Kuilin Zhang

Contact

klzhang@mtu.edu
906-487-1828
Dillman 301i

Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
Affiliated Associate Professor, Computer Science

PhD, Transportation Systems Analysis and Planning, Northwestern University

Biography

Dr. Zhang is Associate Professor in Transportation Systems and Computer Science. Dr. Zhang's research focuses on applying mathematical optimization, control theory, simulation analysis, game theory, machine learning, data science, and on-road vehicle testing to address safety, congestion, energy, environment, and resilience issues of critical civil infrastructure systems in Smart Cities. He advises PhD students from both CEGE and CS departments in his research group. Dr. Zhang received his PhD degree in Transportation Systems Analysis and Planning from the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering at Northwestern University in December 2009. After working as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Transportation Center at Northwestern, he joined the Energy Systems Division at Argonne National Laboratory as a Postdoctoral Appointee in November 2010. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Transportation Research Part E - Logistics and Transportation Review, a member of Transportation Research Board (TRB) standing committees of Transportation Network Modeling (AEP40) and Freight Transportation Planning and Logistics (AT015), and a voting member for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Cooperative Automation Driving System (CADS) Committee. He is also a member of IEEE, INFORMS, and ITE. Dr. Zhang is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award.

Links of Interest

Teaching Interests

Transportation Network Analysis
Traffic Flow Theory
Travel Demand Analysis
Transportation Systems Operations and Control
Transportation Planning
Traffic Engineering
Optimization Methods
Deep Reinforcement Learning and Model Predictive Control for Connected and Automated Vehicles

Research Interests

Data-driven distributionally robust optimization (DRO) based control models for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs)
Big traffic data analytics using machine learning
Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and Graph Neural Networks (GNN) for transportation applications
Mobile and crowd sensing of dynamic traffic systems (e.g., Drone traffic monitoring, social media data for travel pattern analysis using Twitter and Foursquare smartphone apps)
Dynamic network equilibrium and optimization
Modeling and simulation of large-scale complex systems (e.g. Traffic Simulation)
Freight logistics and supply chain systems (e.g., Intermodal Freight Modeling)
Impact of plug-in electric vehicles to smart grid and transportation network systems
Interdependency and resiliency of large-scale networked infrastructure systems
Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs)
Smart Cities
Cyber-Physical Systems

Recent Publications

2020. Tang, Y.*, Zhao, S.*, Ten, C.-W., Zhang, K. Published Establishment of Enhanced Load Modeling by Correlating With Occupancy Information. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid11(2), 1202 - 1713. 10.1109/TSG.2019.2942581.
2020. Zhao, S.*, Zhang, K. Accepted A Distributionally Robust Stochastic Optimization based Model Predictive Control with Distributionally Robust Chance Constraints for cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control under Uncertain Traffic Conditions. Transportation Research Part B: methodological. Elsevier. https://www.journals.elsevier.com/transportation-research-part-b-methodological.
2020. Jalooli, A.*, Zhang, K., Song, M. Accepted A Novel Clustering Scheme for Heterogeneous Vehicular Networks. IEEE International Conference on Communications 2020 (IEEE ICC 2020). https://icc2020.ieee-icc.org/.
2019. Zhao, S.*, Zhang, K. Published A Distributionally robust optimization approach to reconstructing missing locations and paths using high-frequency trajectory data. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies102, 316-335. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2019.03.012.

Recent Funding

2020. Zhang, K. (Principal), Leveraging Connected Highway Vehicle Platooning Technology to Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Train Fleeting, Sponsored by: University of Illinois, Requested: $58,556, Awarded: $58,556, Matching (MTU): $0. (October 1, 2019 - January 31, 2021). (Awarded).
2019. Zhang, K. (Principal), CAREER: Tackling Congestion in Smart Cities via Data-Driven Optimization-Based Control of Connected and Automated Vehicles, Sponsored by: National Science Foundation, Requested: $500,000, Awarded: $500,000, Matching (MTU): $49,870. (August 1, 2019 - July 31, 2024). (Awarded).
2019. Mukherjee, A. (Co-Principal), Brooks, C. (Principal), Dobson, R. J. (Co-Principal), Oommen, T. (Co-Principal), Banach, D. M. (Co-Principal), Zhang, K. (Co-Principal), Integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems Data Collection into Day-to-Day Usage for Transportation Infrastructure, Sponsored by: Michigan Dept of Transportation, Requested: $871,002, Awarded: $871,003, Matching (MTU): $0. (June 12, 2019 - June 11, 2022). (Awarded).
2019. Lautala, P. T. (Co-Principal), Zhang, K. (Principal), Developing Safe and Efficient Driving and Routing Strategies at Railroad Grade Crossings Based on Highway-Railway Connectivity, Sponsored by: US Dept of Transportation, Requested: $567,230, Awarded: $567,230, Matching (MTU): $0. (September 23, 2019 - September 22, 2021). (Awarded).
2018. Lautala, P. T. (Principal), Zhang, K. (Co-Principal), Log Movement in the Superior Region - Rate and Capacity Based Analysis of Modal Shares, Sponsored by: Alger County Board of Commissioners, Requested: $100,000, Awarded: $100,000, Matching (MTU): $100,000. (January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2019). (Closed).
2018. Lautala, P. T. (Principal), Zhang, K. (Co-Principal), Log Movement in the Superior Region - Rate and Capacity Based Analysis of Modal Shares, Sponsored by: Alger County Board of Commissioners, Requested: $17,500, Awarded: $17,500, Matching (MTU): $0. (January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2019). (Closed).
2017. Robinette, D. (Co-Principal), Naber, J. D. (Principal), Chen, B. (Co-Principal), Shahbakhti, M. (Co-Principal), Zhang, K. (Co-Principal), NEXTCAR: Connected and Automated Control for Vehicle Dynamics and Powertrain Operation on a Light-Duty Multi-Mode Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Sponsored by: US Dept of Energy, Requested: $2,801,390, Awarded: $2,801,389, Matching (MTU): $652,732. (March 1, 2017 - August 31, 2020). (Awarded).
2015. Brooks, C. (Co-Principal), Zhang, K. (Principal), Collaborative Research: Improving Spatial Observability of Dynamic Traffic Systems Through Ubiquitous Sensor Networks, Sponsored by: National Science Foundation, Requested: $200,000, Awarded: $200,000, Matching (MTU): $0. (June 15, 2015 - May 31, 2020). (Closed).

Presentations

2019. Zhang, K., 2019 Automated Vehicle Symposium, "An Integrated Network Fleet and Routing Optimization Model for On-demand Shared Mobility Systems Using Connected and Automated Vehicles," Orlando, FL. (July 12, 2019 - July 18, 2019), (Lecture).
2019. Zhang, K., Research Seminar in the Department of Civil Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, "A data-driven model predictive control model for cooperative connected and automated driving under traffic uncertainties," Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, (May 1, 2019), (Lecture).