Trusted Working Copies for Distributed Systems Engineering

Prewitt Ridge, Inc proposes Trusted Working Copies, a project integrating blockchain technology into a model-based systems engineering software workflow as to allow multidisciplinary, multi-company and multi-agency teams to design systems using cutting edge systems engineering technologies while also ensuring that model revisions are consistently tracked and verified in a distributed, authoritative manner. This proposal demonstrates the feasibility of using blockchain technologies to robustly track the development of separate, key subsystems that must successfully integrate into a larger Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) environment on a complex project. In complex system design, individual subsystems are typically designed using a subsystem-specific engineering tool by Subject Matter Experts (SME). These individual tools generate file formats or interfaces that are not compatible for assessment in other engineering tools. The job of a Systems Engineer (or multiple Systems Engineers) often evolves into keeping track of the various requirements, system models, system designs, etc., and ensuring that the revisions of these models are consistent across the entire system design. Design work flows from the systems engineer to specific SMEs. These SMEs then need to fully own how their work integrates into the whole; with our method, we anticipate less overhead in interface management, change tracking, and verification by the SMEs. Our method proposes using blockchain technology to manage modification of the distributed components of truth against the initial authoritative source of truth. Through this method we expect to realize a trusted and distributed approach to systems engineering.

After a successful Phase II, we expect NASA to be able to use this technology to manage technical work at its disparate NASA centers and subcontractors during complex development efforts for spacecraft, launch vehicles, and aircraft. Trusted Working Copies will enable NASA’s activities to be more efficient and lower risk through Blockchain support of more automated creation, execution, and completion verification of engineering artifacts during the system design process.

Prewitt Ridge, Inc. fully intends to market this technology as a key competitive advantage to use the Verve ecosystem of Systems Engineering products. As Verve has a target market of not only spacecraft, but also small UAVs, medical devices, and other multi-party, documentation-critical complex projects in key markets, we intend to make this technology available to those markets as well.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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