Research Areas:

• Discrete Event Dynamic Systems
• Systems Control and Optimizations
• Wireless Communications and Applications
• Real-Time Embedded Systems
• Intelligent Transportation Systems
• Computer Networks

Grants:

• “Establishing a National Summer Transportation Institute”, PI, $31,000, funded by Federal Highway Administration and Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2024
• “Using Software-defined Radio and Reinforcement Control to optimize wireless networks”, PI, 2024, $5,000, funded by Data Science Institute at MTSU
• “Development of Rules of Engagement and Operation Procedures for Autonomous Vehicles”, PI, $13,663, funded by Nashville Department of Transportation, 2024-2025

• “Using Big Data and Machine Learning to Evaluate and Optimize the Performance of Traffic Signals in Tennessee”, PI, 2020-2022, $104,707, funded by Tennessee Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration
• “A cloud-based radio map for real-world indoor localization and navigation”, PI, 2020-2021, $2,500, funded by Amazon Web Services
• “Engaging First-Year STEM Minority and Underrepresented Students to Fight “Sophomore Slump” through a Summer Research and Enrichment Program”, PI, TBR Student Engagement, Retention, and Success (SERS) Grant, $25,000, 2019-2020
• "Optimal City Navigation for Pedestrians using Agent-specific Q-learning", PI, Faculty Research and Creative Activity Grant, Middle Tennessee State University, Summer 2018, $10,000

• "Using Antenna Diversity, Mobility, and Statistical Methods to Improve the Accuracy of Wireless Indoor Localization", PI, Faculty Research and Creative Activity Grant, Middle Tennessee State University, Summer 2016, $7,300
• "Using Software Simulation to Foster Student Learning in Microcontroller related LABs and Projects”, PI, SUNY Innovative Instructional Technology Grant, 2015, $10,000
• "Engaging Students in Microcontroller Based Real-Time Sensing and Control”, Title III Student First Grant, 2015, PI, $2,500
• "Optimal Control for Adaptive Traffic Signal Systems with Real-Time Constraints", W.E.B DuBois Research Grant, Farmingdale State College, 2014, PI, $500
• Faculty-Student Activity Grant, the University of Cincinnati, 2009, PI, $300

Publications

Books and book chapters:

• “Energy-Latency Trade-Offs in Real-Time Wireless Sensor Networks”, by Lei Miao and Christos G. Cassandras
• Book Chapter “Artificial Intelligence for Privacy Conservation in Remote Learning”, by H. Zhang, L. Miao, J. Zhong, and A. Yan, in “Privacy and safety in online learning”, MT Open Press, Middle Tennessee State University. https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00123  

Referred Journal Articles

[17] L. Miao, D. Jiang, and H. Zhang, “Wireless Secret Sharing Game for Internet of Things”, in Special Issue: Advances in Smart City and Intelligent Transportation Systems, Sustainability, 2023, https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097427 

[16] C. Winfrey, P. Meleby, and L. Miao, “Using Big Data and Machine Learning to Rank Traffic Signals in Tennessee”, Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtte.2023.04.005 

[15] F. Raji and L. Miao, “Optimal Wireless Rate and Power Control in the Presence of Jammers Using Reinforcement Learning”, ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies, Volume 3, Issue 2, Pages 508-522, September, 2022, https://doi.org/10.52953/ANSC4385

[14] D. Leitner, P. Meleby, L. Miao, “Recent Advances in Traffic Signal Performance Evaluation”, Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Volume 9, Issue 4, Pages 507-531, August 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtte.2022.06.002

[13] L. Miao and D. Leitner, “Adaptive Traffic Light Control with Quality-of-Service Provisioning for Connected and Automated Vehicles at Isolated Intersections”, IEEE Access, March 2021, DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3064310

[12] L. Huo, D. Jiang, S. Qi, and L. Miao,  “A Blockchain-Based Security Traffic Measurement Approach to Software Defined Networking”. Mobile Networks and Applications, Springer, Jan 2020, doi:10.1007/s11036-019-01420-6

[11] L. Huo, D. Jiang, S. Qi, H. Song, and L. Miao, “An AI-Based Adaptive Cognitive Modeling and Measurement Method of Network Traffic for EIS”, Mobile Networks and Applications, Springer, Dec 2019, doi:10.1007/s11036-019-01419-z

[10] L. Miao and D. Jiang, "Optimal Secret Sharing for Wireless Information Security in the Era of Internet of Things", Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Springer, 2019, DOI: 10.1007/s00779-019-01226-z, [full-text]

[9] L. Miao, L. Xu, and D. Jiang, "Optimal On-Off Control for a Class of Discrete Event Systems with Real-Time Constraints", Discrete Event Dynamic Systems: Theory and Applications, 29(1), 79-90, Springer, 2019, DOI: 10.1007/s10626-019-00277-x, [full-text]

[8] D. Elliott, W. Keen, and L. Miao, “Recent Advances in Connected and Automated Vehicles”, Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, KeAi, 2019, DOI: 10.1016/j.jtte.2018.09.005, [full-text]

[7] L. Miao, "On Controlling Prioritized Discrete Event Systems with Real-Time Constraints", Discrete Event Dynamic Systems: Theory and Applications, Springer, April, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10626-018-0269-x, [full-text]

[6] L. Miao, J. Mao, and C. G. Cassandras, " Optimal Energy-Efficient Downlink Transmission Scheduling for Real-Time Wireless Networks", IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, Vol. 4, Issue 4, Dec 2017, pp. 692-706 [download]

[5] D. Jiang, Y. Han, L. Miao, T. Zhu, and X. Ge, "Dynamic Access Approach to  Multiple Channels in Pervasive Wireless Multimedia Communications for Technology Enhanced Learning", Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, vol. 31, no. 5, pp. 2497-2509, 2016 

[4] D. Jiang, Z. Yuan, P. Zang, L. Miao, and T. Zhu, “A Traffic Anomaly Detection Approach in Communication Networks for Applications of Multimedia Medical Devices”, Multimedia Tools and Applications, Springer, Volume 75, Issue 22, pp 14281–14305, November 2016

[3] L. Miao, "Differential Secret Sharing in Wireless Networks", IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, Volume: 4, Issue: 2, 2015, Pages: 213-216 [download]

[2] L. Miao and C. G. Cassandras, "Receding Horizon Control for a Class of Discrete Event Systems with Real-Time Constraints", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 52, Issue 5, May 2007, pp. 825-839 [download]

[1] L. Miao and C. G. Cassandras, "Optimality of Static Control Policies in Some Discrete Event Systems", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 50, Issue 9, pp. 1427-1431, 2005 [download]

Referred Conference Papers

[27] L. Miao, “Introducing Arduino to mechatronics engineering students via lab activities and a hands-on signature-thinking course project”, ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, OR, June 2024

[26] C. Winfrey and L. Miao, “Using Reinforcement Learning to Optimize Isolated Traffic Signals with High Priority Vehicles”, the 7^th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data (ICAIBD), Chengdu, China, May 2024

[25] C. Winfrey and L. Miao, “Utilizing MATLAB in Combination with Lego Mindstorm EV3 Kits for a First-year Engineering Course”, ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore, MD, June 2023

[24] L. Miao, H. Zhang, and D. Jiang, “Wireless Secret Sharing Game between Two Legitimate Users and an Eavesdropper”, 8^th International Conference on Networks and Communications (NWCOM 2022), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 2022

[23] P. Meleby, C. Winfrey, L. Miao, “Development of a Traffic Signal Performance Ranking Online Database for the State of Tennessee”, ASCE International Conference on Transportation and Development”, Seattle, WA, June 2022

[22] L. Miao, T. Karim, T. Hussain, and C. Li, “TNT Board: An Interactive Electronic Board Game”, 2021 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Virtual Conference, July 2021

[21] L. Miao and C. Li, “Engaging Minority and Underrepresented Engineering Students to Fight “Sophomore Slump” through a Summer Research and Enrichment Program (Research)”, 2021 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Virtual Conference, July 2021

[20] L. Xu, K. Adebo, J. Zhao, L. Miao, “Distributed Drones for Power Line Inspection with Weighted Consensus Control in Dynamic Network Systems”, 2019 IEEE 3rd International Electrical and Energy Conference (CIEEC), Beijing, China, Sept, 2019 (best paper award)

[19] L. Miao, “Making Smart Parking Decisions: A Driver’s Perspective”, the 4th International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Applications (ICCIA 2019), June 2019, Nanchang, China

[18] L. Miao, “Optimal City Navigation for Pedestrians using Agent-specific Q-learning”,  American Control Conference, June 2018, Milwaukee, WI

[17] L. Miao, “Structural Properties of Optimal Wireless Transmission Using Harvested Energy”, the 2nd International Conference on Robotics and Automation Sciences, June 2018, Wuhan, China

[16] A. Mikaiel and L. Miao, “Using LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Robotic Kit and EV3DEV to Implement a Self-Balancing Robot”, the 2nd International Conference on Software Engineering and Development, June 2018, Chengdu, China (best paper award)

[15] L. Miao and L. Xu, “Toward Intelligent Traffic Light Control with Quality-of-Service Provisioning”, 2017 International Conference on Information Technology and Intelligent Transportation Systems, June 2017, Xi’an, China [download]

[14] L. Miao and D. Jiang, “Optimal Secret Sharing for Secure Wireless Communications in the Era of Internet of Things”, the 4th International Conference on Smart and Sustainable City, June 2017, Shanghai, China

[13] L. Miao, J. Farzidayeri, W. Boles, and A. Nasab, “An indoor Bocce game played by autonomous robots”, the ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition 2017, Columbus, OH 

[12] L. Miao, "Optimal On-Off Scheduling for a Class of Discrete Event Systems with Real-Time Constraints", American Control Conference, May 2017, Seattle, WA [download]

[11] L. Miao, “Calibration-Free Wireless Indoor Localization (CAFLOC)”, Workshop on IoT Infrastructures and Data Analytics for Smart Cities, March 2017, Paris, France [download]

[10] L. Miao, " Receding Horizon Control with Two Planning Horizons for a Class of Discrete Event Systems with Real-Time Constraints", 55^th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Las Vegas, NV, USA 2016

[9] L. Miao and L. Xu, "Optimal Wake-Up Scheduling for Energy Efficient Fixed-Rate Wireless Transmissions with Real-Time Constraints", 14^th Wireless Telecommunications Symposium, New York City, 2015

[8] L. Xu, L. Miao, and J. Zhao, " Impact of DSRC Information Content and Transmission Rate for Highway Vehicle Platoons", 14^th Wireless Telecommunications Symposium, New York City, 2015

[7] L. Miao, D. Fedrov, J. O. Everly, and M. Rabiee, “Enhancing the safety, security, and convenience features of an automotive via a cellular interface”, the ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition 2011

[6] L. Miao, “Structural Properties of Optimal Scheduling in Prioritized Discrete Event Systems with Real-Time Constraints”, 49th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Atlanta, GA, USA, Dec 2010

[5] L. Miao and C. G. Cassandras, “Optimal Transmission Scheduling for Energy-Efficient Wireless Networks”, IEEE INFOCOM 2006, Barcelona, Spain (acceptance ratio: 18%) 

[4] L. Miao and C. G. Cassandras, “Structural Properties of Optimal Uplink Transmission Scheduling in Energy-Efficient Wireless Networks with Real-Time Constraints”, 45th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, San Diego, CA, USA, pp. 2997-3002, Dec. 2006.

[3] L. Miao and C. G. Cassandras, "Receding Horizon Control for a Class of Discrete Event Systems with Real-Time Constraints", 44th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control and European Control Conference 2005, Seville, Spain

[2] L. Miao and C. G. Cassandras, "Optimality of Static Control Policies in Some Discrete Event Systems", American Control Conference, 2005, Portland, Oregon, USA

[1] L. Miao, E. Hou, and N. Ansari, "A QoS Routing Algorithm with "Domain" Link-State Information Maintenance", IEEE International Conference on Communications, 2003, New York, NY, USA

Inventions