Bringing Deep Learning Models to the Edge Efficiently Using ONNX.
Key Features
● Master end-to-end ONNX workflows from framework export models to edge deployment.
● Hands-on optimization techniques like quantization, pruning and knowledge distillation for real-world edge AI performance.
● Production-grade case studies across vision, speech, and language models on edge devices.
Book Description
ONNX has emerged as the de facto standard for deploying portable, framework-agnostic machine learning models across diverse hardware platforms.
Ultimate ONNX for Deep Learning Optimization provides a structured, end-to-end guide to the ONNX ecosystem, starting with ONNX fundamentals, model representation, and framework integration. You will learn how to export models from PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Scikit-Learn, inspect and modify ONNX graphs, and leverage ONNX Runtime and ONNX Simplifier for inference optimization. Each chapter builds technical depth, equipping you with the tools required to move models beyond experimentation.
The book focuses on performance-critical optimization techniques, including quantization, pruning, and knowledge distillation, followed by practical deployment on edge devices such as Raspberry Pi. Through complete, real-world case studies covering object detection, speech recognition, and compact language models, you can implement custom operators, follow deployment best practices, and understand production constraints. Thus, by the end of this book, you will be capable of designing, optimizing, and deploying efficient ONNX-based AI systems for edge environments.
What you will learn
● Design and understand ONNX models, graphs, operators, and runtimes.
● Convert and integrate models from PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Scikit-Learn.
● Optimize inference using graph simplification, quantization, and pruning.
● Apply knowledge distillation to retain accuracy on constrained devices.
● Deploy and benchmark ONNX models on Raspberry Pi and edge hardware.
● Build custom ONNX operators, and extend models beyond standard layers.
Who is this book for?
This book is tailored for Machine Learning Engineers, AI Engineers, Data Scientists, Embedded AI Developers, and Software Engineers transitioning ONNX models from research to production. Readers should have a working knowledge of machine learning fundamentals and basic Python experience to apply the optimization and edge deployment workflows effectively.
