Master Thesis - Approximative Computing for CNNs

Computer Science, Machine Learning, Electronics, Integrated Circuits

Two Master students completing 30 credits each

Background 

Convolutional neural networks for object detection and semantic segmentation are increasingly deployed directly on edge devices, where power consumption and silicon area are tightly constrained. Most of the energy and area in a neural network accelerator is spent on multiply-accumulate operations. Approximate computing offers a way to reduce these costs by replacing exact arithmetic circuits with simpler alternatives that trade numerical accuracy for lower power consumption and smaller circuit area. Because neural networks are inherently tolerant to numerical noise, approximate multipliers have shown promising results for image classification. However, their impact on dense-prediction tasks such as object detection and semantic segmentation, where precise localization and per-pixel accuracy matter, remains largely unexplored.  

Goal

This thesis will investigate how approximate arithmetic circuits affect the accuracy and hardware efficiency of CNNs for object detection and semantic segmentation. Using established open-source libraries of approximate multipliers and simulation frameworks, you will: 

• Evaluate how approximate multipliers affect detection and segmentation performance. 

• Quantify the trade-off between network accuracy and estimated power and area savings. 

• Explore methods for recovering lost accuracy, such as layer-wise selection of multipliers, calibration, and fine-tuning. 

We're looking for two Master's students in Electrical Engineering, Computer engineering, Computer science, or a related field who enjoy working where hardware meets machine learning. You're curious about how algorithms map onto silicon and motivated by turning experimental results into clear, well-founded conclusions. 

You should have: 

• Solid programming skills in Python, and experience with a deep learning framework such as PyTorch or Tensorflow 

• A basic understanding of convolutional neural networks and how they are trained and evaluated 

• Coursework or experience in digital design or computer architecture, including computer arithmetic 

It's a plus if you have:

• Experience with object detection or semantic segmentation models 

• Familiarity with neural network quantization or hardware-aware model optimization 

• Experience with hardware description languages (Verilog/VHDL) or synthesis tools 

• Knowledge of C/C++ and/or CUDA 

• An interest in energy-efficient computing and edge AI 

If you're applying as a pair, we especially welcome complementary profiles, for example one person with a stronger machine learning background and one with a stronger hardware background. 

OK, I am interested! What do I do now? 

You are valuable to us – how nice that you are interested in one of our proposals! There are a few things for you to keep in mind when applying. 

• Applications are accepted in both Swedish and English, and you apply via the proposal advert. 

• The announced thesis is open only to students affiliated with a Swedish University/College either directly or via an exchange program. 

• When the thesis proposal states that it includes two students working together, we would like you to apply in pairs. In these cases, send one application each but make sure to clearly state in your application who your co-applicant is. If you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

• Please attach your CV and University/College grade summary. 

Who to contact for any questions regarding the thesis assignment! 

Tiger Moberg, tiger.moberg@axis.com

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