Faculty of Computing-Q1
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://rda.sliit.lk/handle/123456789/5284
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Item Open Access Exploring emergent topological properties in socio-economic networks through learning heterogeneity(2025-12-10) Karavita, C; Lyu, Z; Kasthurirathna, D; Piraveenan, MUnderstanding how individual learning behavior and structural dynamics interact is essential to modeling emergent phenomena in socio-economic networks. While bounded rationality and network adaptation have been widely studied, the role of heterogeneous learning rates–both at the agent and network levels–remains underexplored. This paper introduces a dual-learning framework that integrates individualized learning rates for agents and a rewiring rate for the network, reflecting real-world cognitive diversity and structural adaptability. Using a simulation model based on the Prisoner’s Dilemma and Quantal Response Equilibrium, we analyze how variations in these learning rates affect the emergence of large-scale network structures. Results show that lower and more homogeneously distributed learning rates promote scale-free networks, while higher or more heterogeneously distributed learning rates lead to the emergence of core-periphery topologies. Key topological metrics–including scale-free exponents, Estrada heterogeneity, and assortativity–reveal that both the speed and variability of learning critically shape system rationality and network architecture. This work provides a unified framework for examining how individual learnability and structural adaptability drive the formation of socio-economic networks with diverse topologies, offering new insights into adaptive behavior, systemic organization, and resilience.Publication Open Access Hybrid ABC–HBA feature optimization with self-training using simulated unlabelled data for robust intrusion detection(Elsevier Ltd, 2026) Harischandra, S; Rajapaksha, U.U. S; Silva, B.N; Jayawardena, CThe increasing scale and heterogeneity of network traffic pose significant challenges for intrusion detection systems (IDS), particularly in detecting extremely rare attack classes and generalising to previously unseen threats under severe class imbalance. This study proposes a hybrid intrusion detection framework that integrates swarm intelligence–based feature optimisation with self-training using unlabelled data simulation to address these limitations. A novel ABC–HBA feature selection strategy is introduced, combining the efficient exploration capability of the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm with the strong global exploitation and fast convergence of the Honey Badger Algorithm (HBA), resulting in a highly discriminative and compact feature subset. A Random Forest(RF) classifier augmented with a pseudo-labelling mechanism is then employed to enhance learning from unlabelled and unseen attack samples, enabling effective detection of novel attack patterns absent from the training set. To further mitigate extreme class imbalance, a hybrid resampling strategy is applied. Experimental evaluation on the KDD Cup 1999 dataset demonstrates that the proposed framework achieves an overall accuracy of 99.95% and a detection rate of 98.16%, while significantly improving the recognition of extremely rare attack classes, including a 92.86% detection rate for U2R attacks, which constitute less than 0.01% of the dataset. The proposed method consistently outperforms baseline RF, ABC-based, and several other state-of-the-art meta-heuristic and deep learning approaches, confirming its effectiveness in enhancing rare attack detection and generalisation to unseen threats in realistic intrusion detection scenarios.Publication Open Access A physics-informed machine learning for detecting suspicious satellite maneuvers (orbital manipulation)(Elsevier B.V., 2026) Karunathilake K.K.H; Abeywardena, K.Y; Vecchini, SSatellite systems have become prime targets for cyberthreats given their critical role in global infrastructure and general lack of security. Among these, orbital manipulation, a form of satellite hijacking, is a particularly severe threat that can disrupt essential operations and impact national security. To address these concerns, this research proposes an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based anomaly detection system that utilizes Machine Learning (ML) models to analyze telemetry data for possible orbital manipulations with a multi-gate physics architecture grounded in orbital mechanics, to verify that detected anomalies are kinematically inconsistent and are therefore genuine integrity failures. This research demonstrates that temporal-based models like LSTM are essential for this domain, achieving high recall rates which are then validated by the physics component. While the framework includes multiple physical constraints, this study specifically validates the energy-based Vis-Viva gate, with the Tsiolkovsky and Angular Momentum gates established as architectural designs for future verification. This study concludes that successful AI deployment in orbital cybersecurity requires a comprehensive approach that integrates domain-specific context and physics-informed validation beyond traditional performance metricsPublication Embargo Data-centric single teacher guided knowledge distillation for alleviating sub-optimal supervision in image classification(Elsevier Ltd, 2026-02-23) Sharma, K; Silva, B. NIn recent years, larger, deeper, and more complex deep learning models have emerged as a result of advancements in deep learning techniques. Nevertheless, the computational costs have also increased with the growing model size. Thus, Knowledge Distillation has evolved into a cornerstone in contemporary machine learning, facilitating the transfer of knowledge from cumbersome teacher models to more compact student models. However, student learning is persistently challenged by sub-optimal supervision caused by erroneous and ambiguous teacher predictions. Moreover, the learning process is further deteriorated by the complications introduced through frequently encountered noisy labels in real-world datasets. Existing methods often resort to the ensemble of teachers, introducing additional complexity. We propose a novel, simple, and efficient learning method, Corrective Knowledge Distillation (CKD), to alleviate these drawbacks while relying solely on a single-teacher model. The proposed work employs a two-phase learning paradigm. In the initial phase, the teacher selectively teaches extremely confident knowledge to the student, and in the subsequent phase, the student leverages its own past learning experiences, conditioning its knowledge acquisition on the guidance of the teacher. The proposed method consistently exhibits superior performance in addressing sub-optimal supervision, as evidenced by comprehensive experiments on benchmark datasets such as CIFAR-100, CIFAR-100N-Fine, and ImageNet-1K. Notably, CKD surpasses established baselines, achieving substantial accuracy gains of up to 3.53% in real-world scenarios. Furthermore, CKD exhibits exceptional robustness in highly noisy environments, outperforming ensemble techniques by a significant margin of up to 5.18%. Our code is available at https://github.com/Karthick47v2/ckd.Publication Embargo High-resolution optical imaging for sustainable fish freshness and safety assessment(Elsevier GmbH, 2026-04) Madhubhashini, M. N; Kahandawala, B.S; Sandaruwan, H.H.P. B; Silva, B.N; Wijenayake, U; Wijesinghe, R.EFish freshness evaluation is crucial to ensure consumer safety, and rapid assessment is essential for effective and accurate quality control. To overcome the limitations of the gold standards, such as lack of structural depth information, high-time consumption, and labor-intensiveness, high-resolution Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was employed for real-time monitoring of fish freshness non-invasively. Microstructural changes of eye and skin of Indian Anchovies ( Stolephorus indicus ) specimens were considered as the main freshness parameters during refrigeration storage. Both eye and skin tissues exhibited decreased internal scattering, loss of clarity, boundary weakening, and gradual structural degradations through the OCT observations. The quantitatively assessed variance intensity, entropy, energy, and edge density clearly revealed the internal tissue disruption over storage time due to protein denaturation, oxidative damage, and fluid imbalance. The findings of this study indicate that OCT shows an insightful correlation with microbiological and biochemical spoilage processes, enabling the advanced identification of subtle microstructural changes in fish skin and eye, even at a prior stage of deterioration. Such capability offers an objective and rapid freshness evaluation approach that could greatly benefit supply chain management and post-harvest seafood quality monitoring.Item Open Access SLIF-Tomato: Inverted Residual Convolutional Block Attention Module for In-field Tomato Leaf Disease Recognition(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2026-06-27) George, R; Thuseethan, S; Ragel, R.G; Pakeerathan, K; Sivalingam, V; Mithuran, TTomato cultivation represents a critical component of nutrition, economic development, and public health, yet it is increasingly compromised by foliar diseases that diminish yield and intensify dependency on hazardous agrochemicals. Although deep learning models have demonstrated strong capabilities for automated disease recognition, existing benchmark datasets exhibit limited real-world utility, primarily due to the absence of in-field imagery and precise annotations of diseased regions. A novel attention mechanism, Inverted Residual Convolutional Block Attention Module (IR-CBAM), is proposed, combining inverted residual blocks with the CBAM Module, and is specifically tailored to address challenges posed by in-field image variability, such as complex backgrounds and inconsistent lighting. Furthermore, this study introduces SLIF-Tomato, the Sri Lankan In-Field Tomato leaf disease dataset, which is the first complete in-field dataset comprising class labels and bounding box annotations collected under diverse real-world conditions. The proposed approach achieved 99.66% and 99.91% accuracy rates on two curated versions of the SLIF-Tomato dataset. Subsequently, the YOLOv12-large model is employed to detect diseased regions, which obtained an average precision score of 88.5%. These contributions advance the development of accurate, efficient and field-adaptable diagnostic systems for tomato leaf disease management in precision agriculture.Publication Open Access A physics-informed machine learning for detecting suspicious satellite maneuvers (orbital manipulation)(Elsevier B.V., 2026-07) Karunathilake K.K.H.; Abeywardena, K, Y; Vecchini, SSatellite systems have become prime targets for cyberthreats given their critical role in global infrastructure and general lack of security. Among these, orbital manipulation, a form of satellite hijacking, is a particularly severe threat that can disrupt essential operations and impact national security. To address these concerns, this research proposes an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based anomaly detection system that utilizes Machine Learning (ML) models to analyze telemetry data for possible orbital manipulations with a multi-gate physics architecture grounded in orbital mechanics, to verify that detected anomalies are kinematically inconsistent and are therefore genuine integrity failures. This research demonstrates that temporal-based models like LSTM are essential for this domain, achieving high recall rates which are then validated by the physics component. While the framework includes multiple physical constraints, this study specifically validates the energy-based Vis-Viva gate, with the Tsiolkovsky and Angular Momentum gates established as architectural designs for future verification. This study concludes that successful AI deployment in orbital cybersecurity requires a comprehensive approach that integrates domain-specific context and physics-informed validation beyond traditional performance metrics.Publication Open Access Vision incorporated MUltichannel Feature Fusion Template Matching (MUFF-TM) and real-time sub-pixel coordinate localization for 2D textile surface in ultrasonic tacking systems(Elsevier B.V., 2026-09) Kahandawala, B, S; Nalmi, R; Sodige, B, A.K; Subasinghage, K; Silva, B, N; Wijesinghe, R,E; Woo, S, TTemporary stitches are essential in apparel manufacturing as they temporarily secure fabric pieces to prevent misalignment during machine sewing and ensure high-quality results. Manual ultrasonic tacking machines were introduced to enhance the precision of this process; however, the necessity for expert operators remains a major constraint. This work introduces a real-time system for ultrasonic tacking machines that combines vision-guided single-modal MUltichannel Feature Fusion Template Matching (MUFF-TM) to autonomously identify and align tacking points on textiles with sub-pixel spatial accuracy. To overcome the limitations of classic feature-based algorithms on smooth and deformable fabrics, the proposed method utilizes macro-contour extraction and equidistant boundary sampling rather than relying on unstable local textures. Experimental results demonstrate that MUFF-TM achieves a 100% target detection rate with a highly stable Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of under 5 pixels across various dynamic conditions, including changes in orientation, illumination, scale, and non-rigid deformation. By significantly outperforming traditional algorithms (SIFT, SURF, and ORB) in spatial precision, the developed software interface offers a robust, versatile, and scalable solution for advancing automated precision in the apparel industry. Copyright
