CNS Core: Small: AccelRITE: Accelerating ReInforcemenT Learning based AI at the Edge Using FPGAs

人工智能（AI）在自动驾驶汽车和机器人等多个领域取得了重大进展。强化学习（RL）是一类人工智能，包括使机器能够自学最佳决策的算法。然而，RL算法复杂且耗时，这使得它们不适合需要快速响应的应用程序。异构平台将中央处理单元（CPU）与可配置的集成电路耦合-现场可编程门阵列（FPGA）由于其能力而成为实现快速算法的有希望的候选者。该项目将开发针对此类平台的RL算法的快速实现。 该项目的智力优势包括创新优化的研究和开发，这些优化利用了新兴FPGA器件的异构性，并解决了诸如并行访问共享对象的冲突，不规则内存访问以及细粒度加速的开销等挑战。该项目将为关键AI内核开发参数化性能模型-随机梯度下降（SGD），共轭梯度，并行哈希表和神经网络，以实现能量性能权衡分析。该项目将开发一种新的基于时空约束图的设计空间探索技术，通过对RL算法的整体视图来加速RL算法。该项目的更广泛影响是有效使用由CPU和FPGA组成的异构架构，再加上缓存一致性存储器，以加速边缘计算的AI。该项目的成功完成将导致可以部署在真实的世界环境中的人工智能应用程序的复杂性显着增加。这将导致人工智能支持的设备（如自动驾驶汽车、机器人和可穿戴医疗设备）的功能大幅提升。该项目还将构成适合纳入研究生和本科生课程的材料。项目中开发的所有软件将发布在github上：https://github.com/pgroupATusc。软件版本将在授予结束后至少保留3年。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to significant progress in several domains such as self-driving cars and robotics. Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a class of AI that includes algorithms that enable machines to teach themselves optimal decision making. However, RL algorithms are complex and time-consuming, which render them unsuitable for applications that require fast response. Heterogeneous platforms, which couple a Central Processing Unit (CPU) with an integrated circuit that can be configured - Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) are promising candidates for implementing fast algorithms due to their capabilities. The project will develop fast implementations of RL algorithms targeting such platforms. The intellectual merits of the project include the research and development of innovative optimizations that exploit the heterogeneity of the emerging class of FPGA devices and address challenges such as conflicts in parallel accesses to shared objects, irregular memory accesses, and overheads in fine grained acceleration. The project will develop parameterized performance models for key AI kernels – Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD), conjugate gradient, parallel hash tables, and neural networks, to enable energy-performance trade-off analysis. The proposed project will develop a novel spatiotemporal constraint graph-based design space exploration technique to accelerate RL algorithms by taking a holistic view of the algorithm.The broader impact of the project is in efficient use of heterogeneous architectures consisting of CPUs and FPGAs coupled with cache coherent memory for accelerating AI for edge computing. Successful completion of this project will lead to significant increase in the complexity of AI applications that can be deployed in real world environments. This will lead to a dramatic improvement in the capabilities of AI enabled devices such as self-driving cars, robotics, and wearable healthcare devices. The project will also constitute materials appropriate for inclusion in graduate and undergraduate courses.All software developed in the project will be posted on github at: https://github.com/pgroupATusc. Software releases will be maintained for a period of not less than 3 years after the conclusion of the grant.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.