John S. Baras, Distinguished University Professor, Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland
Advances in Information Technology have enabled the design of complex engineered systems, with large numbers of heterogeneous components capable of multiple complex functions leading to ubiquitous cyber-physical systems (CPS). At the same time, these advances have increased these systems’ capabilities and increased their complexity to such an extent that systematic design towards predictable performance is extremely challenging. We first describe a rigorous framework we are developing for model-based systems engineering (MBSE) that addresses these challenges, incorporating manufacturing and operation and lifecycle considerations. We describe three fundamental components for MBSE within our framework: (a) An integrated systems modeling hub built around SysML; (b) Linking this modeling hub with tradeoff analysis tools for design space exploration; (c) Representation and management of requirements. We then describe more recent work aiming to integrate Data-Based design (ML and AI methods and algorithms) with our MBSE framework. We briefly describe applications of the emerging framework to several important current technological problems: power grids, automotive, aerospace, energy-efficient buildings, sensor and communication networks, smart manufacturing, robotics and UAVs, healthcare, and cybersecurity. We close with research challenges and future promising research directions.