About NCSRR

Bringing the power of engineering simulation to rehabilitation research.

Musculoskeletal modeling and dynamic simulation have emerged as powerful tools to uncover the biomechanical causes of movement abnormalities and to design improved treatments. We have established the NIH National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research (NCSRR) to equip the rehabilitation research community with state-of-the-art simulation tools, enabling investigators to complement experimental studies of human performance with advanced simulation software and biomechanical models. Our freely available simulation tool, OpenSim, is already used by hundreds of research teams around the world to advance rehabilitation science.

Simulation of individual with cerebral palsy walking in a crouch gait. More info. Courtesy of Katherine M. Steele.

The Center serves a wide audience, from those on the leading edge of simulation technology to those wondering how simulations can benefit their work.  In addition to developing and distributing OpenSim, NCSRR provides training opportunities, seed grants, and a network of biomechanical and clinical experts--resources that will accelerate the integration of simulations into critical areas of rehabilitation, including stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, osteoarthritis, prosthetics, orthotics, and sports medicine.

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News & Announcements

OpenSim lower limb model in Super Bowl Nike commercial

Feb 06, 2017

The Nike commercial during the Super Bowl includes footage from OpenSim and our lower limb model.

View commercial - The model appears around the 25-second mark.

OpenSim simulations yield insights into the design of assistive devices to reduce the metabolic cost of running

Oct 25, 2016

Mobilize Center researcher Thomas Uchida and OpenSim researchers published a paper in PLOS One where they generated muscle-driven simulations of movement to augment experimental data and provide insights into the design of assistive devices to reduce energy consumption during running.

Using the open-source OpenSim software platform, they simulated 10 human subjects running at 2 and 5 m/s to examine the predicted changes in muscle recruitment patterns and metabolic power consumption with assistive devices.

Results from the simulations yielded observations that can be used to form hypotheses for future experimental studies.

Read full article

NIH supports OpenSim for five more years

Nov 24, 2015

We are excited to announce that the OpenSim project has secured an additional five years of funding through the renewal of our NIH-funded National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research (NCSRR). We are grateful to everyone who provided a letter of support for our renewal application, and we thank all members of the community for contributing to the growth and vibrancy of the project by participating in our forum, attending workshops, teaching with OpenSim, and publishing excellent research.

In the coming years, the NCSRR will continue to support and expand the OpenSim project by enhancing the OpenSim software platform and continuing our Visiting Scholars, Pilot Project, OpenSim Fellows, workshop, and online training programs.

OpenSim highlighted in the Nature Toolbox Blog

Oct 04, 2015

The Nature Toolbox blog highlighted OpenSim in a recent story,
Motion studies: See how they run
. The article included a broader discussion about the contributions of open-source modeling and simulation software for the study of human and animal locomotion. The article talks about the benefits, and drawbacks, of these large-scale software platforms as well as the communities they can create.