Model-based Systems Engineering

Cyber-physical systems are characterized by complex and highly interacting requirements, functions, and subsystems. The interaction of these mainly software-defined products, such as cars or airplanes, with other systems and with our physical world leads to a high level of complexity and places high demands on their safety, reliability, and performance. Due to continuous functional enhancements, bug fixes, security updates and adaptations to new system contexts (e.g., for data-based components), system development extends over the entire product life cycle, which leads to a further level of challenges.

In the Model-based Systems Engineering competence field, we therefore develop innovative modeling approaches, methods, and tools for the continuous development of cyber-physical systems. Our research focuses on (semi-)automatic model-based methods in the following key areas:

• Analysis and optimization of system architectures
• Simulation-based testing at system level
• Structured reuse and product line development
• Analysis and management of model quality and consistency

To ensure practical relevance and industrial applicability, we evaluate our domain-independent research results primarily in the automotive, aviation and industrial automation domains.

Our offer is aimed at small, medium-sized, and large companies in the supply chain of cyber-physical systems (e.g., suppliers, system integrators, OEMs) as well as providers of engineering tools. It includes in particular:

• Application-oriented research on model-based processes for the continuous engineering of cyber-physical systems (e.g., collaborative research at state, federal or EU level or directly contracted)
• Development of modeling approaches, methodologies and tool prototypes based on advanced methods (e.g., formal methods, simulation, data-based analyses) and standards (e.g. SysML, FMI)
• Access to the fortiss Mobility Lab, which makes our approaches tangible using a realistic automotive use case based on fortiss open-source solutions
• Prototyping and scientific evaluation of customized innovative approaches (e.g., tool prototypes, use cases, testbeds)
• Training offers for industrial users, e.g., hands-on training on MBSE basics and selected advanced topics, as well as webinars and seminars in the area of our research focus