Continual Learning with Novelty Detection: Algorithms and Applications to Image and Microelectronic Design

Machine learning techniques have found extensive application in dynamic fields like drones, self-driving vehicles, surveillance, and more. Their effectiveness stems from meticulously crafted deep neural networks (DNNs), extensive data gathering efforts, and resource-intensive model training processes. However, due to the unpredictable nature of the environment, these systems will inevitably encounter input samples that deviate from the distribution of their original training data, resulting in instability and performance degradation.To effectively detect the emergence of out-of-distribution (OOD) data, this dissertation first proposes a novel, self-supervised approach that evaluates the Mahalanobis distance between the in-distribution (ID) and OOD in gradient space. A binary classifier is then introduced to guide the label selection for gradients calculation, which further boosts the detection performance. Next, to continuously adapt the new OOD into the existing knowledge base, an unified framework for novelty detection and continual learning is proposed. The binary classifier, trained to distinguish OOD data from ID, is connected sequentially with the pre-trained model to form a “N + 1” classifier, where “N” represents prior knowledge which contains N classes and “1” refers to the newly arrival OOD. This continual learning process continues as “N+1+1+1+...”, assimilating the knowledge of each new OOD instance into the system. Finally, this dissertation demonstrates the practical implementation of novelty detection and continual learning within the domain of thermal analysis. To rapidly address the impact of voids in thermal interface material (TIM), a continuous adaptation approach is proposed, which integrates trainable nodes into the graph at the locations where abnormal thermal behaviors are detected. With minimal training overhead, the model can quickly adapts to the change caused by the defects and regenerate accurate thermal prediction. In summary, this dissertation proposes several algorithms and practical applications in continual learning aimed at enhancing the stability and adaptability of the system. All proposed algorithms are validated through extensive experiments conducted on benchmark datasets such as CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, TinyImageNet for continual learning, and real thermal data for thermal analysis.