What Is Model Based Design and How It Delivers Results
Read the full article to see how model based design is changing how high-performance systems are delivered.
Published
14 NOV 2025
Est. reading time
2 min
Model-based design uses accurate, high-fidelity models to simulate both the dynamics of a system and the environment it operates in. These models are then used to design, tune and develop the control strategies that will be implemented in the real system.
In traditional development, control software would be manually coded and only tested once a physical prototype was built. While that approach is still valuable in safety-critical applications, it ties up significant time and cost in physical testing.
With model-based design, much of the development and testing takes place virtually. Physical prototypes are used mainly for final verification and validation, which reduces risk, cuts costs and speeds up delivery. Virtual prototyping allows engineers to explore far more scenarios than would be feasible in real-world testing, identify improvements that might otherwise go unnoticed, and refine performance before any hardware is produced.
Because the control strategy is built around a dynamic and testable model, engineers can adjust logic and system parameters early in the programme. This makes it possible to respond to evolving requirements without restarting core development.
In high-performance motorsport, this approach enables rapid iteration and optimisation under tight timelines. Control logic can be designed, tested, and refined digitally across a wide range of race and reliability conditions, well before a car ever leaves the garage.
The same principles apply across other sectors. Aerospace teams can assess safety and performance without the cost of repeated test flights. Energy networks can be modelled to understand how they respond to fluctuating demand before implementation. Manufacturing operations can simulate efficiency upgrades without disrupting production.
Model-based design shortens the feedback loop, supports quick adaptation to changes in requirements, and delivers better-optimised systems with greater confidence in real-world performance.
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