An Improved Image Steganography Security and Capacity Using Ant Colony Algorithm Optimization

This advanced paper presents a new approach to improving image steganography using the Ant Colony Optimization(ACO)algorithm.Image steganography,a technique of embedding hidden information in digital photographs,should ideally achieve the dual purposes of maximum data hiding and maintenance of the integrity of the cover media so that it is least suspect.The contemporary methods of steganography are at best a compromise between these two.In this paper,we present our approach,entitled Ant Colony Optimization(ACO)-Least Significant Bit(LSB),which attempts to optimize the capacity in steganographic embedding.The approach makes use of a grayscale cover image to hide the confidential data with an additional bit pair per byte,both for integrity verification and the file checksumof the secret data.This approach encodes confidential information into four pairs of bits and embeds it within uncompressed grayscale images.The ACO algorithm uses adaptive exploration to select some pixels,maximizing the capacity of data embedding whileminimizing the degradation of visual quality.Pheromone evaporation is introduced through iterations to avoid stagnation in solution refinement.The levels of pheromone are modified to reinforce successful pixel choices.Experimental results obtained through the ACO-LSB method reveal that it clearly improves image steganography capabilities by providing an increase of up to 30%in the embedding capacity compared with traditional approaches;the average Peak Signal to Noise Ratio(PSNR)is 40.5 dB with a Structural Index Similarity(SSIM)of 0.98.The approach also demonstrates very high resistance to detection,cutting down the rate by 20%.Implemented in MATLAB R2023a,the model was tested against one thousand publicly available grayscale images,thus providing robust evidence of its effectiveness.

Improved artificial bee colony algorithm for pressure source parameter inversion of Sakurajima volcano from InSAR data

A novel artificial bee colony algorithm was introduced for the eruption event of the Sakurajima volcano on August 9,2020,to invert the magma source characteristics below the volcano based on the point source Mogi model.Considering that the Sakurajima volcano is surrounded by sea,all the deformation data are used to obtain the location and magma eruption volume of the volcano.In response to the weak local search capability of the artificial swarm algorithm,the difference between the global optimal individual and the un-roulette screened individual is introduced as the variance component in the onlooker stage.Detailed simulation experiments verify the improvement of the algorithm in terms of convergence speed.In real experiments,the Sakurajima volcano inversion shows closer fitting results and smaller residuals compared to the existing literature.Meanwhile,the convergence speed of the algorithm echoes with the simulation experiments.

Planning of a Single Flow Channel in Valve Blocks Based on Additive Manufacturing and the Ant Colony Algorithm

As electro-hydrostatic actuator(EHA)technology advances towards lightweight and integration,the demand for enhanced internal flow pathways in hydraulic valve blocks intensifies.However,owing to the constraints imposed by traditional manufacturing processes,conventional hydraulic integrated valve blocks fail to satisfy the demands of a more compact channel layout and lower energy dissipation.Notably,the subjectivity in the arrangement of internal passages results in a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.This study employed additive manufacturing technology and the ant colony algorithm and B-spline curves for the meticulous design of internal passages within an aviation EHA valve block.The layout environment for the valve block passages was established,and path optimization was achieved using the ant colony algorithm,complemented by smoothing using B-spline curves.Three-dimensional modeling was performed using SolidWorks software,revealing a 10.03%reduction in volume for the optimized passages compared with the original passages.Computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulations were performed using Fluent software,demonstrating that the algorithmically optimized passages effectively prevented the occurrence of vortices at right-angled locations,exhibited superior flow characteristics,and concurrently reduced pressure losses by 34.09%-36.36%.The small discrepancy between the experimental and simulation results validated the efficacy of the ant colony algorithm and B-spline curves in optimizing the passage design,offering a viable solution for channel design in additive manufacturing.

Multi-Label Feature Selection Based on Improved Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm with Dynamic Redundancy and Label Dependence

The world produces vast quantities of high-dimensional multi-semantic data.However,extracting valuable information from such a large amount of high-dimensional and multi-label data is undoubtedly arduous and challenging.Feature selection aims to mitigate the adverse impacts of high dimensionality in multi-label data by eliminating redundant and irrelevant features.The ant colony optimization algorithm has demonstrated encouraging outcomes in multi-label feature selection,because of its simplicity,efficiency,and similarity to reinforcement learning.Nevertheless,existing methods do not consider crucial correlation information,such as dynamic redundancy and label correlation.To tackle these concerns,the paper proposes a multi-label feature selection technique based on ant colony optimization algorithm(MFACO),focusing on dynamic redundancy and label correlation.Initially,the dynamic redundancy is assessed between the selected feature subset and potential features.Meanwhile,the ant colony optimization algorithm extracts label correlation from the label set,which is then combined into the heuristic factor as label weights.Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed strategies can effectively enhance the optimal search ability of ant colony,outperforming the other algorithms involved in the paper.

Hybrid Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization with Evolutionary Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Task Scheduling in Cloud Computing

Task scheduling plays a key role in effectively managing and allocating computing resources to meet various computing tasks in a cloud computing environment.Short execution time and low load imbalance may be the challenges for some algorithms in resource scheduling scenarios.In this work,the Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization-Evolutionary Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm(HPSO-EABC)has been proposed,which hybrids our presented Evolutionary Artificial Bee Colony(EABC),and Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization(HPSO)algorithm.The HPSO-EABC algorithm incorporates both the advantages of the HPSO and the EABC algorithm.Comprehensive testing including evaluations of algorithm convergence speed,resource execution time,load balancing,and operational costs has been done.The results indicate that the EABC algorithm exhibits greater parallelism compared to the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm.Compared with the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm,the HPSO algorithmnot only improves the global search capability but also effectively mitigates getting stuck in local optima.As a result,the hybrid HPSO-EABC algorithm demonstrates significant improvements in terms of stability and convergence speed.Moreover,it exhibits enhanced resource scheduling performance in both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments,effectively reducing execution time and cost,which also is verified by the ablation experimental.

Tower crane path planning based on improved ant colony algorithm

In order to solve the problem of path planning of tower cranes,an improved ant colony algorithm was proposed.Firstly,the tower crane was simplified into a three-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm,and the D-H motion model was established to solve the forward and inverse kinematic equations.Secondly,the traditional ant colony algorithm was improved.The heuristic function was improved by introducing the distance between the optional nodes and the target point into the function.Then the transition probability was improved by introducing the security factor of surrounding points into the transition probability.In addition,the local path chunking strategy was used to optimize the local multi-inflection path and reduce the local redundant inflection points.Finally,according to the position of the hook,the kinematic inversion of the tower crane was carried out,and the variables of each joint were obtained.More specifically,compared with the traditional ant colony algorithm,the simulation results showed that improved ant colony algorithm converged faster,shortened the optimal path length,and optimized the path quality in the simple and complex environment.

Optimal Location and Sizing ofMulti-Resource Distributed Generator Based onMulti-Objective Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm

Distribution generation(DG)technology based on a variety of renewable energy technologies has developed rapidly.A large number of multi-type DG are connected to the distribution network(DN),resulting in a decline in the stability of DN operation.It is urgent to find a method that can effectively connect multi-energy DG to DN.photovoltaic(PV),wind power generation(WPG),fuel cell(FC),and micro gas turbine(MGT)are considered in this paper.A multi-objective optimization model was established based on the life cycle cost(LCC)of DG,voltage quality,voltage fluctuation,system network loss,power deviation of the tie-line,DG pollution emission index,and meteorological index weight of DN.Multi-objective artificial bee colony algorithm(MOABC)was used to determine the optimal location and capacity of the four kinds of DG access DN,and compared with the other three heuristic algorithms.Simulation tests based on IEEE 33 test node and IEEE 69 test node show that in IEEE 33 test node,the total voltage deviation,voltage fluctuation,and system network loss of DN decreased by 49.67%,7.47%and 48.12%,respectively,compared with that without DG configuration.In the IEEE 69 test node,the total voltage deviation,voltage fluctuation and system network loss of DN in the MOABC configuration scheme decreased by 54.98%,35.93%and 75.17%,respectively,compared with that without DG configuration,indicating that MOABC can reasonably plan the capacity and location of DG.Achieve the maximum trade-off between DG economy and DN operation stability.

Feature Extraction of Stored-grain Insects Based on Ant Colony Optimization and Support Vector Machine Algorithm

[Objective] The aim was to study the feature extraction of stored-grain insects based on ant colony optimization and support vector machine algorithm, and to explore the feasibility of the feature extraction of stored-grain insects. [Method] Through the analysis of feature extraction in the image recognition of the stored-grain insects, the recognition accuracy of the cross-validation training model in support vector machine （SVM） algorithm was taken as an important factor of the evaluation principle of feature extraction of stored-grain insects. The ant colony optimization （ACO） algorithm was applied to the automatic feature extraction of stored-grain insects. [Result] The algorithm extracted the optimal feature subspace of seven features from the 17 morphological features, including area and perimeter. The ninety image samples of the stored-grain insects were automatically recognized by the optimized SVM classifier, and the recognition accuracy was over 95%. [Conclusion] The experiment shows that the application of ant colony optimization to the feature extraction of grain insects is practical and feasible.

Weapon target assignment problem satisfying expected damage probabilities based on ant colony algorithm

A weapon target assignment （WTA） model satisfying expected damage probabilities with an ant colony algorithm is proposed. In order to save armament resource and attack the targets effectively, the strategy of the weapon assignment is that the target with greater threat degree has higher priority to be intercepted. The effect of this WTA model is not maximizing the damage probability but satisfying the whole assignment result. Ant colony algorithm has been successfully used in many fields, especially in combination optimization. The ant colony algorithm for this WTA problem is described by analyzing path selection, pheromone update, and tabu table update. The effectiveness of the model and the algorithm is demonstrated with an example.

Algorithm for Low Altitude Penetration Aircraft Path Planning with Improved Ant Colony Algorithm

The ant colony algorithm is a new class of population basic algorithm. The path planning is realized by the use of ant colony algorithm when the plane executes the low altitude penetration, which provides a new method for the path planning. In the paper the traditional ant colony algorithm is improved, and measures of keeping optimization, adaptively selecting and adaptively adjusting are applied, by which better path at higher convergence speed can be found. Finally the algorithm is implemented with computer simulation and preferable results are obtained.

Improved ant colony optimization algorithm for the traveling salesman problems

Ant colony optimization （ACO） is a new heuristic algo- rithm which has been proven a successful technique and applied to a number of combinatorial optimization problems. The traveling salesman problem （TSP） is among the most important combinato- rial problems. An ACO algorithm based on scout characteristic is proposed for solving the stagnation behavior and premature con- vergence problem of the basic ACO algorithm on TSP. The main idea is to partition artificial ants into two groups： scout ants and common ants. The common ants work according to the search manner of basic ant colony algorithm, but scout ants have some differences from common ants, they calculate each route＇s muta- tion probability of the current optimal solution using path evaluation model and search around the optimal solution according to the mutation probability. Simulation on TSP shows that the improved algorithm has high efficiency and robustness.

Ant colony optimization algorithm and its application to Neuro-Fuzzy controller design

An adaptive ant colony algorithm is proposed based on dynamically adjusting the strategy of updating trail information. The algorithm can keep good balance between accelerating convergence and averting precocity and stagnation. The results of function optimization show that the algorithm has good searching ability and high convergence speed. The algorithm is employed to design a neuro-fuzzy controller for real-time control of an inverted pendulum. In order to avoid the combinatorial explosion of fuzzy rules due tσ multivariable inputs, a state variable synthesis scheme is employed to reduce the number of fuzzy rules greatly. The simulation results show that the designed controller can control the inverted pendulum successfully.

Novel Approach to Nonlinear PID Parameter Optimization Using Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm

This paper presents an application of an Ant Colony Optimization （ACO） algorithm to optimize the parameters in the design of a type of nonlinear PID controller. The ACO algorithm is a novel heuristic bionic algorithm, which is based on the behaviour of real ants in nature searching for food. In order to optimize the parameters of the nonlinear PID controller using ACO algorithm, an objective function based on position tracing error was constructed, and elitist strategy was adopted in the improved ACO algorithm. Detailed simulation steps are presented. This nonlinear PID controller using the ACO algorithm has high precision of control and quick response.

Discrete Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Lot-streaming Flowshop with Total Flowtime Minimization

Unlike a traditional flowshop problem where a job is assumed to be indivisible, in the lot-streaming flowshop problem, a job is allowed to overlap its operations between successive machines by splitting it into a number of smaller sub-lots and moving the completed portion of the sub-lots to downstream machine. In this way, the production is accelerated. This paper presents a discrete artificial bee colony （DABC） algorithm for a lot-streaming flowshop scheduling problem with total flowtime criterion. Unlike the basic ABC algorithm, the proposed DABC algorithm represents a solution as a discrete job permutation. An efficient initialization scheme based on the extended Nawaz-Enscore-Ham heuristic is utilized to produce an initial population with a certain level of quality and diversity. Employed and onlooker bees generate new solutions in their neighborhood, whereas scout bees generate new solutions by performing insert operator and swap operator to the best solution found so far. Moreover, a simple but effective local search is embedded in the algorithm to enhance local exploitation capability. A comparative experiment is carried out with the existing discrete particle swarm optimization, hybrid genetic algorithm, threshold accepting, simulated annealing and ant colony optimization algorithms based on a total of 160 randomly generated instances. The experimental results show that the proposed DABC algorithm is quite effective for the lot-streaming flowshop with total flowtime criterion in terms of searching quality, robustness and effectiveness. This research provides the references to the optimization research on lot-streaming flowshop.

Optimization of Air Route Network Nodes to Avoid ″Three Areas″ Based on An Adaptive Ant Colony Algorithm

Air route network(ARN)planning is an efficient way to alleviate civil aviation flight delays caused by increasing development and pressure for safe operation.Here,the ARN shortest path was taken as the objective function,and an air route network node(ARNN)optimization model was developed to circumvent the restrictions imposed by″three areas″,also known as prohibited areas,restricted areas,and dangerous areas(PRDs),by creating agrid environment.And finally the objective function was solved by means of an adaptive ant colony algorithm(AACA).The A593,A470,B221,and G204 air routes in the busy ZSHA flight information region,where the airspace includes areas with different levels of PRDs,were taken as an example.Based on current flight patterns,a layout optimization of the ARNN was computed using this model and algorithm and successfully avoided PRDs.The optimized result reduced the total length of routes by 2.14% and the total cost by 9.875%.

Archimedean copula estimation of distribution algorithm based on artificial bee colony algorithm

The artificial bee colony （ABC） algorithm is a com- petitive stochastic population-based optimization algorithm. How- ever, the ABC algorithm does not use the social information and lacks the knowledge of the problem structure, which leads to in- sufficiency in both convergent speed and searching precision. Archimedean copula estimation of distribution algorithm （ACEDA） is a relatively simple, time-economic and multivariate correlated EDA. This paper proposes a novel hybrid algorithm based on the ABC algorithm and ACEDA called Archimedean copula estima- tion of distribution based on the artificial bee colony （ACABC） algorithm. The hybrid algorithm utilizes ACEDA to estimate the distribution model and then uses the information to help artificial bees to search more efficiently in the search space. Six bench- mark functions are introduced to assess the performance of the ACABC algorithm on numerical function optimization. Experimen- tal results show that the ACABC algorithm converges much faster with greater precision compared with the ABC algorithm, ACEDA and the global best （gbest）-guided ABC （GABC） algorithm in most of the experiments.

Improved artificial bee colony algorithm with mutual learning

The recently invented artificial bee colony （ABC） al- gorithm is an optimization algorithm based on swarm intelligence that has been used to solve many kinds of numerical function optimization problems. It performs well in most cases, however, there still exists an insufficiency in the ABC algorithm that ignores the fitness of related pairs of individuals in the mechanism of find- ing a neighboring food source. This paper presents an improved ABC algorithm with mutual learning （MutualABC） that adjusts the produced candidate food source with the higher fitness between two individuals selected by a mutual learning factor. The perfor- mance of the improved MutualABC algorithm is tested on a set of benchmark functions and compared with the basic ABC algo- rithm and some classical versions of improved ABC algorithms. The experimental results show that the MutualABC algorithm with appropriate parameters outperforms other ABC algorithms in most experiments.

Improved Ant Colony-Genetic Algorithm for Information Transmission Path Optimization in Remanufacturing Service System

The information transmission path optimization(ITPO) can often a ect the e ciency and accuracy of remanufactur?ing service. However, there is a greater degree of uncertainty and complexity in information transmission of remanu?facturing service system, which leads to a critical need for designing planning models to deal with this added uncer?tainty and complexity. In this paper, a three?dimensional(3D) model of remanufacturing service information network for information transmission is developed, which combines the physic coordinate and the transmitted properties of all the devices in the remanufacturing service system. In order to solve the basic ITPO in the 3D model, an improved 3D ant colony algorithm(Improved AC) was put forward. Moreover, to further improve the operation e ciency of the algorithm, an improved ant colony?genetic algorithm(AC?GA) that combines the improved AC and genetic algorithm was developed. In addition, by taking the transmission of remanufacturing service demand information of certain roller as example, the e ectiveness of AC?GA algorithm was analyzed and compared with that of improved AC, and the results demonstrated that AC?GA algorithm was superior to AC algorithm in aspects of information transmission delay, information transmission cost, and rate of information loss.

An adaptive ant colony system algorithm for continuous-space optimization problems

Ant colony algorithms comprise a novel category of evolutionary computation methods for optimization problems, especially for sequencing-type combinatorial optimization problems. An adaptive ant colony algorithm is proposed in this paper to tackle continuous-space optimization problems, using a new objective-function-based heuristic pheromone assignment approach for pheromone update to filtrate solution candidates.Global optimal solutions can be reached more rapidly by self-adjusting the path searching behaviors of the ants according to objective values. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with a basic ant colony algorithm and a Square Quadratic Programming approach in solving two benchmark problems with multiple extremes. The results indicated that the efficiency and reliability of the proposed algorithm were greatly improved.

Improved Multi-objective Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm and Its Application in Complex Reasoning

The problem of fault reasoning has aroused great concern in scientific and engineering fields.However,fault investigation and reasoning of complex system is not a simple reasoning decision-making problem.It has become a typical multi-constraint and multi-objective reticulate optimization decision-making problem under many influencing factors and constraints.So far,little research has been carried out in this field.This paper transforms the fault reasoning problem of complex system into a paths-searching problem starting from known symptoms to fault causes.Three optimization objectives are considered simultaneously: maximum probability of average fault,maximum average importance,and minimum average complexity of test.Under the constraints of both known symptoms and the causal relationship among different components,a multi-objective optimization mathematical model is set up,taking minimizing cost of fault reasoning as the target function.Since the problem is non-deterministic polynomial-hard(NP-hard),a modified multi-objective ant colony algorithm is proposed,in which a reachability matrix is set up to constrain the feasible search nodes of the ants and a new pseudo-random-proportional rule and a pheromone adjustment mechinism are constructed to balance conflicts between the optimization objectives.At last,a Pareto optimal set is acquired.Evaluation functions based on validity and tendency of reasoning paths are defined to optimize noninferior set,through which the final fault causes can be identified according to decision-making demands,thus realize fault reasoning of the multi-constraint and multi-objective complex system.Reasoning results demonstrate that the improved multi-objective ant colony optimization(IMACO) can realize reasoning and locating fault positions precisely by solving the multi-objective fault diagnosis model,which provides a new method to solve the problem of multi-constraint and multi-objective fault diagnosis and reasoning of complex system.