Aloha project

Software framework for runtime-Adaptive and secure deep Learning On Heterogeneous Architectures

Horizon 2020

This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, grant agreement No. 780788

Consortium

We are a team of 14 partners from 7 countries

Deep Learning (DL) algorithms are an extremely promising instrument in artificial intelligence. To foster their adoption in new applications and markets, a step forward is needed towards the implementation of DL inference on low-power embedded systems, enabling a shift to the edge computing paradigm. The main goal of ALOHA is to facilitate implementation of DL algorithms on heterogeneous low-energy computing platforms providing automation for optimal algorithm selection, resource allocation and deployment.

ALOHA Use cases

Speech recognition in smart industry

This scenario refers to Smart Industry, where Deep Learning is used for speech recognition. The objective of this use case is to develop an embedded speech recognition system that would activate/deactivate PLC-controlled tooling machinery or collaborative robot in an industrial environment, without relying on a cloud backend.


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Surveillance of Critical Infrastructures

This scenario refers to Critical Infrastructures surveillance, where Deep Learning is meant to be used to define an intelligent video-based detection system for security in and around the critical infrastructure. A specific challenge is to use deep learning methods to enable technician after a short training to utilize advanced capabilities of modern surveillance techniques.

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Medical decision assistant

This use-case refers to a DL-based smart assistant, which supports emergency room situations, identifying acute intracranial bleeds in non-contrast CT images. The consortium wants to assess the benefits provided by the ALOHA tool flow within the development of an embedded medical decision assistant, considering the requirements posed by the specific application in terms of accuracy and performance.

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Architecture-awareness

The features of the architecture that will execute the inference are taken into account during the whole development process, starting from the early stages such as pre-training hyperparameter optimization and algorithm configuration.

Productivity

The tool flow implements support for agile development methodologies, to be easily adopted by SMEs and midcaps.

Adaptivity

The development process considers that the system should adapt to different operating modes at runtime.



Extensibility

The development process is conceived to support novel processing platforms to be exploitable beyond the end of the project.

Security

The development process automates the introduction of algorithm features and programming techniques improving the resilience of the system to attacks.


Parsimonious inference

In DL, good precision levels can be also obtained using algorithms with reduced complexity. All the optimization utilities in the ALOHA tool flow will consider the effects of algorithm simplification on precision, execution time, energy and power.

Latest News & Events

Design and Deployment of Deep Learning Applications on Edge Computing Platforms. ALOHA at SLOHA 2021

The SLOHA Workshop's primary goal is to address these research questions and facilitate the implementation of DL applications on heterogeneous low-power computing platforms and edge devices, including accelerators such as (embedded) GPUs, FPGAs, CGRAs, and TPUs. SLOHA 2021 (System-level Design Methods for Deep Learning on Heterogeneous Architectures) will be virtually held on February 5, 2021.

The ALOHA consortium will propose several presentations of the ALOHA framework during SLOHA 2021, which is co-located with Date Conference 2021 (Conference on Design, Automation and Test in Europe).

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Surveillance of critical infrastructures - Video demonstrator

This video presents the video surveillance of critical infrastructures use case within the ALOHA H2020 project.

We define critical infrastructure as being assets, systems and networks that, due to their nature, are essential for the proper functioning of a government, an economy or a society in general. Common examples of critical infrastructures are Correctional Facilities, Central Banks, Transportation Systems, Public Health Facilities, Energy and Water supply chains.

PKE, responsible for this use case whithin the ALOHA project, is working on Deep Learning based technologies to develop and improve intelligent video-based intrusion detection systems to secure such infrastructures.

Video by PKE.

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ALOHA use cases - Surveillance of Critical Infrastructures - Updates

Recent updates on the ALOHA Use case aimed at improving the Surveillance of Critical Infrastructures (Correctional Facilities, Central Banks, Transportation Systems, Public Health Facilities, Energy and Water supply chains). Whithin the ALOHA project, PKE is working on Deep Learning based technologies to develop and improve intelligent video-based intrusion detection systems to secure such infrastructures. In this scenario, a currently open issue is the long time that lasts between the installation of a system at a specific site and the point in time at which it becomes reliable. Usually, an evaluation period of a few weeks up to multiple months is state of the art. In this period, algorithms are parameterized and tweaked for the optimal state. In the case of video surveillance for critical infrastructures, we deal with large areas and building complexes. Properly monitoring them may require hundreds or even thousands of cameras.

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Contacts

Project Coordinator
Giuseppe Desoli - STMicroelectronics
giuseppe(dot)desoli(at)st(dot)com

Scientific Coordinator
Paolo Meloni - University of Cagliari, EOLAB
paolo(dot)meloni(at)diee(dot)unica(dot)it

Dissemination Manager
Francesca Palumbo - University of Sassari, IDEA Lab
fpalumbo(at)uniss(dot)it

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