A discrete event XML based system of systems hardware-in-the-loop simulation for robust threat detection

In a system of systems (SoS) consisting of heterogeneous independently operable systems, successfully sending, receiving, and understanding data is necessary to achieve interoperation among the systems. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is applied to wrap the data in a way that is commonly understood in the SoS while the asynchronous nature of the interactions among systems is viewed as an event driven system. Discrete event specification (DEVS) formalism is used to describe the models composing the SoS. Simulation provides a means to examine and analyze systems and their interactions as well as how a new system effects the SoS but can hide issues that arise during final implementation. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation provides a bridge between simulation and implementation in order to reduce build cost and more readily verify a system's desired performance. A Groundscout robot is used as a real system in the simulation of a robust threat detection scenario.