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1. A Systematic Review and Taxonomy of Human–Agent Teaming Testbeds

   https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208251376898  

   Chung, Hyesun; Holder, Timothy; Shah, Julie A; Yang, X Jessie (February 2026, Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society)

   ObjectiveWe developed a taxonomy for human–agent teams (HATs) and conducted a literature review of existing HAT testbeds using our proposed taxonomy. BackgroundWith the increasing interest in HATs, numerous research studies in this field have utilized different testbeds. Despite this, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the capabilities and limitations of the existing testbeds. MethodWe first developed a taxonomy for HATs by modifying the existing framework for classifying human teams. Our proposed taxonomy comprises ten attributes. Subsequently, using the taxonomy, we analyzed 103 testbeds identified from 235 empirical research studies. After coding each testbed, we conducted frequency analyses on each attribute to determine the distribution of the testbeds. ResultsRegarding team composition, the majority of testbeds afford single human participants paired with few agents, typically in subordinate roles. Also, in most testbeds, the leadership structure is designated, with humans assuming leadership roles, or none. The communication dynamics present an area for further exploration, especially with larger team sizes. Additionally, nearly all reviewed testbeds focus on long-term teams, overlooking dynamics in ad hoc teams, which are common in real-world settings. ConclusionOur findings underscore the importance of further research into diverse team attributes, such as team composition, leadership structure, communication structure, direction, and medium. It would facilitate a deeper understanding of complex team dynamics in HATs and lead to designing effective teams. ApplicationThe current study would be valuable for discussing future research directions when developing new testbeds or designing novel experiments leveraging existing ones. 

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2. FABRIC: A National-ScaleProgrammable ExperimentalNetwork Infrastructure

   https://doi.org/0.1109/MIC.2019.2958545  

   Baldin, Ilya; Nikolich, Anita; Griffioen, James; Monga, Indermohan; Wang, Kuang-Ching; Lehman, Tom; Ruth, Paul (January 2020, IEEE internet computing)

   FABRIC is a unique national research infrastructure to enable cutting-edge andexploratory research at-scale in networking, cybersecurity, distributed computing andstorage systems, machine learning, and science applications. It is an everywhere-programmable nationwide instrument comprised of novel extensible network elementsequipped with large amounts of compute and storage, interconnected by high speed,dedicated optical links. It will connect a number of specialized testbeds for cloudresearch (NSF Cloud testbeds CloudLab and Chameleon), for research beyond 5Gtechnologies (Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research or PAWR), as well as productionhigh-performance computing facilities and science instruments to create a rich fabric fora wide variety of experimental activities. 

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3. Characterizing Cyber-Physical System Testbeds as Design Artifacts: A Morphological Analysis Across Application Domains

   https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3582743  

   Odonkor, Philip; Honu, Evans (July 2025, IEEE Access)

   Cyber-physical system (CPS) testbeds are critical research tools for advancing safety-critical technologies, from autonomous vehicles to smart grids. As CPS grow more complex, adaptive, and interconnected, testbeds must evolve in kind—yet the architectural assumptions guiding their design remain fragmented across domains. This paper introduces a morphological framework that enables comparison and synthesis across traditionally siloed CPS fields. Drawing on a structured review and a feature abstraction process, we derive 25 architectural dimensions and use them to classify 113 CPS testbeds spanning a wide range of use cases. Cluster analysis reveals three dominant design archetypes characterized by centralized control, reconfigurability, and virtualized operation, and highlights convergence in user interaction mechanisms and the decision-making architectures that govern testbed behavior. We quantify configurational rigidity, expose underexplored regions of the design space, and identify architectural opportunities in emerging CPS research domains. By reconceiving testbeds as design artifacts, this work opens new avenues for architectural innovation in CPS testbed research. 

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4. The Design and Operation of CloudLab

   Duplyakin, D; Ricci, R; Maricq, M; Wong, G; Duerig, J; Eide, E; Stoller, L; Hibler, M; Johnson, D; Webb, K; et al (June 2019, The Design and Operation of CloudLab)

   Given the highly empirical nature of research in cloud computing, networked systems, and related fields, testbeds play an important role in the research ecosystem. In this paper, we cover one such facility, CloudLab, which supports systems research by providing raw access to programmable hardware, enabling research at large scales, and creating as hared platform for repeatable research.We present our experiences designing CloudLab and operating it for four years, serving nearly 4,000 users who have run over 79,000 experiments on 2,250 servers, switches, and other pieces of datacenter equipment. From this experience,we draw lessons organized around two themes. The first set comes from analysis of data regarding the use of CloudLab:how users interact with it, what they use it for, and the implications for facility design and operation. Our second set of lessons comes from looking at the ways that algorithms used“under the hood,” such as resource allocation, have important—and sometimes unexpected—effects on user experience and behavior. These lessons can be of value to the designers and operators of IaaS facilities in general, systems testbeds in particular, and users who have a stake in understanding how these systems are built. 

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5. Energy Efficient Middleware for Dynamic Data Driven Application Systems

   Biswas, A.; Hunter, M.; Fujimoto, R. M. (December 2018, Winter Simulation Conference)

   Middleware is required to support and interface multi-modal Dynamic Data Driven Application Systems (DDDAS) with back-end and other computing facilities. Middleware is also needed to support distributed simulations and emulations needed in earlier phases of system development. This work describes the Green Runtime Infrastructure (G-RTI), an energy-efficient client server based middleware developed to support distributed DDDAS simulation, emulation and deployment. G-RTI eases and accelerates the development and testing of multi-modal studies, testbeds and DDDAS systems. It serves as a platform for research in energy reduction techniques for middleware services. The services implemented by G-RTI are described and results of benchmarking studies are reported. Its application is demonstrated through a use-case for an end-to-end implementation of a connected vehicle application. G-RTI is open source. 

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