Harald Molina-Tillmann
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Workshop on Loss Driven Systems Engineering
I participated in the evaluation of the future potential of the new methodology Loss Driven Systems Engineering (LDSE) during the yearly workshop of the GfSE (German chapter of INCOSE). LDSE, which is already used for functional safety in the Automotive sector, looks to me like a good candidate for a harmonized quantified approach to all non-functional system criteria such as security, reliability, or usability. Since the central parameter of LDSE is “loss”, I associated the methodology with the philosophical principle of Negativity. It could be very revealing to research the advantages and risks of applying this principle to practical systems engineering work.
Digital Twin Training
I completed the Digital Twin Awareness and Implementation Training courses, which are provided by the University 4 Industry in cooperation with the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA). The goal of the IDTA is the standardization of digital twins so that all relevant stakeholders (e.g. all manufacturers as well as clients, operators and public offices) could access the same digital twin.
Volume 1 of HSI Primer published
Our first volume of the HSI Primer is now published and available at the INCOSE website.
Workshop on SysML4Sec
SysML4Sec, the future SysML extension of the Object Management Group (OMG) for the integration of cyber security with model-based systems engineering, was presented to a small group of systems engineers by the Institute for Aircraft Cabin Systems (Hamburg). By applying the concepts of SysML4Sec to a small automotive project, we were able to provide a first proof of concept. I particularly liked how the cyber security functions are developed in parallel with the actual system design. This improves communication within the team, prevents detection of security issues too late in the engineering process, and even supports agile system design.
Volume 1 of HSI Primer finalized
The members of the Human Systems Integration (HSI) working group of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) have finalized their work on the first volume of the HSI Primer. This volume introduces HSI with 13 of its key perspectives such as human factors, culture, training, safety and comfort. The work on the next volumes is already going on. These will describe principles, models and methods of HSI.
Stakeholder review for SysML version 2
The SysML v2 Submission Team (SST) has presented its work on a next generation modeling language to a chosen group of systems engineering experts. While the most extensive changes from v1 to v2 are more in structural issues (metamodel, textual notation and API), the presenters in the stakeholder review concentrated on the application perspective. The many helpful innovations in that area include integrated version management, analysis cases, time models, mathematical expressions and integrated definition of viewpoints. The participants were able to report their questions which shall be addressed in the coming months. The final submission of the specification is planned for this year. Tool support is expected for next year.
English version of article on Knott's Berry Farm
I have translated my article on design and psychology of the California amusement park Knott’s Berry Farm: Insight and inside of Knott’s Berry Farm
Website on ITV updated
I have updated my Introduction to interactive television. Most topics (e.g. interactivity, dramaturgy and business models) did not require any update because they are independent of contemporary development. Even the system architecture is basically the same since the first iTV services have been introduced. Technological and cultural transformations, on the other side, influence topics like iTV platforms, iTV features or the development approach for iTV applications.
MuSys
I have published an introductory paper on MuSys, a SysML profile that explicitly supports concepts of the early conceptual and creative phases of system design. I have designed MuSys with the primary goal of expanding the advantages of model-based systems engineering from an essentially technical approach to a wider view that includes the system-relevant aspects of product design and human concerns. I also would like to propose MuSys as a practical and lucrative contribution to the implementation of Human Systems Integration in complex design projects, since it brings together the model-based system design of engineers and the content, methods and language of the creative team.
Human Systems Integration Conference
The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) held its first conference on Human Systems Integration (HSI) in Biarritz, France. I experienced it as a truly transdisciplinary event. The conference showed the integration of human consideration to the systems engineering processes in the scope of a wide variety of approaches such as human-centered design, probability calculation, psychological typology, artificial intelligence and team management. I think that HSI is both a big challenge and a source of innovation for the coming decades.
HbbTV Award
I’ve been nominated for the HbbTV Award in the category “Best individual contribution to the HbbTV Association”.
Functional Architecture SysML Model
In my latest project of SysML modelling of wet rotor pumps, I applied the concept of “Functional architecture” as introduced by SysML expert Tim Weilkiens. I found the concept eminently useful for my client’s company structure because it allows to model an embedded system independent of its physical components and independent of the implementation in hardware, software and mechanics. Additionally, a functional architecture allows for direct reflection of value increasing product features in the model. This is a good basis to combine SCRUM and MBSE concepts.
ISPDI conference in Dublin
The theme of this year’s conference of the ISPDI, “The Soul Always Thinks”, was a phrase coined by Dublin Trinity College alumnus, Bishop Berkeley. If you put the historic phrase in a modern wrapper, you get an essential concept of psychology understood as the discipline of interiority. It also can be applied to product and system design e.g. in regards to the life cycle of product lines or in regards to interaction concepts which reflect the inner psychic processes of the users.
Certification as “Professional Scrum Product Owner”
Today I became certified by Scrum.org as a Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO). I got to know Scrum as a framework for agile development that could also apply to embedded multimedia systems because of its innovation driving and user focused characteristics. However, the flexible Scrum framework has to be filled with design and development methods which give consideration to the specifics of embedded systems such as hardware dependencies and distributed development teams.
Article for HbbTV on German Wikipedia improved
Over the last weeks I did a lot of improvements on the HbbTV page of German Wikipedia. Many outdated or false statements are now removed, and a decent introduction as well as sections on history, user interaction and technology have been added. I hope that more experts will join the work to further improve the article.
Workshop in Tucson on Archetypal Patterns
The Assisi Institute for archetypal patterns has hosted a workshop in Tucson, Arizona. As one of 40 participants I got an intense and inspiring introduction on patterns which are common in parallel to nature, psyche and culture. Studying such patterns brings valuable insight for the enhancement of system design processes such as user modelling or interaction design.
Specification for HbbTV Operator Applications published
The HbbTV association has finalized and published its Operator Applications Specification which allows TV providers to design and implement a branded and enhanced user experience as an application on set-top boxes and SmartTVs. After a lot of work in the HbbTV requirements group, specification group and testing group I am particularly happy that we have been able to finalize this specification in time for device production in 2018. I am convinced that the cooperation between content providers and device manufacturers, which is required for operator applications, will lead to a wide range of innovative media services.
Award “Freelancer of the Year” received
The German society for self-employed IT professionals (DBITS) and the German magazine for IT Freelancers have honored me with the award “IT Freelancer of the Year 2017.” DBITS represents the IT professionals towards political parties and the government. It also assists companies to set up secure contracts with freelancers.