mHealth Case Study Presenting Design SynMeth, a Rapid Prototyping MBSE Methodology, by Advancing Specific OPM-to-SysML Mapping

Abstract

Designing IoT-based cognitive assessment and monitoring devices for older adults poses critical challenges in managing trade-offs between accessibility and functionality. With the global aging population to exceed 2 billion by 2050, an increasing number of older adults will require Active Assisted Living (AAL) technologies to support independent living. Cognitive impairments make standard interfaces difficult to use, necessitating user-centered design approaches. Effective solutions must address the transition from document-centric to model-based design, incorporating co-design with users and caregivers, iterative modeling cycles, and continuous model evolution. This study highlights key factors that call for a hybrid approach, blending the flexibility of rapid prototyping with the accuracy and robustness of precision engineering. This study demonstrates a successful implementation of a cognitive detection device within an AAL European project by presenting Design SynMeth, a novel blended Model-Based Systems Engineering methodology that maps Object-Process Methodology (OPM) to Systems Modeling Language (SysML) using a modified MagicGrid framework. This approach bridges early and late design phases, integrating OPM’s strength in conceptual modeling and SysML’s rigor in technical specifications. Design SynMeth enhances system design efficiency and adaptability to IoT challenges. The case study reveals how Design SynMeth methodology models the architecture of a mobile health well-being device for detecting cognitive issues, supporting seniors’ autonomy. It highlights the dynamic interplay between problem and solution domains, leveraging OPM diagrams for problem domain and SysML diagrams for requirements and solution domain. This work advances the state of the art in IoT-based cognitive monitoring and promotes innovative, human-centered engineering for aging societies.