ENHANCING MISSION ENGINEERING ROUTE SELECTION THROUGH DIGITAL TWIN DECISION SUPPORT

Abstract

This thesis presents a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodology for the development of a Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Digital Twin (DT) with the ability to demonstrate route selection capability with a Mission Engineering (ME) focus. It reviews the concept of ME and integrates it with an MBSE framework for the development of the DT. The methodology is demonstrated through a case study where the UAS is deployed for a Last Mile Delivery (LMD) mission and a route optimization module recommends an optimal route to the user. The optimization module is based on Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), which analyzes predefined criteria that the user assessed would enable the successful conduct of the UAS mission. The thesis demonstrates that the methodology can execute an ME analysis for route selection to support a user's decision-making process. The discussion section highlights the key MBSE artifacts and also highlights the benefits of the methodology, which standardizes the decision-making process, thereby reducing the negative impact of human-factors that may deviate from the predefined criteria.