ultimately choose the best design. The DAT allows the teams to input the number of parts and the material for each part per design to display cost, schedule, and performance-re - lated attributes. The teams determine which digital design moves forward not only on the basis of cost, sched - ule, and performance but also on the risks associated with each design. Teams transition to hands-on sys - tem realization using LEGO® MIND - STORMS® Education EV3 kits by build - ing and testing their designs. The Bricklink Studio digital twin design provides a set of step-by-step build in - structions. The build plan and assem - bly are also Contract Date Require - ments List (CDRL) and Performance criteria, respectively. The prototype of the unmanned mine detection ve - hicle also requires sensor integration and must be validated on the test track against defined cost, schedule, and performance objectives. This physical build-and-test phase provides immediate feedback be - tween the digital model and the
WSE 006 is a three-day instructor-led workshop that focuses on leadership, management, risk, and critical decision- making for executing a program while maintaining all necessary programmatic information in a digital ecosystem.
real-world system. Design optimiza - tion and changes, risk updates, and configuration management deci - sions must be reflected in the digital ecosystem to reinforce disciplined digital engineering and configura - tion management skills and prac - tices. The teams conduct a physical configuration audit (PCA) during the workshop to verify their physical prototype against their digital twin design, including a matching of parts within the digital ecosystem to vali - date accuracy against CDRL deliver - ables and Performance criteria. The
teams work to optimize and finalize designs before moving into formal testing activities. Test and outcomes. What the workshop reveals is that trade-offs in the schedule must be addressed, with planned activities mostly ex - tended or taking longer, leading to the condensing or minimizing of ac - tivities. The teams must decide and take risks in determining which ac - tivities to adjust. In most cases, it is the testing activities that suffer from scheduling overruns or time pressure to complete all the programmatic ac - tivities. This leads to incomplete test - ing, reduced or skipped test events, and a high risk of late defect discov - ery. The workshop details specific test events to be conducted with results provided as a part of the CDR. The students also conduct a CDR, pro - viding finalized information on their project, including scheduling, risks, testing results, assembly procedures, and training results. The workshop culminates in a demonstration of the students’ un - manned mine detection vehicles. The teams are provided at the beginning with the Section M Evaluation Crite - ria for grading. Each team conducts a demonstration of several events with their unmanned mine detection vehi - cle. This includes a PCA to ensure that the digital design and physical design are accurate; a timed assembly event conducted by two members within 240 seconds; a timed track event with obstacles, mines, and barriers conducted by two members within 240 seconds; and a stand-alone ramp
Students work through prototyping the vehicle based on the digital twin in WSE 006. Source: Author
30 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER –OCTOBER 2026
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