Benefits and Drawbacks of Model-based Design

The Model-based Design approach, as propagated by The MathWorks, is a state-of-the-art method in the fields of aerospace, defense and automotive developments. The obvious advantages of Model-based Design of a convenient, understandable graphical description of systems, continuous verification and validation at all stages of development as well as its inherent robustness against coding errors have made it a state-of-the-art method in fields such as automotive systems and aerospace and defense. Despite the vast number of success stories associated with this approach, Model-based Design is not a standard method throughout the entire industry, especially not for small and medium sized enterprises. Hence, consulting on the introduction of Model-based Design into development teams is a recurring task for the author. Presenting an industrial project, the development of a velocimeter (spatial frequency sensor system), benefits as well as obstacles corresponding to Model-based Design are introduced. The paper’s object is giving detailed insight into the method based on first-hand experience. It will be concluded that Model-based Design is a favorable approach even for small and medium sized enterprises.