arXiv:2505.24161cs.NEcs.LG2025-05NeurIPS被引 9

为脉冲神经网络设计新训练框架,提升其在边缘设备上的控制性能。

Proxy Target: Bridging the Gap Between Discrete Spiking Neural Networks and Continuous Control

  • 用连续可微的代理网络替代传统目标网络,解决脉冲神经元不连续问题
  • 在多个基准上使脉冲网络性能提升最高达32%,部分超越人工神经网络
  • 适合开发低功耗、高能效的类脑强化学习系统,尤其用于边缘设备

脉冲神经网络(SNN)在类脑硬件上具有低延迟和低功耗优势,适合资源受限的边缘设备进行强化学习。然而,现有连续控制算法多针对人工神经网络(ANN),特别是目标网络软更新机制与脉冲神经元的离散、不可导特性冲突,导致训练不稳定、性能下降。为此,本文提出一种新的代理目标框架:通过引入连续可微的代理网络实现平滑的目标更新,稳定训练过程。由于代理仅用于训练,部署时的SNN仍保持全能量效率,无额外推理开销。大量实验表明,该框架显著提升稳定性,在多个连续控制基准上性能最高提升32%。据我们所知,这是首个使采用简单漏积分放(LIF)神经元的SNN在连续控制任务中超越其对应ANN的方法。本工作强调了面向SNN的强化学习算法设计的重要性,为兼具高性能与低功耗的类脑智能体铺平道路。代码已开源。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) offer low-latency and energy-efficient decision making on neuromorphic hardware, making them attractive for Reinforcement Learning (RL) in resource-constrained edge devices. However, most RL algorithms for continuous control are designed for Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), particularly the target network soft update mechanism, which conflicts with the discrete and non-differentiable dynamics of spiking neurons. We show that this mismatch destabilizes SNN training and degrades performance. To bridge the gap between discrete SNNs and continuous-control algorithms, we propose a novel proxy target framework. The proxy network introduces continuous and differentiable dynamics that enable smooth target updates, stabilizing the learning process. Since the proxy operates only during training, the deployed SNN remains fully energy-efficient with no additional inference overhead. Extensive experiments on continuous control benchmarks demonstrate that our framework consistently improves stability and achieves up to $32\%$ higher performance across various spiking neuron models. Notably, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first approach that enables SNNs with simple Leaky Integrate and Fire (LIF) neurons to surpass their ANN counterparts in continuous control. This work highlights the importance of SNN-tailored RL algorithms and paves the way for neuromorphic agents that combine high performance with low power consumption. Code is available at https://github.com/xuzijie32/Proxy-Target.

脉冲神经网络强化学习边缘计算类脑智能

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