Despite its proven modeling value in many engineering domains, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools have only a moderate acceptance by system engineers and architects to assist them in their day-to-day tasks [Robertson and Radcliffe, 2009]. The complexity of creating, editing, and annotating models of system engineering takes its root from different sources: unsuitable representations, outdated interfaces, laborious modification, and difficult collaboration [Rudin, 2019]. As a result, especially in the early development phases, system architects tend to favor more traditional tools, such as whiteboards, papers, and pencils over CAD tools to quickly and easily sketch a problem and its solution. Whiteboards foster collaboration and creativity as the users do not need to strictly conform to formal notation. However, to guarantee digital continuity (along with its benefits in terms of model consistency, change review, analyses, etc.), human users are required to reproduce any sketched solutions inside formal tools when it comes to formalizing them. Modern interfaces (e.g., electronic whiteboards) could help to automatize this task by allowing users to work on a digital representation of the model that can be directly exported to be modified via modeling tools. With EasyMod we want to bridge the informality of the working sketches captured on interactive whiteboards with formal notations and representations that have the potential to lower the barrier of acceptance of CAD tools by the industry [Botre and Sandbhor, 2013], [Alblawi et al., 2019]. This acceptance can be obtained by automatically or semi-automatically translating informal sketches into their corresponding elements using specified formal notation. This activity, which is directly linked to the needs of the ESA teams, will be carried out in close collaboration with a broader project integrating the needs of the aeronautics and space industry: Airbus DS, Thales, Ariane Group, Airbus Commercial Aircraft.
