Optimizing Neural Network Inference in Edge Robotics by Harnessing FPGA Hardware Acceleration

Abstract

This research explores advancements in neural network inference for edge robotics through the implementation of hardware acceleration using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). Leveraging FPGA's versatility in custom hardware design, the research optimizes performance and energy efficiency by utilizing features such as Digital Signal Processors (DSP), Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) arrays, parallel processing units, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and custom accelerators. The computational power of FPGA-based architectures is harnessed to significantly enhance the speed and efficiency of neural network inference tasks in edge robotics applications. Key aspects include the utilization of DSP blocks for efficient signal processing, MAC arrays for high-speed matrix operations crucial in neural network computations, and parallel processing units for concurrent execution of multiple tasks, improving overall system throughput. The integration of CNN directly onto FPGA hardware allows for minimal-latency inference, making it ideal for real-time applications in edge robotics scenarios. Custom accelerators tailored to specific neural network operations further optimize performance and resource utilization. The research involves the meticulous design and synthesis of hardware modules tailored to the target FPGA platform. Through rigorous optimization and parallelization techniques, the goal is to maximize resource utilization while minimizing latency and power consumption. The experimental findings showcase remarkable results, including a substantial increase in throughput, with values reaching up to 150 images/sec, and impressive accuracy rates exceeding 95% in classification tasks.