Christian Zingel

Challenges of Model-Based Systems Engineering: A Study towards Unified Term Understanding and the State of Usage of SysML

Model-Based Systems Engineering is on everyone’s lips as innovative approach to overcome traditional, error-prone document-based product development. The Systems Modeling Language (SysML) is the most popular tool for model-based development of multidisciplinary systems. Several research works and industrial pilot projects have applied the OMG-standardized language in the last years, but it has still not become widely accepted. Previous experiences of the authors from several research projects with industry underline this statement and have shown that engineers still have trouble in applying SysML. This paper investigates possible reasons for this issue and presents results of a survey regarding term understanding of engineers as well as acceptance of SysML.

System-Oriented Validation Aspects of a Driver Assistance System Based on an Accelerator-Force-Feedback-Pedal

Validation is considered to be the central activity in the product engineering process (PEP). It’s the only way to check the fulfillment state of the customer objectives by the product. Accordingly, the product validation should apply real customer use case scenarios as test cases in terms of maneuver cycles. That means for the area of vehicle development that the continuous interaction of the systems driver, vehicle and environment has to be examined. For this purpose, the integrated IPEK X-in-the-Loop Framework has been developed, which exactly meets those requirements. It allows the application of objective-oriented, cost- and time-optimized systems engineering either for virtual systems (Model-in-the-Loop) or for real systems (i.e. Vehicle-in-the-Loop). To show the added value of system oriented validation and especially of the integrated IPEK X-in-the-Loop Framework for product development, the development process of a universal, energy-efficient Driver Assistance System (DAS) of Continental TEMIC is exemplarily applied. The challenge in the project at hand was to develop a cost-reduced, universal add-on fuel saving plug-in DAS for small- and medium-sized cars using the AFFP© as driver guidance system. It was asked to provide noteworthy fuel consumption advantage; extendable by additional interactions with other DAS’s in order to easily increase its fuel-saving potential. The resulting, patented entire system, which allows up to 22 % fuel consumption reduction, depending on the driving situation and vehicle boundaries, is presented in this paper. Thereby, the main focus will be set on the validation of the development activities, which have been performed by application of the IPEK-XiL Framework, e.g. at the IPEK Vehicle-in-the-Loop test bench.