The SimTK Framework for physics-based simulation of biological structures: preliminary design

We describe the goals and proposed design for SimTK, part of the NIH-supported Simbios National Center for Biomedical Computing. SimTK (Simulation ToolKit) will enable biomedical researchers and clinicians to use physics-based simulation of biological structures at scales from molecules to whole organisms. Applications range from basic biological research to patient-specific surgical planning. High performance computation is an essential feature of SimTK, but support for construction of elaborate models and end-user applications are equally critical. We propose to use CCA to manage SimTK’s demanding computational requirements, embedding it within a framework which supports high-level conceptual modeling of biological structures. We are in the early planning stages of SimTK and look forward to interacting with others who have practical experience building application frameworks using CCA.