Model Based Systems Engineering for Sustainable Autonomous Vehicle Design and Development

Model Based System Engineering (MBSE), introduced in the 2000s, has become a cornerstone for automobile companies like BMW, Toyota, and others prominently involved in the development of autonomous vehicles. MBSE is a unique systematic approach that uses designs and architecture instead of traditional document-centric methods. While the integration of MBSE in autonomous systems shows great promise for system development, there are still drawbacks due to the process of its complex integration. Currently, the engineering community is shifting its approach in systems engineering from document-based system engineering to MBSE. The shift has provided numerous advantages, one example being the enhancement of safety and security using Systems Modeling Language (SysML). Additionally, the continuous verification and validation of the system allowed by MBSE ensures that communication protocols meet real-time constraints. This study aims to address how MBSE can be used in autonomous vehicle development to improve functionality, secure connectivity, vehicle certification and enhance trust/confidence. Additionally, exploring how to overcome challenges such as streamlining existing requirements, test identification, navigating multi-perspective simulation, and improving vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. By using practical and multi-dimensional methods, formalisms, and applications, the future of MBSE shows great potential as a fundamental component to support effective, collaborative, and successful autonomous development environments.