SHA-CNN: Scalable Hierarchical Aware Convolutional Neural Network for Edge AI

This paper introduces a Scalable Hierarchical Aware Convolutional Neural Network (SHA-CNN) model architecture for Edge AI applications. The proposed hierarchical CNN model is meticulously crafted to strike a balance between computational efficiency and accuracy, addressing the challenges posed by resource-constrained edge devices. SHA-CNN demonstrates its efficacy by achieving accuracy comparable to state-of-the-art hierarchical models while outperforming baseline models in accuracy metrics. The key innovation lies in the model's hierarchical awareness, enabling it to discern and prioritize relevant features at multiple levels of abstraction. The proposed architecture classifies data in a hierarchical manner, facilitating a nuanced understanding of complex features within the datasets. Moreover, SHA-CNN exhibits a remarkable capacity for scalability, allowing for the seamless incorporation of new classes. This flexibility is particularly advantageous in dynamic environments where the model needs to adapt to evolving datasets and accommodate additional classes without the need for extensive retraining. Testing has been conducted on the PYNQ Z2 FPGA board to validate the proposed model. The results achieved an accuracy of 99.34%, 83.35%, and 63.66% for MNIST, CIFAR-10, and CIFAR-100 datasets, respectively. For CIFAR-100, our proposed architecture performs hierarchical classification with 10% reduced computation while compromising only 0.7% accuracy with the state-of-the-art. The adaptability of SHA-CNN to FPGA architecture underscores its potential for deployment in edge devices, where computational resources are limited. The SHA-CNN framework thus emerges as a promising advancement in the intersection of hierarchical CNNs, scalability, and FPGA-based Edge AI.