Skip to content

Getting Started with Openwater

Welcome! This guide will help you install and configure Openwater platforms.

Before You Begin

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements: - OS: Windows 10/11, macOS 10.15+, or Ubuntu 20.04+ - RAM: 8 GB (16 GB recommended) - Storage: 10 GB free space - Python: 3.9 or higher - Network: Internet connection for installation

Recommended for Development: - 16+ GB RAM - SSD storage - Dedicated GPU (for advanced processing) - Git installed

What You'll Need

Software: - Python 3.9+ - pip package manager - Git (optional but recommended) - Virtual environment (venv or conda)

Hardware (Optional): - Openwater hardware devices (for hardware testing) - Ultrasound transducer (for OpenLIFU) - Optical sensors (for OpenMOTION)

Development vs. Hardware Use

You can use Openwater software in simulation mode without physical hardware. Hardware is only required for actual experiments.

Installation Paths

Choose your path based on your goals:

Software Development

Install Python packages for software development and simulation.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Software Installation →

Hardware Setup

Connect and configure Openwater hardware devices.

Time: 30-60 minutes

Hardware Setup →

Quick Start

Run your first experiment in under 10 minutes.

Time: 5-10 minutes

Quick Start →

Installation Steps

Step 1: Install Python

Download Python 3.9+ from python.org

During installation: - ✅ Check "Add Python to PATH" - ✅ Check "Install pip"

Verify: 

python --version
pip --version


# Using Homebrew (recommended)
brew install python@3.9

# Verify
python3 --version
pip3 --version

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3.9 python3-pip

# Verify
python3 --version
pip3 --version

Step 2: Create Virtual Environment

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv openwater-env

# Activate (Windows)
openwater-env\Scripts\activate

# Activate (macOS/Linux)
source openwater-env/bin/activate

Step 3: Install Openwater

# OpenLIFU
pip install openlifu

# OpenMOTION
pip install openmotion

# Both platforms
pip install openlifu openmotion

Detailed Installation Guide →

First Steps

1. Verify Installation

# Test OpenLIFU
import openlifu
print(f"OpenLIFU version: {openlifu.__version__}")

# Test OpenMOTION
import openmotion
print(f"OpenMOTION version: {openmotion.__version__}")

2. Run Quick Start Tutorial

Follow our quick start guide to run your first experiment:

Quick Start Tutorial →

3. Explore Examples

Check out example code in our repositories:

Troubleshooting

Having issues? Check our troubleshooting guide:

Troubleshooting Guide →

Common Issues: - Python version compatibility - pip installation failures - Import errors - Hardware connection problems

Next Steps

Support

Need help getting started?

  • Discord: Real-time help from community
  • GitHub Issues: Report installation problems
  • Email: community@openwater.health
  • Office Hours: Weekly Q&A sessions

Ready to install? Start with the installation guide →