# Cloud Is Closer Than It Appears: Revisiting the Tradeoffs of Distributed Real-Time Inference

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.00005 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.00005/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 5 of its 47 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 17 Feb 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Microsoft COCO: Common Objects in Context](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1405.0312/) (2014)
- [CARLA: An Open Urban Driving Simulator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.03938/) (2017)
- [JALAD: Joint Accuracy- and Latency-Aware Deep Structure Decoupling for Edge-Cloud Execution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.10027/) (2018)
- [AppealNet: An Efficient and Highly-Accurate Edge/Cloud Collaborative Architecture for DNN Inference](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.04104/) (2021)
- [The Hidden cost of the Edge: A Performance Comparison of Edge and Cloud Latencies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.14050/) (2021)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [CADET: A Modular Platform for Evaluating Distributed Cooperative Autonomy in Connected Autonomous Vehicles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.04072/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The increasing deployment of deep neural networks (DNNs) in cyber-physical systems (CPS) enhances perception fidelity, but imposes substantial computational demands on execution platforms, posing challenges to real-time control deadlines. Traditional distributed CPS architectures typically favor on-device inference to avoid network variability and contention-induced delays on remote platforms. However, this design choice places significant energy and computational demands on the local hardware. In this work, we revisit the assumption that cloud-based inference is intrinsically unsuitable for latency-sensitive control tasks. We demonstrate that, when provisioned with high-throughput compute resources, cloud platforms can effectively amortize network and queueing delays, enabling them to match or surpass on-device performance for real-time decision-making. Specifically, we develop a formal analytical model that characterizes distributed inference latency as a function of the sensing frequency, platform throughput, network delay, and task-specific safety constraints. We instantiate this model in the context of emergency braking for autonomous driving and validate it through extensive simulations using real-time vehicular dynamics. Our empirical results identify concrete conditions under which cloud-based inference adheres to safety margins more reliably than its on-device counterpart. These findings challenge prevailing design strategies and suggest that the cloud is not merely a feasible option, but often the preferred inference location for distributed CPS architectures. In this light, the cloud is not as distant as traditionally perceived; in fact, it is closer than it appears.