LTH-image

Research Directions for Developing a Rigorous Foundation for MBSE

Christiaan Paredis, USA National Science Foundation

Abstract:

The recent development of model-based systems engineering is forcing many organizations to re-examine their engineering processes, methods and tools, and to ask the question: How can we best take advantage of this new MBSE paradigm? Rather than incrementally replacing existing processes with model-based equivalents, there is an opportunity to affect more fundamental change.  The fact that we express information and knowledge more formally is likely to lead to entirely new processes, methods, and tools that make extensive use of computer-supported reasoning, analysis and optimization. To best take advantage of this opportunity, we need to build on a rigorous foundation. This presentation will explore systems engineering from the perspective of “search,” take a critical look at current MBSE practices from this perspective, and identify research opportunities to help move us toward a more rigorous, theoretically well-founded practice.

Presentation Slides

Biography:

Dr. Chris Paredis is Program Director for the Engineering and Systems Design (ESD) and Systems Science (SYS) programs at the National Science Foundation.  He is also Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and in the H.M. Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA.  He is a Woodruff Faculty Fellow and Director of the Model-Based System Engineering Center. He holds graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Paredis' research focuses on Model-Based Systems Engineering, combining aspects of decision theory, information technology, simulation, and systems theory to support the design of complex mechatronic systems. He is past Chair of the ASME Computers and Information in Engineering division, and has served as Conference Chair for the 2013 Conference on Systems Engineering Research (CSER'13) and the 2007 Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE'07). Dr. Paredis has served as Associate Editor for the SAE Journal of Commercial Vehicles and the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design.  He currently serves as co-Editor of the ASME book series, "Advances in Computers and Information in Engineering Research."  He received the 2007 CETL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, the 2007 SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, and the 2011 ASME CIE Excellence in Research Award.