
Real Time Machine Learning (2019) [pdf] - apsec112
https://www.darpa.mil/attachments/Real%20Time%20Machine%20Learning%20Proposers%20Day_v3.pdf
======
canada_dry
> program seeks to create _no-human-in-the-loop_ hardware generators and
> compilers to enable fully automated creation of ML Application-Specific
> Integrated Circuits (ASICs)

Of course it's a fairly obvious use of ML/AI. There are just so many
fascinating ways this can play out in the future - it's going to be an
interesting ride!

Note also, Olofsson is the founder of Adapteva [i].

[i]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adapteva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adapteva)

------
apsdsm
Despite myself I’m disappointed this wasn’t about time machines.

------
nn3
The power/performance spectrum seems to be very wide:

200uW for 400Kbps throughput with 0.6 accuracy

200W for 400Gps with higher accuracy with 0.99 accuracy

I guess will be interesting where in this range the result (if any) will fall.

~~~
jagtesh
I guess they want silicon for different uses. Embedded with low power
consumption (on a soldier/handheld for example), in a vehicle, in a
datacenter, etc.

With each situation, your need for precision can vary, and along with it the
requirement for processing power.

A model tuned for 75% accuracy is lighter and faster to run (fewer layers) vs
85% (several times bigger, slower). I've made up the numbers to illustrate a
point. This is anecdotal and I'm not an ML expert. But here's some evidence:

1\. [https://ai.googleblog.com/2019/03/an-all-neural-on-device-
sp...](https://ai.googleblog.com/2019/03/an-all-neural-on-device-
speech.html?m=1)

2\. [https://ai.googleblog.com/2018/05/custom-on-device-ml-
models...](https://ai.googleblog.com/2018/05/custom-on-device-ml-
models.html?m=1)

3\. [https://krisp.ai/blog/how-we-shrunk-dnn-to-run-inside-
chrome...](https://krisp.ai/blog/how-we-shrunk-dnn-to-run-inside-chrome/)

------
aspenmayer
I did a deep-dive into RTML on Twitter[0][1] just now after seeing this post,
and I hope to bring some context and clarity to this project, which is done in
conjunction with the National Science Foundation (NSF).

@DARPA Twitter thread [2019] on RTML

[https://twitter.com/darpa/status/1108760215611236353](https://twitter.com/darpa/status/1108760215611236353)

Report in OP’s linked PDF authored by Andreas Olofsson

[https://d60.darpa.mil/speakers/MrAndreasOlofsson.html](https://d60.darpa.mil/speakers/MrAndreasOlofsson.html)

DARPA RTML program overseen by Serge Leef

[https://www.darpa.mil/staff/mr-serge-leef](https://www.darpa.mil/staff/mr-
serge-leef)

Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI) Summit 2019 talk on RTML

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQfddARnNB0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQfddARnNB0)

ERI Summit site

[https://eri-summit.darpa.mil/](https://eri-summit.darpa.mil/)

ERI @ DARPA

[https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/electronics-resurgence-
in...](https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/electronics-resurgence-initiative)

National Science Foundation (NSF) RTML program

[https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505640](https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505640)

My unrolled Twitter thread, for convenience

[0]
[https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1292268278958694402.html](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1292268278958694402.html)

Direct link to my Twitter thread

[1]
[https://twitter.com/aspenmayer/status/1292268278958694402](https://twitter.com/aspenmayer/status/1292268278958694402)

Edit:

This late edit was informed by additional info about those awarded grants from
DARPA to study RTML, from HN user _WillSlim95_.

[https://ece.umn.edu/prof-sachin-sapatnekar-to-lead-darpa-
fun...](https://ece.umn.edu/prof-sachin-sapatnekar-to-lead-darpa-funded-
project-to-build-open-source-hardware-generators/)

In brief, Professor Sachin Sapatnekar (ACM Fellow [2016], University of
Minnesota, College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering) has been awarded a $2.2M grant from DARPA, “to build open-source
hardware generators for a range of machine learning algorithms that process
data in real time.”

His faculty page

[https://ece.umn.edu/directory/sapatnekar-
sachin/](https://ece.umn.edu/directory/sapatnekar-sachin/)

Quirky OG Web 1.0 faculty page

[https://people.ece.umn.edu/users/sachin/](https://people.ece.umn.edu/users/sachin/)

~~~
smangold
Thank you for sharing all the relevant information!

------
person_of_color
The author of these slides is the creator of Parallela.

~~~
axegon_
Interesting, I hadn't heard the Parallela name in years. I remember them
making some utterly unrealistic promises about close to triple digit cpu core
sbc's back in the first half of the 2010's and that was that.

------
pkage
Is there any information on who competed for (and ultimately won) the
contract?

~~~
WillSlim95
Sachin Sapatnekar from University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

[https://ece.umn.edu/prof-sachin-sapatnekar-to-lead-darpa-
fun...](https://ece.umn.edu/prof-sachin-sapatnekar-to-lead-darpa-funded-
project-to-build-open-source-hardware-generators/)

------
christofon
I really was hoping this lets me learn about real time machines...

------
jarym
Only related to ‘low-power’ AI I recently came across Ogma[1] And though the
combination of online learning and something that works on a Raspberry Pi was
fascinating. Surprised it’s not appeared on here before

[1] [https://ogma.ai/category/ogmaneo/](https://ogma.ai/category/ogmaneo/)

------
godelmachine
Has Andreas Olofsson left Adapteva for greener pastures? His LinkedIN profile
makes an impression he has moved on.

Does anyone get to be a DARPA Program Manager while being a CEO of another
company?

~~~
WillSlim95
He left Adapteva to become a PM at DARPA and has now moved on from DARPA.

