Breaking Through RK3588 NPU Limits: Running Vision Transformers via Reverse Engineering

This article details how researchers broke through the hardware limitations of the RK3588 neural network processor through reverse engineering to successfully run vision Transformer models. As an AI chip widely used in edge computing devices, the built-in NPU of the RK3588 originally had limited support for complex AI models. By deeply analyzing the chip architecture and optimizing algorithms, researchers successfully overcame these limitations, enabling vision Transformers to run efficiently on resource-constrained embedded devices. This breakthrough is significant for advancing AI model applications on edge devices, especially in scenarios requiring real-time processing such as autonomous driving and intelligent surveillance. The article not only showcases the technical details of hardware reverse engineering but also provides practical optimization strategies, offering valuable reference for AI chip developers, embedded systems engineers, and AI application researchers.