Synergistic Integration: Utilizing MBSE, and AI, and HSI in a Meet-in-the-Middle Framework
Faculty Mentor Name
Kathryn Wesson
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is widely recognized for its ability to manage complexity across a system’s lifecycle, yet many traditional top-down frameworks struggle when applied to organizations dominated by legacy systems, fragmented documentation, evolving stakeholder needs, and increasing integration requirements. Furthermore, modern systems cannot be designed in a vacuum—most systems must interact with many other systems in order to function. This poster proposes an implementation of a new Meet-in-the-Middle (MITM) MBSE method as a tailored version of the MagicGrid Framework. This creates a framework for users to bring legacy documents into a system model in the conceptual and physical domains, thus allowing integration of related external systems to ensure proper interfacing. Attendance at the INCOSE International Workshop 2026 revealed a need for this kind of method; many organizations are brought together by interest in MBSE but struggle with implementation on existing projects. This is mostly due to the complexity of interconnected systems, which makes full MBSE adoption a daunting task, and the lack of documentation and instruction on where to start so that all previous work is not lost. MITM methods were tested on the Eagle-SAT CubeSat program. Results suggest that these new methods enable teams to reduce the overhead work involved in introducing MBSE to a project, facilitate faster and clearer communication between subsystem teams, and allow system modelers to increase the effectiveness of the engineering performed on the project. While MITM methods were only tested at the system level, we expect them to be compatible with system-of-systems (SoS) level projects with proper AI integration. Possible directions for further research in this area include full implementation of MITM at a SoS level or AI integration for the purposes of model verification, requirement validation, and completeness checks.
Synergistic Integration: Utilizing MBSE, and AI, and HSI in a Meet-in-the-Middle Framework
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is widely recognized for its ability to manage complexity across a system’s lifecycle, yet many traditional top-down frameworks struggle when applied to organizations dominated by legacy systems, fragmented documentation, evolving stakeholder needs, and increasing integration requirements. Furthermore, modern systems cannot be designed in a vacuum—most systems must interact with many other systems in order to function. This poster proposes an implementation of a new Meet-in-the-Middle (MITM) MBSE method as a tailored version of the MagicGrid Framework. This creates a framework for users to bring legacy documents into a system model in the conceptual and physical domains, thus allowing integration of related external systems to ensure proper interfacing. Attendance at the INCOSE International Workshop 2026 revealed a need for this kind of method; many organizations are brought together by interest in MBSE but struggle with implementation on existing projects. This is mostly due to the complexity of interconnected systems, which makes full MBSE adoption a daunting task, and the lack of documentation and instruction on where to start so that all previous work is not lost. MITM methods were tested on the Eagle-SAT CubeSat program. Results suggest that these new methods enable teams to reduce the overhead work involved in introducing MBSE to a project, facilitate faster and clearer communication between subsystem teams, and allow system modelers to increase the effectiveness of the engineering performed on the project. While MITM methods were only tested at the system level, we expect them to be compatible with system-of-systems (SoS) level projects with proper AI integration. Possible directions for further research in this area include full implementation of MITM at a SoS level or AI integration for the purposes of model verification, requirement validation, and completeness checks.