OUSD (R&E) MODERNIZATION PRIORITY: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems OBJECTIVE: Design, demonstrate and deliver an ontology-based digital engineering solution that enables integration and federated use of models, data, and tools to develop and improve armaments systems. DESCRIPTION: The integration of engineering tools and models (known as Digital Engineering) presents an opportunity to move at the speed of relevance for the Army Futures Command (AFC) and the Army priorities managed as Cross Functional Teams (CFTs). The data transition across engineering lifecycle phases occurs sequentially with disparate tools and models, resulting in time lost and rework. The integration of such tools was cost prohibitive. However, the proliferation of emerging technologies make this goal more achievable today. Using ontologies and ontological methods and software tools to create and mine data sources provides an opportunity for tool agnostic integration that is flexible and powerful. An ontology-based system opens up the power of triple store and semantic web based technologies to empower our tools and their integration. Such a solution could leverage a domain specific ontology, REST APIs, ETL technology, and visualization technologies, see references [1-5]. Basic research efforts have advanced the utility of ontologies and established frameworks and tools to achieve this end state for DE. For example, Hagedorn et al describe one such framework in [6]. These tools are currently emerging and have not yet been fully matured; as should be expected. There is a need to further develop these tools to a maturity (usability and security being of highest concern) required for use in government and commercial organizations. With investment, we will link together tools for requirements, architecture, design, analysis, acquisition, manufacturing and fielding, eliminate delays and errors from translating design data between tools and steps. A federated set of data will serve as the single source of truth and change(s) will translate through all levels and tools. The resultant technology supports OSD's Digital Engineering and Data strategies; improving engineering effectiveness and efficiency across all Army Modernization Priorities. Government estimates of improvement show expected reduction in process time from 33-66% varying by process type and program complexity. These solutions have transition potential as an enterprise solution for the DEVCOM/AFC, as an industry solution, and as a manufacturing solution amongst our production. As such, transition partners would include Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition (JPEO A&A) including Product Director Joint Services (PD JS), Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC), and Watervliet Arsenal (WVA). The DE solution shall demonstrate the following characteristics and requirements: 1) The solution shall enable the conduct of coupled physics based analysis of multiple types with multiple tools 2) The solution shall perform impact analysis conducted in the event of a request for waiver or change with traceability through design, architecture and requirements 3) The solution shall execute a virtual evaluation of a modified system including determination of data needs and conduct of applicable analyses. 4) The solution shall be tool agnostic and integrate with existing tools with minimal user intervention 5) The solution shall share data maintaining and ensuring a federated authoritative data source, 6) The solution shall include validated tools 7) The solution shall comply with or be able to comply with IT and cyber security requirements applicable to the environment, see [7]. With investment, the AFC and our partners will be able to link together tools for requirements, architecture, design, analysis, acquisition, manufacturing and fielding. We will eliminate delays and errors associated with translating a design into an engineering analysis tool, then into a technical data package format, then into a manufacturing file, into a 3D rendering in a tech manual, and then back to the design authority via as-built parametric models to facilitate production, sustainment, and demil support. A single data element will serve as the single source of truth and a change will translate through all levels and associated tools. The resultant technology supports OSD's Digital Engineering and Data strategies; improving engineering effectiveness and efficiency across all Army Modernization Priorities. Government estimates of improvement show expected reduction in process time from 33-66% varying by process type and program complexity. These technology solutions will have powerful transition potential as a local solution for the AC, as an enterprise solution for the DEVCOM/AFC, as an industry solution with our partners, and as a manufacturing solution amongst our production base (first through the Armaments GOCO's). This technology set offers the promise to support seamless transition of products along a Digital Thread that joins partner organizations in a way never achieved before. As such, transition partners would include Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition (JPEO A&A) including Product Director Joint Services (PD JS) for their GOCO mission, Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC), and Watervliet Arsenal (WVA). At a minimum the DE solution shall demonstrate the following characteristics and requirements: 1) The solution shall enable the conduct of concurrent physics based analysis of multiple types with multiple tools 2) The solution shall perform impact analysis conducted in the event of a request for waiver or engineering change and automated traceability through design, architecture and requirements 3) The solution shall execute a virtual evaluation of a new or modified system including determination of data needs and conduct of applicable analyses. 4) The solution shall be tool agnostic and be able to integrate with existing tools with minimal user intervention 5) The solution shall share data seamlessly maintaining and ensuring a federated and authoritative data source, 6) The solution shall include validated tools and assist in validating new tools 7) The solution shall comply with or be able to comply with IT and cyber security requirements applicable to the environment, see [7]. Ultimately, these tools will enable the realization of modernization at the speed of relevance. Engineering can truly be concurrent, utilizing a single data source to simultaneously design, analyze, plan for manufacturing, and establish logistics products thus reshaping the acquisition process from a serial process of handoffs to a truly rapid, agile and concurrent process. In phase II, the DE solution would be piloted on multiple projects to exercise all uses cases; including an in-house designed item in development, a legacy government designed item in production, and contractor designed item. Specific targets for pilot will be identified before Phase II. PHASE I: Deliver the design and specification for the system solution that includes an ontology-based framework and integration of relevant tools to include the concurrent conduct of end to end engineering assessments as well as the sharing of data across and between lifecycle engineering processes. Based upon available research, knowledge of the systems engineering process and the Armaments industry, the system requirements shall be included in a specification for the solution. In addition to a specification, the system design should include the structure of the system via system architecture deliverables. The systems specification and architecture shall describe uses cases and associated functions, including but not limited to: (1) conduct of concurrent physics based analysis of multiple types with multiple tools, (2) impact analysis conducted in the event of a request for waiver or engineering change and automated traceability through design, architecture and requirements, (3) virtual evaluation of a new or modified system including determination of data needs and conduct of applicable analyses. The specification for the system shall include the following characteristics: (a) be tool agnostic and be able to integrate with existing tools with minimal user intervention, (b) share data seamlessly maintaining and ensuring a federated and authoritative data source, (c) include validated tools and assist in validating new tools, and (d) comply with or be able to comply with IT and cyber security requirements applicable to the environment, see [7]. Phase 1 will complete with submission of the following deliverables: (i) System specification for the digital engineering solution. (ii) System architecture description (and/or diagrams) for the digital engineering solution. (iii) A system description document describing the solution and its capabilities, (iv) An armaments specific ontology in a format readable and editable by commercially available ontology editors (e.g. TopBraid Composer), and (v) Demonstration or simulation of the solution with models and data from an armaments and/or ammunition item(s) to be specified and provided by the government. The demonstration may be conducted on a network or computing infrastructure as determined by the vendor. The government subject matter experts will evaluate the feasibility and potential of the proposed solution. PHASE II: Demonstrate a prototype solution, with the system model and data specified in Phase 1 that meets the system specification and description from Phase 1. Phase 2 will complete with submission of the following deliverables: (1) Install of the solution on an appropriate network as defined by the government (e.g. DREN or NIPR) or the delivery of a standalone computer/server environment with the solution installed and running, (2) Representative data and models loaded with the solution for purposes of demonstration, (3) A demonstration of the solution, (4) An introductory training for the customer, so that they may proficiently utilize the prototype solution and explore its capabilities, (5) An update to prior deliverables if applicable. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In phase 3 the system solution shall be refined, implemented and demonstrated for dual use. To demonstrate the applicability and scalability of the solution to industry, the system shall be demonstrated within the environment and using functions associated with digital integration of the government R&D environment and industry producer. Specifically, the Ammunition industrial base. The vendor shall recommend to the government the preferred demonstration facility, including but not limited GOCO ammunition producers. REFERENCES: A.J. Duineveld, R. Stoter, M. R.Weiden, B. Kenepa And V.R. Benjamins, WonderTools? A comparative study of ontological engineering tools , Int. J. Human-Computer Studies (2000) volume 52. Julita Bermejo-Alonso, Ricardo Sanz, Manuel Rodr guez and Carlos Hern ndez, Ontology-based Engineering of Autonomous Systems , 2010 Sixth International Conference on Autonomic and Autonomous Systems. Fielding, Roy Thomas (2000). "Chapter 5: Representational State Transfer (REST)". Architectural Styles and the Design of Network-based Software Architectures. University of California, Irvine. Denney, MJ (2016). "Validating the extract, transform, load process used to populate a large clinical research database". International Journal of Medical Informatics. 94.; Khronos Releases Final WebGL 1.0 Specification". 3 March 2011. Hagedorn, Thomas. Bone, Mary. Kruse, Benjamin. Grosse, Ian. Blackburn, Mark. Knowledge Representation with Ontologies and Semantic Web Technologies to Promote Augmented and Artificial Intelligence in Systems Engineering . Insight, A publication of the INCOSE. Volume 23, Issue 1. March 2020. Army Regulation 25 2: Information Management: Army Cybersecurity. KEYWORDS: Digital engineering, digital twin, semantic web, digital thread, ontology.
