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Open-Motion Developer Documentation

Document ID: ER-00014 · Revision: A · Released: 2026-04-15 Authors: David Paribello, Ethan Head, George Vigelette, Dan Blizinski

Open-Motion is a modular, open-source platform for laboratory research that uses low-intensity near-infrared light to measure blood flow, blood volume, and micro-motions deep within tissue. The system is configurable, portable, and fully open-source — firmware, FPGA logic, and host software are all available for study, modification, and extension.

This documentation is the canonical developer reference for the platform. The release PDF (ER-00014-Rev A) is also available for archival download.

Quick orient

  • System overview

    Three primary components: the Console, one or more Sensor Modules, and the Laser. Specifications, architecture diagrams, and signal pathways.

    The Open-Motion System

  • Software development

    Tech stack, software architecture, embedded firmware layer, host SDK, and test/QA tooling.

    Software Development

  • Hardware development

    CAD files, mechanical assemblies, and PCB designs released under Creative Commons ShareAlike 4.0.

    Hardware Development

  • Contributing

    Code of Conduct, fork-and-PR workflow, where to ask for help. The on-ramp for new contributors.

    Contributing

What Open-Motion is

The system consists of:

  • A Console that houses the laser system, safety circuits, and the sensor module hub. It connects to a standard PC over USB.
  • One or more Sensor Modules, each equipped with eight camera sensors and an on-board processing engine that converts raw image frames into 1024-bin histograms before they hit the host. This dramatically reduces data-transfer requirements relative to streaming raw video.
  • A Class 1 laser system at 795 nm, pulsed at 40 Hz, integrated into the Console.

The platform supports multiple sensor modules for diverse applications. Host control software runs on Windows today, with macOS and Linux support on the roadmap. The SDK and reference applications are written in Python.

Key properties
Modality Low-intensity near-infrared optical imaging
Measurements Blood flow, blood volume, micro-motions in deep tissue
Frame rate 40 Hz
Sensor cameras per module 8
Image processing On-module histogramming (1024-bin), then USB to host
Host platforms Windows 11+ (current); macOS 12+, Linux (roadmap)
SDK Python 3.12+
Hardware license CC BY-SA 4.0
Software license AGPL (main branch)

Investigational device — research use only

Read before you build

The Open-Motion platform is not yet cleared by the FDA and is intended for research purposes only. Not for commercial sale. This device and documentation are intended strictly for laboratory research and development; clinical or diagnostic use is prohibited.

Class 3 laser hazard. Disassembly may expose the user to hazardous Class 3 laser radiation, capable of causing permanent eye injury. The Console should never be opened.

A one-year limited warranty applies only to manufacturer's defects. Any modification, disassembly, or installation of unauthorized software or firmware that alters device performance immediately voids all warranties. By building, creating, or modifying this hardware or software, you assume all risks. Openwater disclaims all liability for any harm, injury, or damages incurred, and the user agrees to indemnify Openwater against any claims arising from such modifications.

How this documentation is organized

This documentation reflects the structure of the released ER-00014 specification. Each section maps directly to the corresponding section of the PDF.

If you want to… Go to
Understand the system at a hardware level The Open-Motion System
Build, extend, or integrate with the SDK Software Development
Get hardware files for fabrication Hardware Development
Sync Open-Motion with another instrument External Connectivity
Submit a contribution Contributing
Understand our development process Best Practices

Where to ask questions

This page reflects ER-00014 Revision A, released 2026-04-15. Approved by George Vigelette, Christopher Bush, David Paribello, Madhumita Srikanth. For the full controlled-document archive, see the release PDF.