Systems engineers and architects, particularly those transitioning from software to systems engineering, argue that SysML-like modelling notations—symbolic two-dimensional diagrams composed of boxes and lines—are domain-independent and therefore highly useful for supporting the cross-functional definition of a system architecture. However, the abstract diagramming syntax of Model-Based Systems Architecting (MBSA) notations makes their adoption challenging, especially for notational non-experts, and adopting iconic graphics is one way to improve this. Few studies have attempted to replace 2D diagrams with immersive 3D visuals without presenting objective evidence. We believe this is due to limited development efforts and a lack of quality criteria for comparing 2D diagrams with 3D visuals. The project ArchiTOOL demonstrated that human-centric interactive 3D visuals should replace MBSA diagrams where appropriate to enhance communication and participation in multidisciplinary co-design activities, from mission planning to architecture definition. A combination of empirical validation methods showed that the proposed 3D immersive MBSA interface increases user satisfaction, offers improved visual notations, and reduces cognitive load for both single- and multi-user MBSA activities involving experts and non-experts. These promising results from this exploratory research pave the way for further, more detailed studies to build scientific evidence.
- Romain Pinquié - Associate Professor - Univ Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G-SCOP - contact: romain.pinquie@grenoble-inp.fr
- Haobo Wang - PhD Candidate - Univ Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G-SCOP
- Frédéric Noel - Full Professor - Univ Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G-SCOP
- Gilles Foucault - Full Professor - Univ Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G-SCOP
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This work was supported by the ArchiTOOL project, grant ANR-20-CE10-0010 of the French National Research Agency.
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