Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) for Design of Mechatronic Products

This paper reports the progress of an ongoing project "Emergency Evacuation System for Disabilities in Wheelchair" sponsored by Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) of IEEE. The project aims to develop an advanced mechatronic system that will be used to evacuate a disabled in a wheelchair from a high-rise building with the minimal assistances from caregivers. In this paper, the needs to develop such a system are discussed thoroughly, existing evacuation techniques are investigated to identify their limitations, a new evacuation system is conceived to enhance safety, flexibility, and efficiency of existing techniques. The project also explores a new way to support students’ collaborations in designing a complex mechatronic system effectively. Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) is adopted in designing key system components with minimized couplings with others, and the case study development has evidenced the systematism and effectiveness of MBSE in dealing with couplings, complexity, and scalability of complex mechatronic systems.