science-sim-author

What This Skill Does

The science-sim-author is a specialized OpenClaw agent skill designed to bridge the gap between theoretical STEM concepts and interactive virtual laboratory environments. It functions as a compiler for scientific models, taking a structured specification (SimSpec) written in YAML or JSON and transforming it into a fully functional, self-contained index.html file. This generated file is designed for portability, requiring no external dependencies, CDNs, or runtime network access, making it ideal for offline educational settings.

The skill handles the heavy lifting of scientific computing, including state management, numerical integration for equations of motion, data visualization via time-series plotting, and user-interface generation. It automatically constructs a dashboard featuring sliders for parameter adjustment, real-time readouts, and a dedicated inquiry worksheet, ensuring that every simulation is pedagogically structured to encourage student engagement and hypothesis testing.

Installation

To integrate this skill into your OpenClaw environment, execute the following command in your terminal: clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/dimgouso/science-sim-author

Use Cases

• Virtual Labs: Replacing expensive physical equipment for mechanics (e.g., pendulum, projectile motion) or electrical engineering experiments (e.g., RC circuits).
• Classroom Demonstrations: Providing educators with interactive visuals that respond to live inputs, allowing students to see the immediate effects of changing physical variables like mass, damping, or resistance.
• Inquiry-Based Learning: Embedding inquiry worksheets directly into simulations to prompt students to record observations and draw conclusions based on their experimental results.
• Rapid STEM Prototyping: Allowing researchers or students to test mathematical models by observing how changes in differential equations manifest as visual simulations.

Example Prompts

1. "Create a physics simulation for a damped harmonic oscillator using a mass of 1kg and a spring constant of 50 N/m. Include an inquiry worksheet asking the user to find the point where oscillations stop."
2. "Author a chemistry simulation for an RC circuit. Use a 10-ohm resistor and a 100uF capacitor. Add sliders for voltage input and render a plot showing the charge buildup over time."
3. "Generate an interactive lab demo for projectile motion. Start with an initial velocity of 20 m/s at a 45-degree angle. Include a reset button and a worksheet section that asks the user to predict the impact point."

Tips & Limitations

• Normalization: Ensure your SimSpec explicitly defines dt (time step) to avoid default stability issues in complex simulations. The engine uses a fixed-step integrator; choosing a too-large dt may cause the simulation to diverge.
• Domain Specificity: The renderer is optimized for mechanics and electromagnetism. If your simulation domain falls outside these categories, you may need to provide custom logic for drawing or ask for a generic template update.
• No External Dependencies: Since the output is a single-file HTML, you cannot use external libraries like D3.js or jQuery. All logic must reside within the provided index.html structure. Always validate your JSON structure against the official schema before requesting a generation to ensure compatibility.