GiPSi

Welcome to the homepage of GiPSi^TM (General Physical Simulation Interface).

GiPSi version 2.0 with GiPSiNet is now available!....

GiPSi is an open source/open architecture framework for developing organ level surgical simulations. Our goal is to facilitate shared development of reusable models, to accommodate heterogeneous models of computation, and to provide a framework for interfacing multiple heterogeneous models. The framework provides an intuitive API for interfacing dynamic models defined over spatial domains. It is specifically designed to be independent of the specifics of the modeling methods used and therefore facilitates seamless integration of heterogeneous models and processes. I/O interfaces for visualization and haptics for real-time interactive applications have also been provided.

What is GiPSi, GiPSi API, etc.?

The goal of GiPSi is to provide an open architecture software development framework to facilitate free exchange of models and algorithms, and development of interoperable medical simulations, with special focus on the requirements of virtual environment-based medical training simulations.

GiPSi is a general software development framework for developing organ level surgical simulations, rather than a complete simulation engine. The framework consists of the Simulation Object API, which also includes the object interfacing API, the Visualization API and the Haptics API. The implemented Modeling Tools and Computational Tools form an initial set of GiPSi compliant libraries to support development of GiPSi based simulations.

What is the current status of GiPSi ?

GiPSi API version 2.0 is currently available. The downloadable GiPSi code includes the specifications of the Core GiPSi and GiPSiNet APIs, the GiPSi Computational Tools set, a Visualization Engine, a Haptics Engine, GiPSiNet networked simulation middleware, and a number of simple sample model implementations that follow the GiPSi API specifications.

We are currently using GiPSi as the underlying framework for two active projects on development of medical training simulators. During the course of these projects, we will develop all our models GiPSi API compliant. We also have an active project to develop GiPSiNet, network middleware for networked surgical simulations. Models developed in these projects and GiPSiNet will be released under the same GiPSi Public License.

Background Information

Computer simulations have become an important tool for medical applications, such as surgical training, pre-operative planning, and biomedical research. However, the current state of the field of medical simulation is characterized by scattered research projects using a variety of models that are neither inter-operable nor independently verifiable models. Individual simulators are frequently built from scratch by individual research groups without input and validation from a larger community. The challenge of developing useful medical simulations is often too great for any individual group since expertise is required from different fields.

The motivation behind GiPSi is our prior experience in surgical training simulators and physically based modeling. The open source, open architecture software development model provides an attractive framework to address the needs of interfacing models from multiple research groups and the
ability to critically examine and validate quantitative biological simulations. Open source models ensure quality control, evaluation, and peer review,which are critical for basic scientific methodology. Furthermore, since subsequent users of the models and the software code have access to the original code,this also improves the reusability of the models and inter-connectibility of the software modules. On the other hand, an open architecture simulation framework allows open source or proprietary third party development of additional models, model data, and analysis and computation modules.

Documentation

This is the main GiPSi design document, which includes the description of the GiPSi API:

"GiPSi: A Draft Open Source/Open Architecture Software Development Framework for Surgical Simulation," T. Goktekin and M.C. Cavusoglu. Technical Report, Case Western Reserve University, 2004.

These are the papers which describe the GiPSi project:

"GiPSi: An Open Source/Open Architecture Software Development Framework for Surgical Simulation." M. C. Cavusoglu, T. G. Goktekin, F. Tendick, and S. S. Sastry. In Proceedings of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality XII (MMVR 2004), Newport Beach, CA, January 14-17, 2004, pp.46-48.
"GiPSi: A Draft Open Source/Open Architecture Software Development Framework for Surgical Simulation," T. Goktekin, M.C. Cavusoglu, F. Tendick, and S. S. Sastry. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Medical Simulation, Cambridge, MA, June17-18, 2004.

Download GiPSi

GiPSi is an open source project. GiPSi source is available through the GiPSi Public License, a variant of Mozilla license v1.1. If you are interested in downloading GiPSi, please proceed to here.