Task-Oriented Inference Framework for Lightweight and Energy-Efficient Object Localization in Electrical Impedance Tomography

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a promising non-invasive sensing technique, yet its practical application in resource-constrained environments is often limited by the high computational cost of inverse image reconstruction. To address this challenge, we focus on specific sensing objectives rather than full image recovery. In this study, we propose a lightweight, task-oriented inference framework for object localization in EIT that bypasses the need to solve computationally expensive inverse reconstruction problems. This approach addresses the high computational demands and hardware complexity of conventional iterative methods, which often hinder real-time monitoring in resource-constrained edge computing environments. Training datasets were generated via finite element method (FEM) simulations for Opposite and Adjacent current injection configurations. A feedforward neural network was developed to independently estimate the radial and angular object positions as probability distributions. Our systematic evaluation revealed that the localization performance depends on the injection configuration and model depth; notably, the Opposite method achieved perfect classification accuracy (1.00) for radial estimation with an optimized architecture of four hidden layers, whereas the Adjacent method exhibited higher ambiguity. Results quantitatively evaluated using the Wasserstein distance show that the Opposite configuration produces more localized, unimodal probability distributions than the Adjacent configuration by utilizing current fields that traverse the entire domain. Compared with existing image-based reconstruction methods, including the conventional electrical impedance tomography and diffuse optical tomography reconstruction software (EIDORS ver.3.12), the proposed framework reduced energy consumption from 3.09 to 0.96 Wh, demonstrating an approximately 70% improvement in energy efficiency while maintaining a high localization accuracy without the need for iterative Jacobian updates. This task-oriented framework enables reliable, high-speed, and energy-efficient localization, making it well-suited for low-power EIT applications in mobile and embedded sensor systems.