Mike Wharton

Mike joined the University of Oxford in 2025 as a DPhil student in the Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems (AIMS) Centre for Doctoral Training. His research focuses on understanding and measuring human and machine capabilities to improve the design and evaluation of automated systems, spanning human-AI interaction, machine learning, experimental psychology, and robotics. Before Oxford, Mike graduated with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bristol in 2024, where he was awarded the Bechtel Industrial Prize. His previous work includes modelling high-speed bicycle-chain dynamics, developing low-cost optical processing algorithms, and reproducing the haptic perception of physical objects. He has also worked as a trainee patent attorney and interned with a company developing wireless load-sensing technology for racing yachts.