Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness

Abstract This work presents a comprehensive analysis of how extreme data quantization and fixed pattern noise (FPN) from CMOS imagers affect the performance of deep neural networks for image recognition tasks. Binary neural networks (BNN) are particularly attractive for resource-constrained embedded...

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Main Authors: Francisco Javier Andreo-Oliver, Gines Domenech-Asensi, Jose Angel Diaz-Madrid, Ramon Ruiz-Merino, Juan Zapata-Perez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10833-1
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author Francisco Javier Andreo-Oliver
Gines Domenech-Asensi
Jose Angel Diaz-Madrid
Ramon Ruiz-Merino
Juan Zapata-Perez
author_facet Francisco Javier Andreo-Oliver
Gines Domenech-Asensi
Jose Angel Diaz-Madrid
Ramon Ruiz-Merino
Juan Zapata-Perez
author_sort Francisco Javier Andreo-Oliver
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This work presents a comprehensive analysis of how extreme data quantization and fixed pattern noise (FPN) from CMOS imagers affect the performance of deep neural networks for image recognition tasks. Binary neural networks (BNN) are particularly attractive for resource-constrained embedded systems due to their reduced memory footprint and computational requirements. However, these highly quantized networks demonstrate increased sensitivity to sensor imperfections, particularly FPN inherent to CMOS imaging devices. Taking as baseline a BNN with binary weights and 32-bit batch normalization parameters, we systematically investigate performance degradation when these parameters are quantized to lower bit-widths and when various types of FPN are applied to input images. Our experiments with CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 datasets reveal that decreasing batch normalization parameters to 4-bit provides a reasonable compromise between resource efficiency and accuracy, although the performance significantly deteriorates at higher noise levels. We demonstrate that this degradation can be effectively mitigated through strategic noise augmentation during training. Specifically, training with moderate (5-10%) noise levels improves resilience to similar noise during inference while models trained with column FPN show remarkable robustness across multiple noise types Our findings provide practical guidance for designing efficient and noise-tolerant BNNs for low-power vision systems, showing that appropriate training strategies can achieve up to 60% accuracy.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
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spelling doaj-art-1d7f1572b30d43b8887bc7696872dbb72025-08-20T04:01:52ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-10833-1Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustnessFrancisco Javier Andreo-Oliver0Gines Domenech-Asensi1Jose Angel Diaz-Madrid2Ramon Ruiz-Merino3Juan Zapata-Perez4Universidad Politécnica de CartagenaUniversidad Politécnica de CartagenaCentro Universitario de la Defensa UPCTUniversidad Politécnica de CartagenaUniversidad Politécnica de CartagenaAbstract This work presents a comprehensive analysis of how extreme data quantization and fixed pattern noise (FPN) from CMOS imagers affect the performance of deep neural networks for image recognition tasks. Binary neural networks (BNN) are particularly attractive for resource-constrained embedded systems due to their reduced memory footprint and computational requirements. However, these highly quantized networks demonstrate increased sensitivity to sensor imperfections, particularly FPN inherent to CMOS imaging devices. Taking as baseline a BNN with binary weights and 32-bit batch normalization parameters, we systematically investigate performance degradation when these parameters are quantized to lower bit-widths and when various types of FPN are applied to input images. Our experiments with CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 datasets reveal that decreasing batch normalization parameters to 4-bit provides a reasonable compromise between resource efficiency and accuracy, although the performance significantly deteriorates at higher noise levels. We demonstrate that this degradation can be effectively mitigated through strategic noise augmentation during training. Specifically, training with moderate (5-10%) noise levels improves resilience to similar noise during inference while models trained with column FPN show remarkable robustness across multiple noise types Our findings provide practical guidance for designing efficient and noise-tolerant BNNs for low-power vision systems, showing that appropriate training strategies can achieve up to 60% accuracy.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10833-1Deep neural networkComputer visionData quantizationBatch normalizationFixed pattern noiseCMOS imagers
spellingShingle Francisco Javier Andreo-Oliver
Gines Domenech-Asensi
Jose Angel Diaz-Madrid
Ramon Ruiz-Merino
Juan Zapata-Perez
Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness
Scientific Reports
Deep neural network
Computer vision
Data quantization
Batch normalization
Fixed pattern noise
CMOS imagers
title Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness
title_full Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness
title_fullStr Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness
title_full_unstemmed Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness
title_short Optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness
title_sort optimizing binary neural network quantization for fixed pattern noise robustness
topic Deep neural network
Computer vision
Data quantization
Batch normalization
Fixed pattern noise
CMOS imagers
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10833-1
work_keys_str_mv AT franciscojavierandreooliver optimizingbinaryneuralnetworkquantizationforfixedpatternnoiserobustness
AT ginesdomenechasensi optimizingbinaryneuralnetworkquantizationforfixedpatternnoiserobustness
AT joseangeldiazmadrid optimizingbinaryneuralnetworkquantizationforfixedpatternnoiserobustness
AT ramonruizmerino optimizingbinaryneuralnetworkquantizationforfixedpatternnoiserobustness
AT juanzapataperez optimizingbinaryneuralnetworkquantizationforfixedpatternnoiserobustness