Disclosed are systems and methods for developing robust features for representing data. In embodiments, a linear generative model is computed using data. In embodiments, based upon a robustness measure, a set of features is selected. In embodiments, the set of features may be evaluated to gauge the capacity of the set of features to represent the data. Responsive to the set of features not satisfying an evaluation criterion or criteria, the set of features may be refined until the selected set of features complies with the evaluation criterion or criteria.