Tickle College of Engineering · UTK ISE

AI & Robotics for
Collaborative
Systems Lab

Advancing the science and engineering of human‑AI teaming through rigorous, human‑centered research — designing trustworthy AI teammates for defense, manufacturing, healthcare, and beyond.

46+
Publications
5
Best Paper Awards
Knoxville skyline
Mission

"Advancing human‑AI teaming by understanding and optimizing collaborative systems comprising both human and computational elements to enhance performance and safety across manufacturing, healthcare, defense, and beyond."

Core Research Areas

Six Pillars of Human-AI
Teaming Research

Our interdisciplinary program integrates quantitative, qualitative, and computational methods to understand and improve human-AI collaborative systems.

01
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Intelligent Information Sharing

Modeling information-sharing, team cognition, and workload to create synergistic human–machine partnerships across complex, high-stakes environments.

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02
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Trustworthy AI

Designing transparent AI behaviors that accurately calibrate trust, support responsible AI adoption, and contribute to meaningful AI acceptance.

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03
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Training

Improving skill transference from training to operations through intelligent interventions, human-centered design, and psychological fidelity.

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04
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Situational Awareness

Developing real-time adaptive interfaces that surface mission-critical cues and promote collective understanding in electronically contested environments.

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05
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Applied Robotics

Integrating collaborative robots and unmanned ground vehicles into advanced manufacturing workflows and high-stakes emergency response scenarios.

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06
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Evaluation & Validation

Developing rigorous experimental frameworks to test AI teammates' effectiveness, safety, and resilience through mixed-methods empirical research.

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Latest Work

Recent Publications

Published across leading venues in Human Factors, HCI, ACM, and IEEE.

2026
Toward a Science of Human–AI Teaming for Decision-Making: A Complementarity Framework
Gonzalez, C., Donahue, K., Goldstein, D., Heidari, H., Jalali, M., Schelble, B.G., Singh, A., & Woolley, A.W. · PNAS Nexus, 1–30
2026
Modeling Human Behavior in Cybersecurity: Leveraging Structural Equation Modeling to Address Cognitive Biases and Enhance Defense Strategies
Gurney, N., Wu, P., Molinaro, K., Jones, F., Schelble, B.G., & Zhu, Q. · Foundations of Cyber Deception (pp. 155–180). Springer Nature
2025
Human or AI Advice? Examining Trust, Influence, and Responsibility in Ethically-Charged Human-AI Team Decision-Making
Schelble, B.G., Flathmann, C., Aly, H., Lyons, J., & McNeese, N. · Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making
★ In Press
2025
A Mixed Methods Approach to Analyzing the Role of AI Teammates in Transition Phases
Schelble, B.G., Mallick, R., & McNeese, N. · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (GROUP)
★ In Press
2025
The Spread of Trust and Distrust in Human-AI Teams
Zhou, S., Duan, W., Yin, X., Scalia, M., Hao, R., Weng, N., Funke, G., Tolston, M., Freeman, G., Schelble, B.G., Gorman, J., & McNeese, N.J. · Applied Ergonomics, 130, Article 104648
2025
Addressing the Role of Context on Trust in Human-AI Teams: The Influence of Team Role and Violation Type in High-Risk Tasks
Schelble, B.G., Textor, C., Zhang, R., Lopez, J., Tavarez, N., Ku, C., McNeese, N.J., Pak, R., Freeman, G., Tossell, C., & de Visser, E. · Ergonomics, 1–21
2025
Should AI Teammates Give All the Answers? Examining the Role of Different AI Information-Sharing Techniques on Team Cognition in Human-AI Teams
Schelble, B.G., Mallick, R., Hauptman, A., & McNeese, N.J. · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 42(4), 2463–2488
View All 43 Publications →
The Team

Meet the ARCS Lab

A growing community of researchers advancing the science of human-AI collaboration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Dr. Beau G. Schelble
Dr. Beau G. Schelble
PI · Founding Director
Assistant Professor of ISE. PhD in Human-Centered Computing, Clemson University 2023.
Sarah Mendoza
Sarah Mendoza
PhD Student
Research focus: trust perceptions, autonomy levels, and teamwork dimensions in human-AI teams.
Yayun Tian
Yayun Tian
PhD Student
Background in applied mathematics, statistics, and software engineering. Exploring AI as trusted teammate.
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Recruiting
Graduate Students
Join the ARCS Lab
Open Positions
We seek motivated PhD students in ISE, CS, HCI, and Psychology. Email Dr. Schelble with your CV.
View Full Team →
Funding & Partners
$722K
Total PI Awards
Get in Touch

Work With Us

Interested in collaboration, graduate study, or partnership? We'd love to hear from you.

Contact the Lab Prospective Students
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Location
515 John D. Tickle Engineering Building
851 Neyland Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996
✉️
Email
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Department
Industrial & Systems Engineering
Tickle College of Engineering, UTK
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Lab Website