Matthew W. Nice, PhD

About

As of Fall 2024 I’m a Reseach Faculty at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute! My previous reseach posts include being a Research Engineer at the Institute for Software Integrated Systems, at Vanderbilt University. My Ph.D. work was advised by Prof. Dan Work, Civil Engineering and Prof. Jonathan Sprinkle, Computer Science. I completed my B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University, where I worked in the Microvascular Dynamics Lab with Prof. W.L. Murfee during my undergraduate studies.

My research is focused on fielding novel technologies like connectivity and automation in cars, connectivity technology for vulnerable road users, and integrations with smart infrastructure. We are still in the early stages of considering mobility in a transportation cyber-physical system. Integrating computing, robotics, and automation in transportation systems could revolutionize the safety and efficiency of mobility at a societal scale.

Email / Google Scholar / YouTube / LinkedIn / Github


Featured Videos

Enabling Mixed Autonomy Traffic Control

This research demonstrates a new capability of automated vehicles: mixed autonomy traffic control, which has the promise to improve safety, efficiency, and energy outcomes in transportation systems at a societal scale. This research introduces an extensible open-source hardware and software platform, and its implementation at a scale of 100 vehicles. You can also watch on Youtube.

SAILing CAVs: Speed-Adaptive Infrastructure-Linked Connected & Automated Vehicles

This research introduces a new V2X application in Connected and Automated Vehicles: SAILing CAVs. We create a vehicle which can automatically match the infrastructure-based variable speed limits as they dynamically change on the interstate. You can also watch on Youtube.


Selected Grants, Fellowships, Awards, and Honors

Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Research Showcase, USDOT 2024

One of 5 Fellows of 200+ selected to showcase their work at the DDETFP Research Showcase.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, USDOT 2021, 2022, 2023

Three-time award recipient. Awarded to the nation’s brightest minds in the field of transportation to help retain top talent in the U.S. transportation industry.

Peter G. Hoadley Fellowship Award, Vanderbilt University 2023

Endowed award for outstanding PhD scholarship.

Senior Honors Scholar, Tulane University 2018

1 of 25 Graduates.

Biomedical Engineering Senior Scholar Award, Tulane University 2018

For Outstanding Thesis.

Tulane Scholar, Tulane University 2018

Top 4% of Class.


Selected Publications (*: equal contribution)

A Middle Way to Traffic Enlightenment

Nice, Matthew W. and Gunter, George and Ji, Junyi and Zhang, Yuhang and Bunting, Matthew and Barbour, William and Sprinkle, Jonathan and Work, Dan

Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE 15th International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems (ICCPS)

Enabling Mixed Autonomy Traffic Control

Nice, Matthew W. and Bunting, Matthew and Richardon, Alex and Zachar,Gergely and Lee, Jonathan W. and Bayen, Alexandre and Delle Monache, Maria Laura and Seibold, Benjamin and Piccoli, Benedetto and Sprinkle, Jonathan and Work, Dan

So you think you can track?

Gloudemans, Derek and Zachar, Gergely and Wang, Yanbing and Ji, Junyi and Nice, Matthew W. and Bunting, Matt and Barbour, William and Sprinkle, Jonathan and Piccoli, Benedetto and Monache, Maria Laura Delle and others

Winter Conference on the Application of Computer Vision 2024 (WACV)

SAILing CAVs: Speed-Adaptive Infrastructure-Linked Connected and Automated Vehicles

Nice, Matthew W. and Bunting, Matthew and Gunter, George and Barbour, William and Sprinkle, Jonathan and Work, Dan

Deploying traffic smoothing cruise controllers learned from trajectory data

Nice, Matthew W. * and Lichtle , Nathan* and Vinitsky, Eugene* and Seibold, Benjamin and Work, Dan and Bayen, Alexandre M

2022 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)

CAN coach: Vehicular control through human cyber-physical systems

Nice, Matthew W. and Elmadani, Safwan and Bhadani, Rahul and Bunting, Matt and Sprinkle, Jonathan and Work, Dan

Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE 12th International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems (ICCPS)

Online parameter estimation methods for adaptive cruise control systems

Wang, Yanbing and Gunter, George and Nice, Matthew W. and Delle Monache, Maria Laura and Work, Daniel B

IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles (IEEE T-IV)


Mentoring & Academic Service

Mentor for Independent Research (2019 - Present)

Vanderbilt University, Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

  • Gracie Gumm, Undergraduate in Civil Engineering, now PhD Student at UT-Austin
  • Maya Kumar, Undergraduate in Computer Science
  • Kelsey Rainey, Undergraduate in Electrical Engineering, from Tennessee Tech
  • Evan Chow, Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering
  • Alex Spero, Undergraduate in Computer Science
  • Sally Kim, Undergraduate in Computer Science
  • Aspen Bailey, Undergraduate in Computer Science, from Fisk University
Academic Service

Reviewer for ICRA 2023, Technical Program Committee DI-CPS 2022


Open Source Software

I have authored or co-authored projects on Github, including these selected public repositories:

strym: A python package for real-time CAN data logging, analysis and visualization. Downloads

can_to_ros: A ROS package that decodes, publishes, and records vehicle network (CAN, CAN FD, etc.) messages in real time. Also used to inject control commands to vehicles. Uses model-based code generation to dynamically be modified/updated via VIN, currently tested with 4 different OEMs.

libpanda: A C++ library that handles communication with microprocessors/vehicles. My contributions focus on applications (automated software updates, health monitors, etc.)