Descrizione del progetto
Indurre la specializzazione dei dispositivi informatici con formati numerici definiti dal software
L’Internet delle cose (IoT) presenta una proliferazione di dispositivi informatici con un’ampia gamma di funzionalità: rilevamento e analisi dei dati e inferenza di modelli appresi automaticamente. Questi dispositivi implementano regole concordate per codificare i numeri nell’hardware. Tuttavia, l’aumento importante delle applicazioni alimentate dall’IoT comporta cambiamenti continui nei requisiti relativi ai formati dei numeri. Il progetto SoftNum, finanziato dall’UE, studierà come fare in modo che i formati dei numeri siano definiti dal software, consentendo una miriade di nuove applicazioni. Ciò consentirà di progettare un dispositivo di rilevamento dei dati che pre-elabora i flussi di dati alla minima precisione possibile per ridurre il consumo di energia, incorporare una filigrana per dimostrare la proprietà e l’origine dei dati e raggiungere la precisione richiesta a livello di applicazione.
Obiettivo
All computing devices implement computer arithmetic as a core functionality. Nearly all computing devices moreover implement the same, standardized number formats in order to aid software portability. However, with Moore’s Law ending, we question whether it remains the best approach to achieve high performance and low energy consumption by applying the same standardized number formats for all applications. Among others, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) presents a proliferation of compute devices with a wide variety of functionality, among others in data sensing, data analytics, and inference of machine-learned models. Additionally, security mechanisms, which are essential for internet-connected devices, are compute-intensive workloads. We posit that each of these workloads will see improved performance and energy-efficiency from distinct, specialized computer arithmetic.
The SoftNum Marie Curie Fellowship will explore how to make number formats, generally considered to be hard-wired functionality, software-defined. Software-defined number formats have the advantage of high performance, low energy consumption, and ensure sufficient while not excessive precision. For instance, with SoftNum it will be possible to design a data sensing device that pre-processes data streams at the minimal precision possible to minimize energy consumption, embeds a watermark to prove ownership and origin of the data, all while achieving the required application-level accuracy. This project, if successful, will have a major impact on how we perceive the design of computing devices. It will create an unprecedented degree of virtualization of the core computing hardware, with an estimated system-level speedup of 50% and reduction of energy consumption by 70%. This novel proposition promises to accelerate the Fellow’s career, who brings prior expertise in computer arithmetic to the project, under the mentorship of an expert in transprecise computing and runtime system software.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
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Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
BT7 1NN Belfast
Regno Unito