ARCS Lab · AI & Robotics for Collaborative Systems · Knoxville, TN

Humans and AI,
engineered to think as one team.

We advance the science of human-AI teaming through rigorous, human-centered research — designing trustworthy AI teammates for defense, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and emergency response.

0+
Publications
0+
Citations
$0
PI Funding Awarded
0
Best Paper Awards
0
Invited Talks
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."

01 · Research Program

Six pillars of
human-AI teaming research

View all research →

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

/01
Intelligent Information Sharing

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

Learn more
/02
Trustworthy AI

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

Learn more
/03
Training

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

Learn more
/04
Situational Awareness

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

Learn more
/05
Applied Robotics

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

Learn more
/06
Evaluation & Validation

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

Learn more
02 · Latest Work

Recent publications

Published across leading venues of the HFES, ACM, and IEEE communities — Human Factors, PACM HCI, IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, and more.

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
All 43 publications
03 · The Team

The people behind
the partnership

Meet the full team →

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.
+
Join the ARCS Lab
Recruiting PhD Students
We seek motivated PhD students in ISE, CS, HCI, and Psychology. Email Dr. Schelble with your CV.
Sponsored By
ARO
Army Research Office
UTK
University of Tennessee
$0+
Total Awarded as PI
04 · Get in Touch

Let's build the next
generation of teams.

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

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