Fast implementation of Deep Neural Networks for IoT devices

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have found great success in many computer vision-related tasks. However, most of the existing DNNs require high computation and storage cost. In this project, the student will investigate how to implement DNN efficiently on low-powered IoT devices. The focus is on DNN model size reduction, fast implementation and efficient communication of DNN feature vectors under power and bandwidth constraints. The main focus is on vision-based tasks. But it could be used for other DNN related applications as well.

The electronic and electrical research draws on the disciplines of electrical power engineering, bio-nanotechnology, wireless technologies for blind navigation, biometrics, use of ultrasonic and electromagnetic acoustic guided wave, fundamentals of charge particle dynamics, measurement systems for pharmaceuticals, medical electronics, pattern recognition, image processing and evolutionary hardware, to improve the control and operations of industrial processes and to enrich the quality of life and services for the 21st century needs. We investigate the efficient conversion of thermal to electrical energy, Direct Current power networks in commercial buildings and homes, and innovations to reduce electrical energy demand. The department supports extensive networked computer facilities, software, and computational platforms. Our computer research covers a range of topics, such as the theory of computation, computational intelligence and computer games, to artificial intelligence and robotics. Our work is applied to many areas such as high energy particle physics, space science, energy, medical imaging, and remote instrumentation and control just to name a few.

Research journey

Doctoral research programmes (PhDs) take a proud place in the world-class research environment and community at Brunel. PhD students are recognised and valued by their supervisors as an essential part of their departments and a key component of the university's overall strategy to develop and deliver world-class research.

A PhD programme is expected to take 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time, with intakes starting in January, April or October.

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1) or an international equivalent. A Masters degree is a welcome, but not required, qualification for entry.

Find out how to apply for a PhD at Brunel

Research support

Excellent research support and training

The Graduate School provides a range of personal, professional and career development opportunities. This includes workshops, online training, coaching and events, to enable you to enhance your professional profile, refine your skills, and plan your next career steps as part of the Researcher Development Programme. The researcher development programme (RDP) offers workshops and seminars in a range of areas including progression, research management, research dissemination, and careers and personal development. You will also be offered a number of online, self-study courses on BBL, including Research Integrity, Research Skills Toolkit, Research Methods in Literature Review and Principles of Research Methods.

Library services

Brunel's Library is open 24 hours a day, has 400,000 books and 250,000 ebooks, and an annual budget of almost £2m. Subject information Specialists train students in the latest technology, digital literacy, and digital dissemination of scholarly outputs. As well as the physical resources available in the Library, we also provide access to a wealth of electronic resources. These include databases, journals and e-books. Access to these resources has been bought by the Library through subscription and is limited to current staff and students. 

Dedicated research support staff provide guidance and training on open access, research data management, copyright and other research integrity issues.

Find out more: Brunel Library

Careers support

You will receive tailored careers support during your PhD and for up to three years after you complete your research at Brunel. We encourage you to actively engage in career planning and managing your personal development right from the start of your research, even (or perhaps especially) if you don't yet have a career path in mind. Our careers provision includes online information and advice, one-to-one consultations and a range of events and workshops. The Professional Development Centre runs a varied programme of careers events throughout the academic year. These include industry insight sessions, recruitment fairs, employer pop-ups and skills workshops.