Using the physics of radio waves to empower smarter edge devices (pratt.duke.edu)

Researchers at Duke University have introduced an innovative approach called Wireless Smart Edge networks (WISE) that leverages radio waves to enhance energy-efficient edge AI. Traditionally, deploying AI models on small, battery-powered devices has been tricky, as either storing the models locally drains resources or offloading to the cloud introduces latency and energy consumption. WISE provides a solution by embedding AI model weights in radio signals sent from a base station, allowing devices to perform analog computations directly with these signals, ultimately reducing memory demands and energy usage. This method represents a significant leap in edge computing by utilizing existing wireless infrastructure, such as 5G and WiFi routers, to broadcast AI models, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional digital computing. Experiments have shown that WISE achieves nearly 96% accuracy in image classification while consuming significantly less energy compared to traditional methods. Although still in the early stages, the potential applications of WISE range from aiding drones in search and rescue operations to enhancing the performance of traffic cameras, heralding a new era of intelligence distribution through blended communication and computation in future networks.