The EMSE Model-Based Engineering (MBE) Laboratory

Students presenting — Students (L to R) Elena Almahdi, Sasha Green and Arman Naseh using the MBE Laboratory to develop, integrate and demonstrate a Raspberry Pi based American Sign Language (ASL) to Text converter using multiple ML algorithms to improve conversion accuracy.

The Model-Based Engineering (MBE) Laboratory, led by Prof. Eric Dano, is a dedicated facility providing students and faculty with an advanced environment for model-based engineering research, education, and innovation. The MBE laboratory, located in GW’s Tompkins Hall of Engineering (725 23rd St NW, Room 104), brings together the tools, computing resources, and hands-on engineering capabilities needed to design, model, simulate, analyze, and integrate complex systems across multiple engineering domains.

The MBE Lab gives students an opportunity to work with professional engineering technologies and methodologies typically encountered in industry and advanced research environments. Its integrated capabilities support cross-domain systems architecture and synthesis, high-fidelity modeling and simulation, digital-twin development, decision analysis, and the incorporation of AI/ML technologies into engineered systems. The laboratory also incorporates Siemens Teamcenter PLM, providing students with exposure to product lifecycle management and advanced digital engineering workflows.

The laboratory serves as a shared resource for the department, supporting faculty research programs, undergraduate and graduate student projects, senior capstone projects, and courses incorporating Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Model-Based Engineering (MBE). Students use an integrated MBSE toolchain to design and develop AI-enabled, Raspberry Pi–based sensor systems, providing hands-on experience connecting system architecture and modeling with physical hardware, software, sensing, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. The workflow below follows the classical synthesize, define and develop process that students will use when they begin their careers in industries/organizations.

Presentation papers — Example of the hands-on development of a sensor system using the MBE Laboratory's integrated engineering environment. (From top left): Plant Moisture Monitoring and Watering System Concept of Operation (ConOp) diagram, synthesized ARCADIA Capella Physical Architecture diagram, Sensor configuration/RP4 interface mapping, and Empirical characterization of sensor performance.

A high-performance computing node located within the laboratory further expands its research and instructional capabilities, supporting computationally intensive simulation, data processing, optimization, and machine-learning workloads. Together, these capabilities create an environment in which students can move beyond learning engineering concepts in isolation to apply them to the development and analysis of complete, complex systems.

faculty presentation — The laboratory's computational and modeling infrastructure supports advanced engineering research and education. Professor Dano briefs faculty attendees on the capabilities of the MBE lab.

The MBE Laboratory also serves as a visible connection between the department's academic programs, research activities, and the broader engineering community. Its projects and capabilities have been highlighted through articles and other external coverage, demonstrating the laboratory's growing role in advancing engineering education and applied research.

MBE Laboratory related Articles:

GW Engineering's New AI Academy Helps Faculty Build AI Fluency — https://engineering.gwu.edu/gw-engineerings-new-ai-academy-helps-faculty-build-ai-fluency-0 dtd. Jan. 26, 2026
Ideas Become Prototypes in GW’s Inaugural Model-Based Engineering Course — https://engineering.gwu.edu/ideas-become-prototypes-gws-inaugural-model-based-engineering-course, and, https://emse.engineering.gwu.edu/ideas-become-prototypes-gws-inaugural-model-based-engineering-course dtd. June 4, 2026.
Showcasing GW Student Innovation Across Regional Engineering Competitions — https://engineering.gwu.edu/showcasing-gw-student-innovation-across-regional-engineering-competitions, and, https://emse.engineering.gwu.edu/showcasing-gw-student-innovation-across-regional-engineering-competitions dtd. June 29, 2026.
Dr. Dano Leads Model Based Engineering Demonstration in the EEMI Suite —2026 Summer-Fall EEMI newsletter, EEMI website: https://eemi.engineering.gwu.edu/ dtd. Aug 20, 2026.

The MBE Laboratory represents a significant investment in the department's students and faculty, providing a hands-on, industry-relevant environment where emerging systems engineering methods, digital engineering technologies, and AI-enabled engineering can be learned, researched, and applied.

To discuss lab capabilities and opportunities further, please contact Professor Eric Dano at: ericdanogwu [dot] edu.