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What is SCONE?

SCONE is open source software for performing predictive simulations of biological motion.

Predictive simulations enable powerful new applications for musculoskeletal models, such as predicting the outcome of treatment, and optimizing the efficiency and efficacy of assistive devices. More fundamentally, it enables researchers to pose true what-if? questions, allowing them to investigate the effects of individual model and control parameters on the motion as a whole.

How does SCONE work?

In SCONE, everything needed to perform a predictive simulation is bundled in what is called a Scenario. Each SCONE scenario consists of the following components:

  • A Model of the human, animal or robot you wish to simulate.
  • A Controller that generates input for the model actuators.
  • An Objective that describes the goal task for which you wish to optimize, through a weighted combination of Measures.
  • An Optimizer that optimizes the free Parameters in a scenario for a specific objective.

To learn more about SCONE scenarios, be sure check out the SCONE Basics tutorial.

Who is SCONE for?

SCONE is designed to cater to a wide range of potential users, including:

  • Clinical researchers with limited technical skills, who wish to perform what-if scenarios using existing SCONE Scenarios.
  • Biomechanics / neuromechanics researchers studying neuromuscular control.
  • Robotics researchers interested in optimized control strategies, or the interaction between humans and assistive devices.

For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions, or post a question on the SCONE User Forum.