Virtual Reality in Model Based Systems Engineering: A Review Paper

Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) thrived in the recent decades in order to overcome the increasing complexity within systems. MBSE envisioned replacing document centric systems engineering by model centric systems engineering. MBSE can handle systems complexity efficiently by representing each entity in the model only once and generating different viewpoints. Most commonly used MBSE language is the “Systems Modeling Language (SysML)”. Virtual Reality can play a bigger role on creating truly model centric systems engineering approaches. The core application of MBSE approach implies utilization of a single system model, which will act as “source of truth” to all embedded system analyzing tools. Thus, the system model can communicate back and forth with Virtual Reality Environment to analyze the system performance. Systems engineer can conduct interactive immersive simulation of a scenario described in the system model and return the results obtained from the Virtual Reality Environment to the system model. Requirements analysis can be performed more efficiently by ensuring participation of the customers early in the product lifecycle utilizing the VR environment. A customer can walk into VR environment and see how the system design would look like and interact with it. Based on the interaction results, the systems engineer can modify the product/service specifications and design. This paper reviewed the works been done to incorporate virtual reality environment with SysML. The paper also proposed a framework on how VR environment can be implemented with SysML to perform true MBSE practice.