A digital twin (DT) is an interactive, real-time
digital representation of a system or a service utilizing onboard
sensor data and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to gain a
better insight into the physical world. With the increasing
complexity of systems and products across many sectors, there
is an increasing demand for complex systems optimization.
Digital twins vary in complexity and are used for managing the
performance, health, and status of a physical system by
virtualizing it. The creation of digital twins enabled by Modelbased
Systems Engineering (MBSE) has aided in increasing
system interconnectivity and simplifying the system
optimization process. More specifically, the combination of
MBSE languages, tools, and methods has served as a starting
point in developing digital twins. This article discusses how
MBSE has previously facilitated the development of digital
twins across various domains, emphasizing both the benefits and
disadvantages of adopting an MBSE enabled digital twin
creation. Further, the article expands on how various levels of
digital twins were generated via the use of MBSE. An MBSE
enabled conceptual framework for developing digital twins is
identified that can be used as a research testbed for developing
digital twins and optimizing systems and system of systems.
Keywords—MBSE, Digital Twin, Digital Shadow, Digital
Model, SysML
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Modeling A UAV Surveillance Scenario- An Applied MBSE Approach
As the complexity of both products and systems increases across a wide range of industry sectors, there has been an influx in demand for methods of system organization and optimization. MBSE enhances the ability to obtain, analyze, communicate, and manage data on a comprehensive architecture of a system. In this study, a military combat surveillance scenario is modeled using SysML generating state machine diagrams and activity diagrams using the Magic Model Analyst execution framework plugin. This study seeks to prove the feasibility of an MBSE-enabled framework using SysML to create and simulate a surveillance system that monitors and reports on the health status and performance of an armored fighting vehicle (combat tank) through an Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV). The Magic System of Systems Architect, which actively promotes system development architectural frameworks, was used to construct SysML-compliant models, allowing the creation of intricate model diagrams. The construction of the UAV surveillance scenario emphasized the capability of modifying a diagram feature and ensuring that the alteration is communicated to all linked model diagrams. This study builds on a previously published MBSE-enabled conceptual framework for creating digital twins. The purpose of this research is to test and validate the framework's procedures.
Keywords—MBSE, SysML, MBSE framework, UAV, Surveillance
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- Award ID(s):
- 2112650
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10417518
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon)
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 8
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1109/SysCon53073.2023.10131074
