Extending Model Based System Engineering to Utilize 3D
Virtual Environments
Peter Korfiatis
Stevens Institute of Technology
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
1
Research Problem
• There is often a disconnect between what the
warfighter or analyst needs a system to do, and what
developers think the system needs to do
• Artifacts created during the Early Systems
Engineering phase are often not referenced
throughout the rest of the development lifecycle
• Model Based System Engineering is advancing in
certain phases of development but there is little
connection between MBSE artifacts across the entire
development lifecycle
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
2
Research Need
There is a need to:
• quickly and graphically articulate a CONOPS for new missions and
systems that will allow a diverse group of stakeholders to reach a
shared mental model of the mission and potential solutions.
• make the CONOPS available as a model so that the true needs of
stakeholders can be conveyed to future system developers.
• use model based artifacts to drive model based system
architecting
• allow future system developers to easily alter a CONOPS to
mirror current state of the system.
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
3
Research Questions
• Can the use of a virtual environment enhance stakeholders' ability to
collaborate to reach a shared mental model and to develop a model
based CONOPS?
• Does real-time collaboration between distributed stakeholders
improve the CONOPS development?
• Can a model based artifact of a CONOPS be used to drive Analysis of
Alternatives and other Pre-Milestone A analysis activities?
• Can the results of model based CONOPS be used by system
architects to develop a system that better reflects the needs of the
stakeholders.
• Can an integrated model based approach to Concept Engineering
and Architecture and Design be enhanced by the use of virtual
environments and will this new process improve system quality?
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
4
Sources for CONOPS Guidance
• ANSI/AIAA G-043-1992 – guide from American
National Standards Institute
• IEEE 1362-1998 – IEEE guide for CONOPS
document
• DI-IPSC-81430 – DoD data item description for
CONOPS document
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
Title page
Revision chart
Preface
Table of contents
List of figures
List of tables
1.Scope
1.1 Identification
1.2 Document overview
1.3 System overview
2.Referenced docum
ents
3.Current system or situation
3.1 Background, objectives, and scope
3.2 Operational policies and constraints
3.3 Description of the current system or situation
3.4 Modes of operation for the current system or situation
3.5 User classes and other involve
d personnel
3.6 Support environment
4.Justification for and nature of changes
4.1 Justication of changes
4.2 Description of desired changes
4.3 Priorities among changes
4.4 Changes considered but not included
5.Concepts for the proposed system
5.1 Background,objectives, and scope
5.2 Operational policies and constraints
5.3 Description of the proposed system
5.4 Modes of operation
5.5 User classes and other involved personnel
5.6 Support environment
6.Operational scenarios
7.Summary of impacts
7.1 Operational impa
cts
7.2 Organizational impacts
7.3 Impacts during development
8.Analysis of the proposed system
8.1 Summary of improvements
8.2 Disadvantages and limitations
8.3 Alternatives and trade
-offs considered
9.Notes
Appendices
Glossary
5
Model Based Systems
Engineering
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
6
Model Based System Architecting
• Major advances have been
made by INCOSE, OMG and
other organizations to
strengthen the model based
approach during System
Architecture and Design
• The primary input to the
architecting phase are the
system requirements.
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Challenges with MBSA Today
bdd [Package] Interactions Betw een RTs [Interactions Betw een RTs]
«block»
RT31
«block»
RT30
CONOPS
«block»
CONOPS Nav igator
«block»
External Tool File
Repository
«block»
Concept Engineering
System
«block»
Primitiv e and
Scenario Repository
«blo...
External
Tool
Interfaces
«block»
Data Transfer
Architect
«block»
Univ ersal Data
Schema
«block»
External Tools
«block»
RT23
Requirements
«block»
Data Transformation
«block»
CONOPS Lobby
«block»
Application Execution
«block»
CES - OneSAF Interface
«block»
OneSAF
«block»
3d Modeling Tool
«block»
@Risk
«block»
SparxEA
«block»
Communication Effects Serv er
«block»
AnyLogic
«block»
VBS2
«block»
Excel
«block»
GIS Data Prov ider
System Architecture
• Model is an abstract representation of the real world, subject to
biases of the model constructor and model viewer
• Requirements are passed to architects on paper or through a tool
• Architects need to discern what the stakeholder needs the system
to do from the requirements
• Incorrect understanding of the requirements can lead to architects
designing a system that does not meet the stakeholders’ needs
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Proposed Approach
• An approach and toolset to allow system developers to
create models at the onset of systems engineering
activities that can
―Be developed directly by the end user
―Accurately reflect the needs of future users
―Be used to analyze proposed systems early in the SE lifecycle
―Easily be adapted to reflect changing requirements and design
―Automate the transfer of requirements and specifications to
system architects
―Be useful throughout the SE lifecycle
Assessment of current model based and visualization tools has
pointed to the use of Gaming and Virtual Environments as high
potential development environments
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Virtual and Gaming
Environments
• Virtual Immersive Environments have long been used by
engineers to:
―Solve difficult problems that require 3D visualization
―Train and Educate personnel
―Analyze the impact of systems on environment and users
―Present concepts to customers
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Development Using Unity 3D
• Unity is a popular IDE for creating
3D games.
• Extensive support community
• Cross platform deployment
• Rapid deployment and testing
• Interoperability of programming
languages
• Database and networking support
• Currently being used by:
―Building Construction Architects to
model buildings
―Defense contractors to develop training
simulations
―Process Engineers to model complex
processes
―Biologists to model complex biological
behavior
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Integrated Concept Engineering
System Vision
Concept Engineers and Stakeholders will
enter the tool through a virtual lobby. They
will select their Avatar of choice.
As the team comes together in the ICES
Lobby, each participant will select their
individual role - developer or author.
CONOPS Navigator
Process
Manager
Data
Exchange
Tool
Tool
Execution
Manager
The tool then provides guidance and
navigation help through the process of
integrating tools and developing the
CONOPS.
Once the team agrees on the concepts, the
scenario(s) can be put into motion for
observation and analysis.
The scenario(s) can be modified, or stored
for later sharing with others for approval
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Developing a CONOPS Using ICES
act [Package] Activities [Activity Diagrams]
:User
:CONOPS Lobby
Start CONOPS
Navigator
Load CONOPS
Lobby Screen
Choose
Avatar/User
Classification
Set access
control
:CONOPS Navigator
:Data File Repository
:Data Transformation
:Data Transfer
:CONOPS Engineering
System
:External Tools
ActivityInitial
Spawn Avatar
into Navigator
Choose Activity to be
carried out
create/modiify CONOPS
model
transfer data between
tools
application
execution
Bring up
Navigator
"Bookcases" UI
Create/Modify
CONOPS Model
Choose External
Tool from
"Bookshelf"
FlowFinal
Bring up
capability
selection GUI
Select Tool to
Import Data
from
Query File
Repository
Show File List
Select Data
Source File
Load
SourceData File
Create blank
Data Output
FIle
Specify Data
Output File
Choose External
Tool from
Bookshelf
Choose File for
Execution
Write results to
blank Output
File
Bring up
capability
selection GUI
Select Tool to
Execute
Transform Data
to fit Universal
Schema
Query File
Repository
Show File List
Choose to Open
External Tool
Open External
Tool
FlowFinal
FlowFinal
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
Save oputput
File with
Universal
Schema
Save output file
in desired file
format
Parse out
useless data
fields from
output file
13
ActivityFinal
ICES High Level Architecture
bdd [Package] ICES Architecture [ICES Conceptual Architecture]
RT31
Integrated Concept
Engineering System
@Risk
Interface
@Risk
OneSAF
Interface
OneSAF
3D model
importer
3D modeling
tool
CES - OneSAF
Interface
Communication
Effects Server
RT30
CONOPS
Engineering
System
Primitive and
Scenario
Repository
CONOPS
Lobby
CONOPS Navigator
RT23
VBS2
Other External
Tool Interfaces
Data File
Repository
Universal
Data Schema
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
SparxEA
Interface
SparxEA
Excel
Interface
Excel
AnyLogic
Interface
AnyLogic
Matlab
Interface
Matlab
14
SimuLink
Current Development Efforts
• Using Unity 3D, a leading game development engine, as
development environment
• Building interfaces between popular Early Systems Engineering
analysis tools
• Building an interface for CONOPS personnel
• Creating MBSA artifacts to give architects an accurate
representation of user needs
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Proof of Concept Prototype
CONOPS Author
Partial Textual
CONOPS
Concept Engineering
System
Graphical
Scenario
Descriptor
Primitive
Developer
MBSA
Artifacts
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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Slide 16
Prototype Workshop
New Agency scenarios for initial testing and feedback on CES Tool
1.
Simple limited primitive scenario– run as demo

2.
Extended scenario– run as demo


3.
4.
Author viewpoint
Developer viewpoint – create new primitives, change attributes on existing
primitives
Author viewpoint – import new primitives, modify existing scenario to include
new primitives
Multi-player (user and observer) – run as exercise
User Scenario – Flexible to allow users to stretch CES – run as exercise


Author Viewpoint
Developer Viewpoint
 Gathering Metrics– run as exercise

Split into teams and try to collect metrics related to OCNOPS creation with and
without CES
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
17
Future Work
• Move from a limited functionality, proof of concept prototype to
highly functional prototype
• Build out application infrastructure
• Implement Executable Scenarios
• Develop CONOPS and ICES development workflow to assist users
in tool use
• Build primitive libraries for multiple domains relevant to
sponsor’s operating environments
• Automate translation of graphical CONOPS output to MBSA input
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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For more information
• Peter Korfiatis
―pkorfiat@stevens.edu
• Dr Robert Cloutier, PI
―Robert.cloutier@stevens.edu
• Stevens Visualization, Modeling and Computation Lab
―www.stevens.edu/vmc
Annual SERC Research Review - Student Presentation, October 5-6, 2011
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