Prof. Lofti Zadeh of University of California, Berkeley developed in 1965 a mathematical treatment of imprecise information like "pretty fast", "rather warm", "not very young" etc. which we use every day in our communication. This he named "Fuzzy Logic", a system that allows intermediate values to be formulated mathematically and processed by computer which often needs a Crisp information like "ON", "OFF", "START", "STOP", etc. Following Zadeh's work scientific and technological community carried forward considerable research and development work and have developed many products whose operation is based on "Fuzzy Logic". Examples range from Cement Plant Control, Video Camera, household appliances like "Washing Machines and Vacuum Cleaners" to traffic technology and management decision making. In much the same way that air travel and digital communication have compressed physical distances, fuzzy logic is set to shrink the gap between human thinking and computer programming. Based on graded rather than true/false statements, fuzzy logic gives computers an entirely new and far more precise way of "perceiving" and thus reacting to the real world.
Zadeh's brainchild thus opened the door to a more human like way of thinking in computer programming-a way that allows an expert's knowledge to be linguistically described and incorporated into processes that do not absolutely required mathematical descriptions. Thirty years down the road since Zadeh's proposition European, Japanese, American and Chinese manufacturer's are discovering that fuzzy logic often in combination with neural networks and expert systems can hold the key to sharply improved utilization of energy, raw material, overall quality in industrial and domestic equipment/process and improved diagnosis in medical applications. Neural computing is concerned with in some way emulating the computing aspect of neurons in human brain by suitable computer software or hardware and expert systems generate the human expertise in a computer program for decision making.
Although, fuzzy logic was developed in US by Prof. Zadeh and some European and American manufacturers have used them in real life problem solving, most applications have been seen in Asian countries e.g. Japan and China. Thus some scholars Claim that fuzzy logic has remained essentially an eastern philosophy and phenomenon although originated in America.
To be little proud of, one can cite that in India an authoritative centre for study, research and application of fuzzy logic has been set up in our Eastern metropolis, Calcutta. Started by Prof. D. Duttamajumdar in India statistical Institute in Calcutta the Centre for Electronic Sciences and communication Unit and now also separate group in Machine Intelligence Unit in ISI have been doing very high level theoretical research in the area of fuzzy logic and neural networks. They have also acquired a tremendous capability in image processing application of fuzzy logic and neural network and carried out research in the application of these to medical field. Quite a few scientists in this institute have received World acclaim. Prof Shankar Pal, Prof N R Pal Prof M K Kundu are to name a few among the team which received international recognition. In Japan, more than forty companies have joined and set up a research lab named "Laboratory International Fuzzy Engineering (LIFE)". This group has been the main force for Japan's flourishing application of fuzzy logic in industrial products and systems. In People's Republic of China today 10,000 scientists are working in Fuzzy logic.
As stated earlier, Fuzzy and neural systems have wide application and some of them could be

• Domestic appliances
• Washing Machines, Vacuum Cleaners
• Industrial Control
• Controller Tuning, Neurofuzzy Control of Steel Plant, Cement Plant Control, Chemical plant Control and Optimisation, Boiler Plant Modelling and Predictive Control applications, AC Drive control applications, Arc Furnace Control.
• Image Processing
• Finger print detection, Automatic Signature verification, interpretation of Satellite data from remote sensing applications, Biomedical image processing in X-Ray and diagnosis of tumour and their classification.
• Signal Processing
• Speech Processing applications, Bio-medical Signal processing like analysis of 24 hrs ECG records, EEG for spike detection and use in diagnosis in epilepsy and EMG Signals.
• Medical Prosthesis
• Wheel chair control for Orthopaedically handicapped.
• Management decision making.
• Traffic Technology

In the Eastern part of India specially in Calcutta today there is nothing sort of a modern expertise in technology which the Calcuttans can boast of. On the contrary coincident with fuzzy logic's identification of being Eastern, there is considerable expertise in this area in Calcutta. This could be meaningfully exploited for industrial usage and in other aspects in real life problem. We can evolve a Cooperative Research & Development environment in and around Calcutta. We have following organizations where we can look for such a support:

• Indian Statistical Institute
• Jadavpur University
• University College of Science and Technology

I. Radio Physics and Electronics Institute
II. Applied Physics Department
III. Chemical Engineering Department

• BE College
• Medical Colleges

1) Medical College and Hospital
2) NRS Medical College
3) PG Hospital

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Webel
• Allen Bradley India Limited
• Cegelec India Limited
• Bells Control
• Crompton Greaves
• National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur
• Tata Iron & Steel Co., Jamshedpur
• R&D Organization for Steel, Ranchi
• Department of Electronics, Government of India
• Department of Science & Technology, Government of India

We can note the success of Cooperative R&D policy followed by Indian Oil Corporation for a long time and currently being pursued by Centre of High Technology, Ministry of Petroleum.
Although it is not possible to follow the role model of LIFE in Japan, we can evolve a mini scale R&D cum production Scheme in this area. May be centered around ISI a cooperative research development and product development team can work. Webel should come forward to provide the necessary industrial support and infrastructure. Expertise available in various institutes and companies and with some not able experts of Calcutta origin can be exploited with only one objective that we must excel in theory and application of fuzzy logic and neural network. ISI must be given public encouragement for such deep theoretical research in fuzzy logic and pattern recognition and other medical applications. Jadavpur University, BE College and ITI, Kharagpur should come forward for interdisciplinary team work. Industries like Allen Bradley India Ltd., Cegelec, Crompton Greaves should help in offloading their fuzzy product development schemes to such a centre. Likewise steel industries should sponsor projects. West Bengal Govt. must take it very seriously to encourage and formulate setting up such an R&D cum production support set up. Deptt. of Electronics and Deptt. of Science & Technology should sponsor these activities. Expertise available on application specific integrated circuits in IIT, Kharagpur can be used for development of real life fuzzy chips. Interest in Drive technology in Jadavpur University and B.E. College could be redirected towards application of fuzzy logic and neural network application in AC drives being carried forward by Prof. Bimal Bose, USA (of BE College origin). Help of Prof.B.K. Bose could be sought who is intimately connected with Japan's program in drive technology. Chemical Engineering Department of IIT, Kharagpur, Jadavpur University and Calcutta University can dedicate themselves to fuzzy modelling, identification, control and optimisation of chemical plants like fluidised catalytic cracking. On a mini scale lot of unemployed youths could be engaged in proto type development in fuzzy hardware and software products and training of neural networks for various applications. Chains of Calcutta Hospitals should start fuzzy and neural network program in medical diagnosis and processing of biomedical signals like ECG, EEG and EMG Success of ISI in these areas should be the motivating factor to carry out these works. The commitment and dedicated work of ISI scientists will be properly acknowledged and rewarded by scientific and technological community in Calcutta if on a mini scale the collaborative R&D work as described above can flourish.
This small communication is a very small contribution to recognise this possibility. Sincerity, hardwork and dedication can cross the barrier of acute financial shortage and strong determination may lead to realisation of such a dream. If this sketchy proposal receives wide attention and meets with positive feedback a blue print for such a project, the author is sure of, can be drawn up with proper techno commercial feasibility and sustainable development possibilities in the area.

Contributed by
J K Pal
Assistant General Manager
Engineers India Limited