In this work, we consider the resource allocation problem for task offloading from Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices, to a non-terrestrial network. The architecture considers clusters of IoMT devices that offload their tasks to a dedicated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) serving as a multi-access edge computing (MEC) server, which can compute the task or further offload it to an available high-altitude platform station (HAPS) or to a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite for remote computing. We formulate a problem that has as objective the minimization of the weighted sum delay of the tasks. Given the non-convex nature of the problem, and acknowledging that the complexity of the optimization algorithms impact their performance, we derive a low-complexity joint subchannel allocation and offloading decision algorithm with dynamic computing resource initialization, developed as a greedy heuristic based on convex optimization criteria. Simulations show the gain obtained by including the different non-terrestrial nodes against architectures without them.
Structured State Space models (SSM) have recently emerged as a new class of deep learning models, particularly well-suited for processing long sequences. Their constant memory footprint, in contrast to the linearly scaling memory demands of Transformers, makes them attractive candidates for deployment on resource-constrained edge-computing devices. While recent works have explored the effect of quantization-aware training (QAT) on SSMs, they typically do not address its implications for specialized edge hardware, for example, analog in-memory computing (AIMC) chips. In this work, we demonstrate that QAT can significantly reduce the complexity of SSMs by up to two orders of magnitude across various performance metrics. We analyze the relation between model size and numerical precision, and show that QAT enhances robustness to analog noise and enables structural pruning. Finally, we integrate these techniques to deploy SSMs on a memristive analog in-memory computing substrate and highlight the resulting benefits in terms of computational efficiency.
With the emergence of compute-intensive and delay-sensitive applications in vehicular networks, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a promising complement for vehicular edge computing due to the high mobility and flexible deployment. However, the existing UAV-assisted offloading strategies are insufficient in coordinating heterogeneous computing resources and adapting to dynamic network conditions. Hence, this paper proposes a dual-layer UAV-assisted edge computing architecture based on partial offloading, composed of the relay capability of high-altitude UAVs and the computing support of low-altitude UAVs. The proposed architecture enables efficient integration and coordination of heterogeneous resources. A joint optimization problem is formulated to minimize the system delay and energy consumption while ensuring the task completion rate. To solve the high-dimensional decision problem, we reformulate the problem as a Markov decision process and propose a hierarchical offloading scheme based on the soft actor-critic algorithm. The method decouples global and local decisions, where the global decisions integrate offloading ratios and trajectory planning into continuous actions, while the local scheduling is handled via designing a priority-based mechanism. Simulations are conducted and demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms several baselines in task completion rate, system efficiency, and convergence speed, showing strong robustness and applicability in dynamic vehicular environments.
Edge computing enables data processing closer to the source, significantly reducing latency an essential requirement for real-time vision-based analytics such as object detection in surveillance and smart city environments. However, these tasks place substantial demands on resource constrained edge devices, making the joint optimization of energy consumption and detection accuracy critical. To address this challenge, we propose ECORE, a framework that integrates multiple dynamic routing strategies including estimation based techniques and a greedy selection algorithm to direct image processing requests to the most suitable edge device-model pair. ECORE dynamically balances energy efficiency and detection performance based on object characteristics. We evaluate our approach through extensive experiments on real-world datasets, comparing the proposed routers against widely used baseline techniques. The evaluation leverages established object detection models (YOLO, SSD, EfficientDet) and diverse edge platforms, including Jetson Orin Nano, Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, and TPU accelerators. Results demonstrate that our proposed context-aware routing strategies can reduce energy consumption and latency by 45% and 49%, respectively, while incurring only a 2% loss in detection accuracy compared to accuracy-centric methods.
The integration of Federated Learning (FL) and Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) presents a compelling pathway for training more powerful, large-scale artificial intelligence models (LAMs) on decentralized data while preserving privacy. However, efficient federated training of these complex MoE-structured LAMs is hindered by significant system-level challenges, particularly in managing the interplay between heterogeneous client resources and the sophisticated coordination required for numerous specialized experts. This article highlights a critical, yet underexplored concept: the absence of robust quantitative strategies for dynamic client-expert alignment that holistically considers varying client capacities and the imperative for system-wise load balancing. Specifically, we propose a conceptual system design for intelligent client-expert alignment that incorporates dynamic fitness scoring, global expert load monitoring, and client capacity profiling. By tackling these systemic issues, we can unlock more scalable, efficient, and robust training mechanisms {with fewer communication rounds for convergence}, paving the way for the widespread deployment of large-scale federated MoE-structured LAMs in edge computing with ultra-high communication efficiency.
The computation demands from the maritime Internet of Things (MIoT) increase rapidly in recent years, and the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and vessels based multi-access edge computing (MEC) can fulfill these MIoT requirements. However, the uncertain maritime tasks present significant challenges of inefficient computation offloading and resource allocation. In this paper, we focus on the maritime computation offloading and resource allocation through the cooperation of UAVs and vessels, with consideration of uncertain tasks. Specifically, we propose a cooperative MEC framework for computation offloading and resource allocation, including MIoT devices, UAVs and vessels. Then, we formulate the optimization problem to minimize the total execution time. As for the uncertain MIoT tasks, we leverage Lyapunov optimization to tackle the unpredictable task arrivals and varying computational resource availability. By converting the long-term constraints into short-term constraints, we obtain a set of small-scale optimization problems. Further, considering the heterogeneity of actions and resources of UAVs and vessels, we reformulate the small-scale optimization problem into a Markov game (MG). Moreover, a heterogeneous-agent soft actor-critic is proposed to sequentially update various neural networks and effectively solve the MG problem. Finally, simulations are conducted to verify the effectiveness in addressing computational offloading and resource allocation.
With the widespread application of edge computing and cloud systems in AI-driven applications, how to maintain efficient performance while ensuring data privacy has become an urgent security issue. This paper proposes a federated learning-based data collaboration method to improve the security of edge cloud AI systems, and use large-scale language models (LLMs) to enhance data privacy protection and system robustness. Based on the existing federated learning framework, this method introduces a secure multi-party computation protocol, which optimizes the data aggregation and encryption process between distributed nodes by using LLM to ensure data privacy and improve system efficiency. By combining advanced adversarial training techniques, the model enhances the resistance of edge cloud AI systems to security threats such as data leakage and model poisoning. Experimental results show that the proposed method is 15% better than the traditional federated learning method in terms of data protection and model robustness.
Cloud computing drives innovation but also poses significant environmental challenges due to its high-energy consumption and carbon emissions. Data centers account for 2-4% of global energy usage, and the ICT sector's share of electricity consumption is projected to reach 40% by 2040. As the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 becomes increasingly urgent, there is a growing need for more efficient and transparent solutions, particularly for private cloud infrastructures, which are utilized by 87% of organizations, despite the dominance of public-cloud systems. This study evaluates the MAIZX framework, designed to optimize cloud operations and reduce carbon footprint by dynamically ranking resources, including data centers, edge computing nodes, and multi-cloud environments, based on real-time and forecasted carbon intensity, Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), and energy consumption. Leveraging a flexible ranking algorithm, MAIZX achieved an 85.68% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to baseline hypervisor operations. Tested across geographically distributed data centers, the framework demonstrates scalability and effectiveness, directly interfacing with hypervisors to optimize workloads in private, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments. MAIZX integrates real-time data on carbon intensity, power consumption, and carbon footprint, as well as forecasted values, into cloud management, providing a robust tool for enhancing climate performance potential while maintaining operational efficiency.
Deep learning-based pathological image analysis presents unique challenges due to the practical constraints of network design. Most existing methods apply computer vision models directly to medical tasks, neglecting the distinct characteristics of pathological images. This mismatch often leads to computational inefficiencies, particularly in edge-computing scenarios. To address this, we propose a novel Network Similarity Directed Initialization (NSDI) strategy to improve the stability of neural architecture search (NAS). Furthermore, we introduce domain adaptation into one-shot NAS to better handle variations in staining and semantic scale across pathology datasets. Experiments on the BRACS dataset demonstrate that our method outperforms existing approaches, delivering both superior classification performance and clinically relevant feature localization.
In this paper,we investigate a novel wireless powered mobile edge computing (MEC) system assisted by pinching antennas (PAs), where devices first harvest energy from a base station and then offload computation-intensive tasks to an MEC server. As an emerging technology, PAs utilize long dielectric waveguides embedded with multiple localized dielectric particles, which can be spatially configured through a pinching mechanism to effectively reduce large-scale propagation loss. This capability facilitates both efficient downlink energy transfer and uplink task offloading. To fully exploit these advantages, we adopt a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) framework and formulate a joint optimization problem to maximize the system's computational capacity by jointly optimizing device transmit power, time allocation, PA positions in both uplink and downlink, and radiation control. To address the resulting non-convexity caused by variable coupling, we develop an alternating optimization algorithm that integrates particle swarm optimization (PSO) with successive convex approximation. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed PA-assisted design substantially improves both energy harvesting efficiency and computational performance compared to conventional antenna systems.
Under a dramatic increase in mobile data traffic, a promising solution for edge computing systems to maintain their local service is the task migration that may be implemented by means of Autonomous mobile agents (AMA). In designing an optimal scheme for task offloading to AMA, we define a system cost as a minimization objective function that comprises two parts. First, an offloading cost which can be interpreted as the cost of using computational resources from the AMA. Second, a penalty cost due to potential task expiration. To minimize the expected (timeaverage) cost over a given time horizon, we formulate a Dynamic programming (DP). However, the DP Equation suffers from the well-known curse of dimensionality, which makes computations intractable, especially for infinite system state space. To reduce the computational burden, we identify three important properties of the optimal policy and show that it suffices to evaluate the DP Equation on a finite subset of the state space only. We then prove that the optimal task offloading decision at a state can be inferred from that at its adjacent states, further reducing the computational load. We present simulations to verify the theoretical results and to provide insights into the considered system.
Regardless of the advancements in device capabilities, efficient inferencing advanced large language models (LLMs) at the edge remains challenging due to limited device memory and power constraints. Existing strategies, such as aggressive quantization, pruning, or remote inference, trade accuracy for efficiency or lead to substantial cost burdens. This position paper introduces a new approach that leverages speculative decoding, previously viewed primarily as a decoding acceleration technique for autoregressive generation of LLMs, as a promising approach specifically adapted for edge computing by orchestrating computation across heterogeneous devices. We propose \acronym, a method that allows lightweight edge devices to draft multiple candidate tokens locally using diverse draft models, while a single, shared edge server efficiently batches and verifies the tokens utilizing a more precise target model. This approach supports device heterogeneity and reduces server-side memory footprint by avoiding the need to deploy multiple target models. Our initial experiments with Jetson Orin Nano, Raspberry Pi 4B/5, and an edge server equipped with 4 Nvidia A100 GPUs indicate substantial benefits: significantly increased system throughput, capacity, and better cost efficiency, all without sacrificing model accuracy.
The growing adoption of large pre-trained models in edge computing has made deploying model inference on mobile clients both practical and popular. These devices are inherently vulnerable to direct adversarial attacks, which pose a substantial threat to the robustness and security of deployed models. Federated adversarial training (FAT) has emerged as an effective solution to enhance model robustness while preserving client privacy. However, FAT frequently produces a generalized global model, which struggles to address the diverse and heterogeneous data distributions across clients, resulting in insufficiently personalized performance, while also encountering substantial communication challenges during the training process. In this paper, we propose \textit{Sylva}, a personalized collaborative adversarial training framework designed to deliver customized defense models for each client through a two-phase process. In Phase 1, \textit{Sylva} employs LoRA for local adversarial fine-tuning, enabling clients to personalize model robustness while drastically reducing communication costs by uploading only LoRA parameters during federated aggregation. In Phase 2, a game-based layer selection strategy is introduced to enhance accuracy on benign data, further refining the personalized model. This approach ensures that each client receives a tailored defense model that balances robustness and accuracy effectively. Extensive experiments on benchmark datasets demonstrate that \textit{Sylva} can achieve up to 50$\times$ improvements in communication efficiency compared to state-of-the-art algorithms, while achieving up to 29.5\% and 50.4\% enhancements in adversarial robustness and benign accuracy, respectively.
Federated weakly supervised video anomaly detection represents a significant advancement in privacy-preserving collaborative learning, enabling distributed clients to train anomaly detectors using only video-level annotations. However, the inherent challenges of optimizing noisy representation with coarse-grained labels often result in substantial local model errors, which are exacerbated during federated aggregation, particularly in heterogeneous scenarios. To address these limitations, we propose a novel dual-detector framework incorporating adaptive dynamic recursive mapping, which significantly enhances local model accuracy and robustness against representation noise. Our framework integrates two complementary components: a channel-averaged anomaly detector and a channel-statistical anomaly detector, which interact through cross-detector adaptive decision parameters to enable iterative optimization and stable anomaly scoring across all instances. Furthermore, we introduce the scene similarity adaptive local aggregation algorithm, which dynamically aggregates and learns private models based on scene similarity, thereby enhancing generalization capabilities across diverse scenarios. Extensive experiments conducted on the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier platform using the ShanghaiTech and UBnormal datasets demonstrate the superior performance of our approach in both centralized and federated settings. Notably, in federated environments, our method achieves remarkable improvements of 6.2% and 12.3% in AUC compared to state-of-the-art methods, underscoring its effectiveness in resource-constrained scenarios and its potential for real-world applications in distributed video surveillance systems.
Edge computing breaks with traditional autoscaling due to strict resource constraints, thus, motivating more flexible scaling behaviors using multiple elasticity dimensions. This work introduces an agent-based autoscaling framework that dynamically adjusts both hardware resources and internal service configurations to maximize requirements fulfillment in constrained environments. We compare four types of scaling agents: Active Inference, Deep Q Network, Analysis of Structural Knowledge, and Deep Active Inference, using two real-world processing services running in parallel: YOLOv8 for visual recognition and OpenCV for QR code detection. Results show all agents achieve acceptable SLO performance with varying convergence patterns. While the Deep Q Network benefits from pre-training, the structural analysis converges quickly, and the deep active inference agent combines theoretical foundations with practical scalability advantages. Our findings provide evidence for the viability of multi-dimensional agent-based autoscaling for edge environments and encourage future work in this research direction.
Accurate and reliable object detection is critical for ensuring the safety and efficiency of Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs). Traditional on-board perception systems have limited accuracy due to occlusions and blind spots, while cloud-based solutions introduce significant latency, making them unsuitable for real-time processing demands required for autonomous driving in dynamic environments. To address these challenges, we introduce an innovative framework, Edge-Enabled Collaborative Object Detection (ECOD) for CAVs, that leverages edge computing and multi-CAV collaboration for real-time, multi-perspective object detection. Our ECOD framework integrates two key algorithms: Perceptive Aggregation and Collaborative Estimation (PACE) and Variable Object Tally and Evaluation (VOTE). PACE aggregates detection data from multiple CAVs on an edge server to enhance perception in scenarios where individual CAVs have limited visibility. VOTE utilizes a consensus-based voting mechanism to improve the accuracy of object classification by integrating data from multiple CAVs. Both algorithms are designed at the edge to operate in real-time, ensuring low-latency and reliable decision-making for CAVs. We develop a hardware-based controlled testbed consisting of camera-equipped robotic CAVs and an edge server to evaluate the efficacy of our framework. Our experimental results demonstrate the significant benefits of ECOD in terms of improved object classification accuracy, outperforming traditional single-perspective onboard approaches by up to 75%, while ensuring low-latency, edge-driven real-time processing. This research highlights the potential of edge computing to enhance collaborative perception for latency-sensitive autonomous systems.
Soft real-time applications are becoming increasingly complex, posing significant challenges for scheduling offloaded tasks in edge computing environments while meeting task timing constraints. Moreover, the exponential growth of the search space, presence of multiple objectives and parameters, and highly dynamic nature of edge computing environments further exacerbate the complexity of task scheduling. As a result, schedulers based on heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms frequently encounter difficulties in generating optimal or near-optimal task schedules due to their constrained ability to adapt to the dynamic conditions and complex environmental characteristics of edge computing. Accordingly, reinforcement learning algorithms have been incorporated into schedulers to address the complexity and dynamic conditions inherent in task scheduling in edge computing. However, a significant limitation of reinforcement learning algorithms is the prolonged learning time required to adapt to new environments and to address medium- and large-scale problems. This challenge arises from the extensive global action space and frequent random exploration of irrelevant actions. Therefore, this study proposes Agile Reinforcement learning (aRL), in which the RL-agent performs informed exploration and executes only relevant actions. Consequently, the predictability of the RL-agent is enhanced, leading to rapid adaptation and convergence, which positions aRL as a suitable candidate for scheduling the tasks of soft real-time applications in edge computing. The experiments demonstrate that the combination of informed exploration and action-masking methods enables aRL to achieve a higher hit-ratio and converge faster than the baseline approaches.
Federated learning is a machine learning paradigm that leverages edge computing on client devices to optimize models while maintaining user privacy by ensuring that local data remains on the device. However, since all data is collected by clients, federated learning is susceptible to latent noise in local datasets. Factors such as limited measurement capabilities or human errors may introduce inaccuracies in client data. To address this challenge, we propose the use of a stochastic neural network as the local model within the federated learning framework. Stochastic neural networks not only facilitate the estimation of the true underlying states of the data but also enable the quantification of latent noise. We refer to our federated learning approach, which incorporates stochastic neural networks as local models, as Federated stochastic neural networks. We will present numerical experiments demonstrating the performance and effectiveness of our method, particularly in handling non-independent and identically distributed data.
Split federated learning (SFL) has emerged as a promising paradigm to democratize machine learning (ML) on edge devices by enabling layer-wise model partitioning. However, existing SFL approaches suffer significantly from the straggler effect due to the heterogeneous capabilities of edge devices. To address the fundamental challenge, we propose adaptively controlling batch sizes (BSs) and model splitting (MS) for edge devices to overcome resource heterogeneity. We first derive a tight convergence bound of SFL that quantifies the impact of varied BSs and MS on learning performance. Based on the convergence bound, we propose HASFL, a heterogeneity-aware SFL framework capable of adaptively controlling BS and MS to balance communication-computing latency and training convergence in heterogeneous edge networks. Extensive experiments with various datasets validate the effectiveness of HASFL and demonstrate its superiority over state-of-the-art benchmarks.
This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the RISC-V instruction set architecture, focusing on its modular design, implementation challenges, and performance characteristics. We examine the RV32I base instruction set with extensions for multiplication (M) and atomic operations (A). Through cycle-accurate simulation of a pipelined implementation, we evaluate performance metrics including CPI (cycles per instruction) and power efficiency. Our results demonstrate RISC-V's advantages in embedded systems and its scalability for custom accelerators. Comparative analysis shows a 17% reduction in power consumption compared to ARM Cortex-M0 implementations in similar process nodes. The open-standard nature of RISC-V provides significant flexibility for domain-specific optimizations.