Work

A DEVS-based MBSE methodology for seamless deployment via Formal Digital Twin architectures

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Deploying complex Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) is challenging due to the gap between abstract design models and their physical implementation. This often requires manual recoding, an error-prone process that breaks the continuity from a verified model to the final deployed system. To bridge this gap, this paper introduces a methodology that enables a direct and seamless transition from a formal computational model to its physical deployment, eliminating the need for manual recoding. The core aim is to use a single, unmodified model for both simulation and real-world operation. We propose a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodology grounded in the Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) formalism. Its key innovation is the formalization of the Digital Twin (DT) concept as a reusable, executable DEVS coupled model, which explicitly structures the interface between the system’s digital logic and its physical counterpart. The methodology is implemented using the xDEVS simulation engine, whose Real-Time (RT) capabilities and built-in hardware protocol handlers (e.g., Inter-Integrated Circuit (I 2 C), MQTT) allow the formal model to directly control physical components. We demonstrated the methodology by adapting the purely computational DEVS-BLOOM model to a physical emulation controlling a small-scale Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). Field tests confirmed the physical USV, operated by the unmodified DEVS model running in real-time, successfully performed its autonomous navigation and monitoring mission. This successful validation is demonstrated using this single-case study as a foundational proof-of-concept. Our approach provides a robust and seamless pathway from a verified computational model to a reliable real-world system. With the formalization of the physical–digital interface inside the model itself, the methodology effectively closes the abstraction–implementation gap in CPS development.

Source: Information and Software Technology

DOI: 10.1016/j.infsof.2025.107974

Authors: José L. Risco-Martín, Román Cárdenas, Segundo Esteban, Patricia Arroba

Institutions: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Language: English

Topic: Modeling and Simulation Systems

Subfield: Computational Theory and Mathematics

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,830