Dynamic Walker Competition January 2014

Welcome! We hope you will participate in the Dynamic Walker Webinar by trying out the example and sharing a video of your walker.  Here are the steps to participating:

Watch the Webinar

In case you missed the webinar, you can view a recording of it.

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A .pdf of the slides can also be downloaded here or from the tools menu in the upper right hand corner.

Download OpenSim 3.2

Download version 3.2 of OpenSim, which is currently in beta testing. To find and install, go to the OpenSim Project page in Simtk.org. Scroll down to "Beta Releases". Make sure you choose the downloader that corresponds with your version of Matlab (32bit or 64bit).

OpenSim Downloads page

Setup the Matlab Interface

You can setup the Matlab interface by running the script configureOpenSim.m from Matlab. You can find this script in the Scripts/Matlab folder of the directory where you installed OpenSim. If you'd like to do the set-up by hand or if you run into issues see the page Scripting with Matlab.

Get the Dynamic Walker Files

The files for this workshop are hosted on OpenSim's main page (https://simtk.org/home/opensim).  In the left hand menu, select OpenSim Models and Examples and scroll down to the DynamicWalkingStarter.zip.  Download the file and unzip the archive in a folder on your local machine. It includes all the files discussed in the webinar as well as several additional script files to help you get started.

Learn More about Scripting and the OpenSim API

After watching the webinar, to learn more about the Matlab Scripting environment see the chapter in our User's Guide on Scripting.

Another valuable resource for understanding the OpenSim library of functions and components is the OpenSim Doxygen.

You can search the Doxygen and all OpenSim resources from our main OpenSim Support Page.

Make your Walker, Record a Video, and Submit your Entry

Modify the Walker by adding new components, and optimizing their parameters (by hand or creating your own optimization). Try to make the model as stable as possible on uneven terrain. When you finish your walker, record a movie in the OpenSim GUI (see Taking Snapshots and Making Movies). Upload the video to Youtube, and send the link to opensim@stanford.edu. Any and all types of entries are welcome!

We will feature all the videos on the OpenSim Youtube Channel. We will also send an OpenSim polo shirt to the top entries, as judged by the OpenSim staff.  Entries must be received by midnight Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, March 2, 2014 Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

Get Help

If you have questions or issues, please post them on the OpenSim User Forum. Include "Dynamic Walker" in the thread title.