About the project
Can a computer survive and learn in space? This project will develop memristor-based reservoir computing hardware that combines ultra-low power consumption with inherent radiation resilience. By investigating how space radiation affects memristor dynamics and designing adaptive mitigation strategies, the research will enable compact, energy-efficient onboard intelligence for future satellites, planetary exploration, and autonomous space missions.
Space missions increasingly require onboard intelligence to analyse sensor data, detect anomalies, and support autonomous operation while operating under severe constraints in power, mass, and radiation exposure. Conventional AI hardware can be energy intensive and vulnerable to radiation effects, creating a need for new computing technologies that are both efficient and resilient.
This PhD project will investigate memristor-based reservoir computing, a neuromorphic computing approach that exploits the intrinsic temporal dynamics of emerging electronic devices to process time-dependent data with minimal training overhead. The research will address a key challenge for future space systems: understanding how radiation affects memristor reservoir behaviour and developing strategies to maintain reliable computation in harsh environments.
The student will fabricate and characterise oxide-based memristors, evaluate their reservoir computing properties, and study their response to space-relevant radiation conditions, including total ionising dose and displacement damage. Experimental devices will be integrated with FPGA-based platforms to develop low-power hardware demonstrators for applications such as spacecraft health monitoring, telemetry anomaly detection, and onboard sensor-data processing.
Expected outcomes include new understanding of radiation effects on neuromorphic hardware, physics-informed models linking device degradation to computational performance, and adaptive mitigation techniques for radiation-resilient edge AI. The project combines materials science, nanoelectronics, neuromorphic computing, machine learning, and space engineering.
The student will benefit from access to world-class cleanroom fabrication facilities, advanced device characterisation equipment, HPC resources, FPGA development platforms, and international collaborations in neuromorphic computing and space technologies. The project offers opportunities for conference presentations, high-impact publications, and engagement with industrial and aerospace partners.
The School of Electronics & Computer Science is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break.
The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
