A hardware architecture for single and multiple ellipse detection using genetic algorithms and high-level synthesis tools

Ellipse detection techniques are often developed and validated in software environments, neglecting the critical consideration of computational efficiency and resource constraints prevalent in embedded systems. Furthermore, programmable logic devices, notably Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), have emerged as indispensable assets for enhancing performance and expediting various processing applications. In the realm of computational efficiency, hardware implementations have the flexibility to tailor the required arithmetic for various applications using fixed-point representation. This approach enables faster computations while upholding adequate accuracy, resulting in reduced resource and energy consumption compared to software applications that rely on higher clock speeds, which often lead to increased resource and energy consumption. Additionally, hardware solutions provide portability and are suitable for resource-constrained and battery- powered applications. This study introduces a novel hardware architecture in the form of an intellectual property core that harnesses the capabilities of a genetic algorithm to detect single and multi ellipses in digital images. In general, genetic algorithms have been demonstrated to be an alternative that shows better results than those based on traditional methods such as the Hough Transform and Random Sample Consensus, particularly in terms of accuracy, flexibility, and robustness. Our genetic algorithm randomly takes five edge points as parameters from the image tested, creating an individual treated as a potential candidate ellipse. The fitness evaluation function determines whether the candidate ellipse truly exists in the image space. The core is designed using Vitis High-Level Synthesis (HLS), a powerful tool that converts C or C++functions ++ functions into Register-Transfer Level (RTL) code, including VHDL and Verilog. The implementation and testing of the ellipse detection system were carried out on the PYNQ-Z1, a cost-effective development board housing the Xilinx Zynq-7000 System-on-Chip (SoC). PYNQ, an open-source framework, seamlessly integrates programmable logic with a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, offering the flexibility of Python programming for the onboard SoC processor. The experimental results, based on synthetic and real images, some of them with the presence of noise processed by the developed ellipse detection system, highlight the intellectual property core's exceptional suitability for resource-constrained embedded systems. Notably, it achieves remarkable performance and accuracy rates, consistently exceeding 99% in most cases. This research aims to contribute to the advancement of hardware-accelerated ellipse detection, catering to the demanding requirements of real-time applications while minimizing resource consumption.