9 February, 2007.
  • Seminar on "Biologically motivated 3d face recognition", CWI, Amsterdam, 20 February, 2007.
  • IEC Concert with IDSO: Saygun, Yunus Emre Oratoryosu, 2-3 March 2007, AKM.
     

    Education

  • 2000 MS Boğazici University Computer Engineering Department
  • 1998 BS Boğazici University Computer Engineering Department
  • 1994 İstanbul Özel Alman Lisesi/Deutsche Schule Istanbul
     
     

    Scientific Interests

  • Machine learning and pattern (particularly 3D face) recognition
  • Natural and artificial vision, selective attention
  • Unsupervised learning and feature extraction
  • Cognitive science and philosophy of mind
  • Chaos, complexity theory and nonlinear dynamics
  • Semiotics and biosemiotics
     

    PhD Research

    A Biologically Motivated Approach to 3D Face Recognition.
    Face recognition has been an active area of study for both computer science and image processing communities, especially for purposes of better human-computer interaction and biometrics applications. With the increased availability of different sensors (infrared and 3-D), new modalities are taken into account for representation and recognition. The aim of our work is to evaluate the existing 3D face recognition techniques and to seek ways to improve them. We especially look at findings in psychophysics and cognitive science for insights. Based on our reviews of the two areas, we propose a computational model that seeks to reconcile the needs of both computer and human vision.
    This work is supported by the following projects:
  • BIOSECURE FP6 network of excellence project on multimodal biometrics. We collaborate with University of Surrey and University of Sassari on a joint project on 3D-assisted 2D and 3D face registration and matching.
  • 3D Object Recognition, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Project Code: 104E080
  • Perceptual Human Computer Interaction, T.R. Prime Ministry State Planning Organization (DPT), Project Code: 03K120250
     

    Past Research

  • Perceptual Intelligence Lab - Human Computer Interaction
  • Robotics Group - Mobile robot project (joint project with Tel-Aviv University)
  • Artificial Intelligence Lab - Robocup 2001 - legged robot category (Teknotürk'de çıkan yazımız için tıklayın: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi'ndeki Robot Araştırmaları - Geleceğe Giden Yol)
     

    Journal Papers

  • Salah, A.A., H. Çınar, L. Akarun, B. Sankur, "Robust Facial Landmarking for Registration", appears in Annals of Telecommunications, December 2006.
  • Salah, A.A., E. Alpaydın, L. Akarun, "A Selective Attention Based Method for Visual Pattern Recognition with Application to Handwritten Digit Recognition and Face Recognition," IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol.24, No.3, pp. 420-425, March 2002.
    (Fig 1 erroneous in pdf; get the correct Fig here)
     

    International Conference Papers

  • Salah, A.A., N. Alyüz, L. Akarun, "Alternative face models for 3D face registration," in SPIE Conf. on Electronic Imaging, Vision Geometry, San Jose, 2007.
  • Salah, A.A., M. Bicego, L. Akarun, E. Grosso, M. Tistarelli, "Hidden Markov Model-based face recognition using selective attention," in SPIE Conf. on Human Vision and Electronic Imaging, San Jose, 2007.
  • Salah, A.A., L. Akarun, "3D Facial Feature Localization for Registration," International Workshop on Multimedia Content Representation, Classification and Security (MRCS’06), 2006.
  • Çınar Akakın, H., A.A. Salah, L. Akarun, B. Sankur, "2D/3D facial feature extraction", in Proc. SPIE Conf. on Electronic Imaging, 2006.
  • Akarun, L., B. Gökberk, A.A. Salah, "3D Face Recognition for Biometric Applications", in Proc. European Signal Processing Conference, 2005.
  • Gökberk, B., A.A. Salah, L. Akarun, "Rank-based Decision Fusion for 3D Shape-based Face Recognition," in Takeo Kanade, Anil Jain, Nalini K. Ratha (eds.) Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Volume 3546/2005 Audio- and Video-Based Biometric Person Authentication: 5th International Conference, AVBPA 2005.
  • Salah, A.A., E. Alpaydın, "Incremental Mixtures of Factor Analyzers," in Proc. International Conference on Pattern Recognition (ICPR04), vol.1, pp.276-279, 2004.
  • Salah, A.A., E. Alpaydın, L. Akarun, "A Selective Attention Based Method for Visual Pattern Recognition," in Moore, J.D., and Stenning, K. (eds.) Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of Cognitive Science Society, pp. 881-886, August 2001.
     

    Other Publications

  • Salah, A.A., "İnsan ve Bilgisayarda Yüz Tanıma," Uluslararası Kognitif Nörobilim Sempozyumu, Marmaris, Turkey, Mayıs 2006.
  • Salah, A.A., L. Akarun, "Gabor Factor Analysis for 2D+3D Facial Landmark Localization," SİU 2006, 17-19 Nisan 2006, Antalya, Turkey.
  • Salah, A.A., B. Gökberk, L. Akarun, "3D Face Recognition", Proceedings of the Fifth GAP Engineering Congress, 26-28 April 2006, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
  • Salah, A.A., "İnsan ve Bilgisayarda Yüz Tanıma", Üçüncü Bilgi İşleyen Makina Olarak Beyin Sempozyumu, 24 Aralık 2005, Albert Long Hall, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi.
  • Gökberk, B., A.A. Salah, L. Akarun, "Üç Boyutlu Şekil Bilgisiyle Yüz Tanımada Sıralamaya Dayalı Karar Birleştirimi", SİU 2005.
  • Salah, A.A., E. Alpaydın, "Incremental Mixtures of Factor Analyzers," Technical Report, FBE/CMPE-01/2004-7, Department of Computer Engineering, Boğaziçi University, 2004. (This is the longer version of the ICPR'04 paper).
  • Salah, A.A., S. Redman, G. Kovacs, "Clustering under Multiobjective Optimization Constraints with Genetic Algorithms" in Proceedings of the Santa Fe Complex Systems Summer School, Santa Fe, NM: SFI, 2002.
  • Labiouse, C., A.A. Salah, I. Starikova, "The Impact of Connectivity on the Memory Capacity and the Retrieval Dynamics of Hopfield-type Networks" in Proceedings of the Santa Fe Complex Systems Summer School, Santa Fe, NM: SFI, 2002.
  • Banerjee, N., Z. Dezso, V. Kolyadin, A. Marhan, A.A. Salah, "Lunch Network: A Glimpse of Social Dynamics of SFI Students" in Proceedings of the Santa Fe Complex Systems Summer School, Santa Fe, NM: SFI, 2002.
  • Salah, A.A., E. Alpaydın, L. Akarun, "Selective Attention Based Pattern Recognition," Technical Report, FBE/CMPE-03/2001-12, Department of Computer Enginnering, Boğaziçi University, 2001.
  • Salah, A.A., Collective Intelligence, Panel Discussion at the 7th International Istanbul Biennial, September 23, 2001 with Peter Gardenfors, Kazuhiko Hachiya, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. (download talk in DOC format/Teknotürk'te çıkan yazı için tıklayın: İstanbul Bienali'nde Bir Panel: Kolektif Zeka)
  • Salah, A.A., E. Alpaydın, L. Akarun, "A Selective Attention Based Recognition Framework with Application to Handwritten Numerals," Proceedings of the Ninth Turkish Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks (TAINN).
  • Salah, A.A., E. Alpaydın, L. Akarun, "A Selective Attention Based Optical Recognition of Handwritten Digits," Proceedings of the First IEEE Balkan Conference on Signal Processing, Communications, Circuits and Systems, 2000.
  • Salah, A.A., A Selective Attention Based Method for Optical Handwritten Digit Recognition (M.S. Thesis - 2000)
  • Salah, A.A., "An Evolutionary Algorithm Tool in Smalltalk" (B.S. Thesis - 1998)
     

    Unpublished

  • "Rationality: Perfect, Absent, or Bounded?"(download in PDF format)
  • Koksal, F., A.A. Salah,"A Survey of Hidden Markov Models within the Bayesian Framework"(download in PS format)
  • Salah, A.A., F. Koksal, "Brain-like Network Modeling with Small World Random Graph Models"(download in zipped PS format)
  • "FORR Architecture and Its Applications"(download in zipped PS format)
  • Basaran, E., A.A. Salah, "Finding CpG Islands with Hidden Markov Models" (download in PS format)
  • "Cellular Automata" (download in zipped PS format)
  • "Delay Conscious Multicast Routing with Genetic Algorithms" (See PowerPoint presentation)
  • A Genetic Algorithm Package for Dolphin Smalltalk (download)
  • Latrunculli Game in SWI-Prolog (contains a stand-alone genetic algorithm module)
     

    Master Thesis - Selective Attention Based Pattern Recognition

    The human visual mechanism, which develops in parallel with the brain, is physically very complex and functions in a very efficient manner. Human vision is mainly a serial process, in that we do not absorb the whole information content of the visual field at once, but selectively attend to locations that have low probability, and thus contain more information. Our aim is to model this process in a biologically plausible framework to achieve some of the desired properties of natural visual systems.
     

    Summer and Spring Schools, Workshops

  • Biosecure Workshop in Vigo, Spain, 13-15 September 2006.
  • Biologically Inspired Information Fusion Workshop, Surrey, 22-23 August 2006.
  • Geometric Morphometrics Workshop, Ankara, June 12-16, 2006.
  • Summer School for Advanced Studies on Biometrics for Secure Authentication: New Sensors, Evaluation and Database Collection, Alghero, June 5-9, 2006.
  • Santa Fe Institute Complex Systems Summer School, Budapest, July 8 to August 2, 2002.
  • 8th International Summer School on Cognitive Science at New Bulgarian University, Sofia, July 9-30, 2001.
  • BISC European School on Intelligent Data Analysis, Palermo, March 26-30, 2001.
  • 7th International Summer School on Cognitive Science at New Bulgarian University, Sofia, July 10-30, 2000.

    Invitation to Cognitive Science

    Would you be interested in a Cognitive Science program in Boğaziçi University? Visit the formally announced M.A. Program in Cognitive Science webpage. An introductionary course on Cognitive Science was offered in Spring 2001 semester. Visit the course webpage. 'Introduction to Cognitive Science' course was offered by the Lingustics program in 2000, as LING 488.
     

    Personal Information

  • Member of the Perceptual Intelligence (PI) Lab
  • Editor, Teknotürk
  • Member of the Chaos & Complexity Group
  • Member of the Istanbul European Choir

    Last Updated: 4 January 2007