Enabling Cross-Domain Modeling of Complex Autonomous Vehicles in System-of-Systems Architectures: A Model-Based System Specification for the Development of Complex Automotive Architectures

The engineering of vehicular systems is becoming increasingly difficult, mainly due to the ongoing integration of cyber-physical systems (CPS) aiming to automate difficult tasks or provide additional features to drivers. This automation potential leads to increasing complexity when engineering the vehicle itself or its subcomponents. In particular the development of a future-oriented kind of mobility, namely, connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs), is accompanied by new challenges, leading back to the different domains to be considered. To cope with this complexity and enable the mutual engineering of vehicular embedded systems, the Software Platform Embedded Systems (SPES) framework provides viewpoints and hierarchy layers in the shape of a matrix. However, to address all domains considered during the development of CAVs, the SPES methodology lacks specifications of how to model such vehicles across multiple domains, which impede its utilization in actual industrial projects. Thus, to deal with the mentioned issues, this article introduces an architecture framework enabling model-based systems engineering (MBSE) of CAVs across multiple domains. This includes a domain-specific reference architecture mapping, a particular development process, a detailed architecture definition, and a corresponding modeling approach. Subsequently, the resulting methodology is then evaluated for applicability using a real-world case study on the charging process of an electric vehicle (EV). The outcome of this article will thereby increase the usability of the SPES framework for industrial projects on the one hand and counteract the increasing complexity when engineering vehicular systems on the other hand.