The Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Restore Center, and Mobilize Center will host a workshop on the Stanford University campus on March 18-20, 2025, for users of our tools, including OpenSim, OpenSim Moco, OpenSense, and OpenCap. Over the three days, participants will work on their research projects to define, address, and overcome challenges. Workshop applications are due by Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 5pm local time.

Important Dates

Audience

This workshop is intended for advanced users and developers of our software tools, datasets, and models who want to work with our staff on specific research projects. We welcome researchers working on any research application that is pushing at the boundaries of these tools. In particular, areas of interest include the following:

• For OpenSim, OpenSim Moco, OpenSense: Researchers who are using these tools for new use cases, and developers who need to extend the software for their projects.
• For OpenCap: Researchers who have captured data and have identified quantities or biomarkers of interest that they would like to extract from their data, or who want to learn how to generate and analyze muscle-driven simulations from their data.

We highly encourage participants to apply and participate as a group.

Agenda

Three-day workshop
The workshop time will be primarily spent working on participant projects. Workshop participants will work with the workshop staff and fellow participants to address, define, and overcome technical challenges and advance their research. The first day will include introductions and brief lectures about using our software for research. The second and third days will be devoted to working on problems that you bring to the workshop. 

For example, you might want to calculate muscle and joint forces during movement, add an orthosis to your gait model in OpenSim, create a new simulation pipeline with OpenSim Moco, generate simulations from motion capture data collected with wearable sensors with OpenSense, or extract biomarkers such as joint moments or muscle-tendon lengths from OpenCap data. You will have the opportunity to work in small breakout groups with OpenSim experts on your research problems. The success of the workshop depends on you bringing well-defined scientific questions, data, and projects that you will work on.

Pre-workshop preparation
Prior to the workshop, participants will receive an email from workshop staff with feedback on their proposed plan and to set up a short Zoom call. This feedback will help participants prepare any necessary software set up, data processing, or other steps for planning prior to traveling for the workshop.

Travel, Costs, and Logistics

The workshop will take place on the campus of Stanford University. Please refer to the Travel Information and Workshop Logistics pages for additional information.

Participants are responsible for their travel, lodging, and meals, but there is no registration fee to participate.

In lieu of a registration fee, we ask participants to share data, models, or software with the research community. The ideal way to share is to upload past or current motion capture data on AddBiomechanics.org. For other types of data, we recommend sharing it on simtk.org. If you do not have data to share, please describe what you plan to share in the project proposal.

How to Apply

Complete the application form via Qualtrics to apply. You will also use the form to upload a brief (1-2 page) project proposal. You can also optionally apply for a travel award.

Workshop applications are due by Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 5pm local time.

If you are part of a team: Submit one application for your group, and include information for each team member within the form.

Project Proposal

The project proposal should be no more than two pages (11pt font, single spaced). It should contain the following sections:

1) Research Motivation and Goals: Provide a scientific description of the larger project you are performing with our software tools. Briefly describe the relevant background to the proposed project, including any preliminary work. Review the rationale for your project, and state your hypotheses and/or specific aims.

2) Workshop Plan: Provide a brief overview of the overall project design and methods, as well as your specific plans for the workshop. Describe what tasks will be accomplished prior to the workshop and what experimental data will be available. Then, describe the specific tasks you plan to complete during the workshop, including any current or expected challenges and bottlenecks. Be as specific as possible!

3) Expected Results and Impact: State the expected outcome of your work and its impact on the field.

4) Data Sharing Plan: Briefly describe what data you will share on AddBiomechanics.org or simtk.org prior to the workshop (e.g., provide a link to the relevant publication). Data could be from a past project or the present project. If you will not have data to share on AddBiomechanics.org or simtk.org before the workshop, please describe what data, software, or models you will share in the coming year.

5) Participant Background: Briefly describe your background and prior experience with our software tools. Explain why you are interested in attending the workshop. If a group, provide this information for all group members (groups may use an additional half page for this information).

Travel Awards

Competitive travel grants will be awarded to outstanding workshop applicants and groups. Awards will be up to $1500 for an individual or $3000 for a group to help cover the costs of attending the workshop.

Applying for a travel award is done through the same application process and form above. You will be asked to indicate if you would like to be considered for a travel award, and if so, upload a single PDF containing a CV or resume for each member of the team.

Review Criteria

The project proposals will be reviewed by workshop staff, based on several factors, including the following:

1. The merit and potential scientific and technical impact of the project
2. The likelihood of success, including satisfactory completion of preliminary work and potential of the participants to accomplish the plan
3. Commitment to data, model, and software sharing

Contact

If you have any questions about the workshop or application process, please send an email to opensim@stanford.edu.