Balaji Boominathan
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Balaji BoominathanSylangMBSE for AIEngineering models that AI writes and humans sign.Draft edition

The book · Draft edition, 4 October 2026

Sylang: MBSE for AI Engineering models that AI writes and humans sign.

Every engineering company is asking which AI tool to add to its modelling stack. This book argues that is the wrong question. It shows what model-based systems engineering looks like when AI is a primary author of the model, and engineers review, decide and sign.

17
chapters
78
sections
~80k
words
4
companion projects

Draft edition. The full text is here to read free, as it stands today. Front and back matter, the remaining companion projects and final typesetting are still in progress, so expect changes.

Open the book Why I wrote it

Why the title

MBSE for AI, not AI for MBSE.

The title reads the other way round from what the market is selling, on purpose. It is the whole argument of the book in three words.

What the market sells

AI for MBSE

AI serves the modelling tools you already have. A language model is bolted onto Capella, Cameo, Polarion or DOORS, while the data model, file formats and validation stay built for human authors.

Faster first drafts, then schema drift, invented trace links and a painful audit.

What this book argues

MBSE for AI

The modelling language is redesigned so AI can be its primary author: plain text, strict types, a deterministic validator and a skill file for every file type. Engineers review, decide and sign.

Speed that still holds up in front of the auditor.

  • Turn the pages

    A real page curl, or one long scroll if you prefer.

  • Read full screen

    Press F and everything but the book disappears.

  • Objectives that tick off

    Each chapter’s goals check themselves as you read.

  • Check yourself

    Short questions at the end of every chapter, answers hidden until you want them.

  • Expand any figure

    Click a diagram, chart or table to open it large and zoom in.

  • Prints cleanly

    Every chapter prints on A4 with nothing but the book.

Contents

Seventeen chapters, four reader paths.

Chapter 1 stands alone for leaders. The rest is written for engineers, AI builders and auditors. Every chapter reads as turning pages or as one long scroll, and prints cleanly.

For leaders

  1. 1Why MBSE-for-AI Matters Now6 sections · 35 min

Foundations

  1. 2Model-Based Systems Engineering, from Zero5 sections · 36 min
  2. 3The Sylang Language, in One Sitting5 sections · 31 min
  3. 4Sylang Studio: Your First Project4 sections · 22 min
  4. 5System Project Management with Sylang4 sections · 18 min

The engineering spine

  1. 6Product Line Engineering: Features and Variants5 sections · 31 min
  2. 7Functions: The Executable Spine5 sections · 23 min
  3. 8Architecture: Blocks, Interfaces, Behavior4 sections · 21 min
  4. 9Requirements Written for AI to Consume5 sections · 23 min
  5. 10Tests: The Verification Side4 sections · 14 min
  6. 11Putting It Together: The Engineering Spine End-to-End4 sections · 15 min

Safety

  1. 12The ISO 26262 Safety Chain5 sections · 16 min
  2. 13FMEA: Bottom-Up Failure Analysis4 sections · 12 min
  3. 14FTA: Top-Down Fault Tree Analysis4 sections · 11 min
  4. 15Traceability: Making the Invisible Visible5 sections · 14 min

Outputs and the argument

  1. 16Specifications and Dashboards That Update Themselves4 sections · 11 min
  2. 17MBSE for AI, Restated5 sections · 16 min

Companion projects

Four real systems, modelled end to end.

28 model files and about 2,900 lines of Sylang, so every concept is shown on a real system instead of a toy.

  • Automotive · ISO 26262

    Electric parking brake

    The anchor project. Carries the engineering spine, the safety chain and the living documentation.

  • Aerospace · DO-178C

    Autopilot

    Used for the functions walkthrough in Chapter 7.

  • Medical · IEC 62304

    Insulin infusion pump

    Used for the requirements walkthrough in Chapter 9.

  • Industrial

    Collaborative robot

    Used for the tests and FMEA walkthroughs in Chapters 10 and 13.

    Try “agents”, “ISO 26262”, “MCP” or “FMEA”.