BeemmLink – a new tool with integration of Wolfram Mathematica and Autodesk Maya in modeling and simulation of dynamical systems, and its application to terrain-following navigation. Inna Abramova, Simon Latyshev, Prof. Bingen Yang Dept. of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering University of Southern California Abstract This paper presents BeemmLink – a software tool for modeling, simulation, visualization, and analysis of a variety of dynamical systems. Within the BeemmLink architecture Wolfram Mathematica serves as a computation engine, while Autodesk Maya performs as visualizer, geometry modeler, and simulation driver. BeemmLink is implemented as a set of C/Objective-C/C++ frameworks and libraries/bundles, using standard C/C++ APIs of both Mathematica Mathlink and Maya. In addition to providing the connection and communication services between Mathematica and Maya, BeemmLink embodies custom algorithms that govern simulation parameters and logic, as well as invoking the appropriate Mathematica solvers. The paper discusses testing of BeemmLink on the well-researched dynamical problem of a double pendulum, showing the results from both stand-alone Mathematica component and full Maya-Mathematica assembly of this tool. The paper also demonstrates application of BeemmLink to the dynamical problem of terrain- following and presents simulation results for 2D and 3D models. The last part of the paper introduces modeling and simulation of formation motion with BeemmLink. I. Introduction: background and motivation for BeemmLink Scientists and engineering professionals depend heavily on advanced technical computation software packages for modeling, analysis, and design. These tools involve solvers of differential equations used to describe dynamical systems involved in science and engineering, and various visualization components. Models of various degrees of complexity can be developed and analyzed using symbolic math, node-based modeling, visualization and animation in both 2D and 3D, facilitated by the wide variety of the existing modeling and simulation software tools. Elaborate tool pipelines can be constructed based on the major packages such as MATLAB/Simulink, Mathematica, and Maple. 1,2,3,4 In addition to being a state-of-the-art modeling/computation tool, each of these three tools strives to offer users powerful simulation software. Examples of this include: • MATLAB/Simulink-based: MathWorks MATLAB, SymbolicMath Toolbox for MATLAB, Simulink, Virtual Reality Toolbox for Simulink, Maplesoft BlockBuilder for Simulink 1 • Maple-based: new Maplesoft MapleSim 2,3 • Mathematica-based: MathGL3d, MathCore MathModelica 4,5,6 AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference 10 - 13 August 2009, Chicago, Illinois AIAA 2009-5698 Copyright © 2009 by Inna Abramova, Simon Latyshev, Bingen Yang. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission.