SimulationM8
Browse the library
The library

Every model, sorted honestly.

From a validated commercial trainer down to a pad you could build tonight. Every entry states its materials, an approximate cost, and where the evidence for it comes from. Genuinely frugal models carry a highlighted tag.

Specialty
Cost

40 models shown

Evidence appraised cards carry a CASP-based appraisal, a level of evidence and a link to the source. Each one states whether it was made from the full text or the abstract. Cards without this badge are catalogued models that either have no published paper behind them or are still in the appraisal queue.

Foundations

Generic surgical skills

Suturing

Silicone and maize starch suture pad

Acetic silicone mixed with maize starch, cast into a reusable pad. Validated across repeated training sessions using a global rating scale, with measurable improvement in suturing time.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedSynthetic, reusableEvidence appraised
Almeida et al., Acta Cir Bras, 2023Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designSingle arm, repeated measures, pre and post training time and a global rating scale.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 4, before-after study without a control group.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP cohort study checklist, adapted for a before-after design.
  • Strength, objective time based outcome plus a rating scale, significant correlation with training order.
  • Limitation, no control arm, no blinding of assessors stated, no retention testing beyond the training days.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 2, learning, measured by time and rating scale rather than patient outcome.
BasisAppraised from the full text
A reusable silicone and cornstarch pad tested across repeated sessions, suturing time and scores improved significantly, but with no comparison group and no long term follow up.
Read the source
Distance curriculum

Homemade basic skills curriculum

A reproducible curriculum teaching knot tying, suturing and basic laparoscopic technique entirely with tools already found in the average household, developed for emergency remote teaching.

FrugalNear zeroHousehold materials
Distance education for basic surgical skills using homemade toolsNo published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Comparative study

Fruit, pig and synthetic skin, head to head

A direct comparison of orange peel, banana peel, pig skin and synthetic skin against the experience of suturing human skin, across simple interrupted, vertical mattress and subcutaneous sutures.

FrugalNear zeroPlant & animal basedEvidence appraised
Murphy et al., Medical Journal of Australia, 2021Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designWithin subject interventional comparison, 21 consultants and trainees suturing four materials against their own recall of human skin.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 3, non-randomised comparative study.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP cohort study checklist. Clear question, defined comparator materials, defined outcomes.
  • Strength, within subject design controls for individual variation, statistically tested completion rates.
  • Limitation, small single centre sample, similarity ratings are self reported and cannot be blinded.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 1 to 2, perceived realism and completion, not patient outcome.
BasisAppraised from the full text
Orange peel had a lower completion rate than banana, pig or synthetic skin, useful evidence that not every frugal material performs equally well for every suture type.
Read the source
Instrument handling

Cardboard box trainer

The long standing box trainer format, built from cardboard and household parts, still recommended in current reviews as the entry point before higher fidelity laparoscopic simulation.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedCardboard, household
Widely described across low cost simulation reviewsNo published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Foundations

Dentistry

A Low-Cost Facial and Dental Regional Anesthesia Task Trainer

Made from inexpensive, commonly found materials, it trains supra-orbital, infra-orbital, mental, and inferior alveolar nerve blocks.

FrugalLow cost, not specified
Read the source and build method →
Extraction

Mannequin based extraction course

A validated undergraduate extraction course built around mannequin head models, giving students structured practice before clinical extractions begin.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedMannequin, reusable
Stelzle et al., Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 2011Read the source and build method →
Suturing

Silicone gingival suturing pads

Reusable synthetic gingiva analogues that scored highest for realism among dental students compared with sponge, banana peel and chicken breast, with a rise in reported confidence after use.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedSynthetic, reusableEvidence appraised
Kumaresan & Karthikeyan, J Maxillofac Oral Surg, 2014Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study design44 predoctoral dental students suturing four materials, scored by two evaluators, with a pre and post confidence questionnaire.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 3, non-randomised comparative study.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP cohort study checklist. Reasonable sample for an educational study, two independent evaluators.
  • Limitation, no blinding of evaluators stated, single institution, confidence measured by self report.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 2, learning and reaction, not patient outcome.
BasisAppraised from the full text
Silicone was rated the most realistic of four tested materials and suturing quality and confidence both rose, giving reasonable comparative grounds for choosing silicone over softer organic alternatives.
Read the source
Foundations

Emergency & critical skills

Trauma

Intra-abdominal bleeding simulator

A manikin chest fitted with latex tubes, silicone rubber and waterproof fabric to mimic abdominal viscera and vessels, built for training critical bleeding scenarios cheaply.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedMixed materialsAppraisal in progress
Fernandes et al., Rev Col Bras Cir, 2023Read the source and build method →
Synthetic trainer

HiFEC cricothyrotomy task trainer

A synthetic task trainer rated comparably realistic to a porcine model in trainee surveys, at a saving of over 650 US dollars per workshop when adopted in place of animal tissue.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedSynthetic
Evaluation of a novel 3D emergency cricothyrotomy task trainer, 2021No published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Hybrid fidelity

Pericardiocentesis & thoracostomy models

Hybrid fidelity models built from locally available materials for under 20 US dollars each, used to train 109 postgraduate anaesthesiology trainees in a lower middle income country.

FrugalUnder $20Mixed materials
Irfanullah et al., Cureus, 2023Read the source and build method →

An Innovative Inexpensive Portable Pulmonary Edema Intubation Simulator

Made of simple materials like baking soda, vinegar, and red food coloring, it trains intubation skills for pulmonary edema.

Under $150
Read the source and build method →
Specialties

ENT & head and neck

“Barbed snore surgery” simulator: a low-cost surgical model

"Barbed snore surgery" (BSS) represents one of the last innovation for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) surgical management.

FrugalLow cost, not specified
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2019Read the source and build method →
Scoping review

Low cost OHNS model set

A scoping review mapping affordable otolaryngology and head and neck surgery models suited to early stage trainees and general practitioners working in resource limited settings.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedMixed materials
Nzisabira et al., BMC Medical Education, 2024Read the source and build method →
Specialties

Laparoscopic & MIS

Homemade laparoscopic simulator

Made of inexpensive materials, it simulates laparoscopic environment for technical skills training.

Under $150
Acta Cirúrgica Brasileira, 2019Read the source and build method →
Open platform

ALL-SAFE laparoscopic training system

A free, open source platform combining cognitive and psychomotor laparoscopic training, piloted across several low and middle income country sites including Mbingo Baptist Hospital.

FrugalFree, open sourceDigital and physical
Kim et al., Journal of Surgical Education, 2026Read the source and build method →
DIY build

Household laparoscopic trainer

A do it yourself approach to recreating a laparoscopic simulator from widely available parts, aimed at trainees without access to a formal skills lab.

FrugalNear zeroHousehold materials
Wright et al., Cureus, 2023No published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Portable trainer

GlobalSurgBox

A portable, modular laparoscopic simulator designed specifically to address affordability, portability and accessibility barriers for trainees worldwide.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedPortable
Kirsch et al., Journal of Surgical Education, 2023Read the source and build method →
Modular platform

Modular equitable surgical simulator

A portable, inexpensive, modular simulator adaptable across levels of training, from medical student through to cardiothoracic fellow, and across specialties.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedModular
Lin et al., Global Health, Science and Practice, 2022Read the source and build method →
Specialties

Low resource curricula

Case study

Locally fabricated laparoscopic curriculum, Ethiopia

A laparoscopic skills curriculum designed, delivered and assessed entirely by in country faculty, built on simulators fabricated locally, offered as a replicable and scalable template for other low resource settings.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedLocally fabricated
Locally Led, Globally Impactful, 2026No published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Student led

Student led simulation kit programme

A student led initiative building simulation kits from local materials to teach the core procedural steps of basic surgical technique in a resource limited setting, prioritising sustainability over realism.

FrugalNear zeroLocally sourced
Salib et al., Cureus, 2025Read the source and build method →
Specialties

Neurosurgery

Microsurgery

Microneurosurgical bench skills programme

A structured programme of inexpensive bench models used to train fundamental microsurgical technique, including microvascular anastomosis, ahead of operative exposure.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedMixed materials
Yadav et al., Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A, 2016No published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Specialties

Obstetrics & gynaecology

Perineal repair

Obstetric anal sphincter injury repair simulator

A condom simulating rectal mucosa, cotton tissue simulating the internal anal sphincter, and bovine meat simulating the external anal sphincter, built to teach fourth degree tear repair.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedMixed materialsAppraisal in progress
Knobel et al., Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet, 2018Read the source and build method →
Specialties

Ophthalmology

Cataract surgery

Cost effective capsulorhexis model

A low-tech model for practising continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis, the most difficult early step of cataract surgery, built as a deliberate step up from the common but unrealistic grape and tomato models.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedMixed materialsEvidence appraised
Cost-effective simulation model for continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis, 2022Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designTwenty seven practising ophthalmologists each performed five capsulorhexis attempts on the model, then completed an anonymous five point Likert scale questionnaire on realism and training value.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 5, a structured acceptability survey among experts rather than a skill outcome study.
CASP fit
  • No CASP checklist fits a single-group realism survey well, appraised on transparency of method and sample size instead.
  • Strength, respondents were practising ophthalmologists, not novices, so the realism judgement carries some weight.
  • Limitation, no comparison against a real eye or another model, no skill or time based outcome, self selected conference attendees.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 1, reaction only.
BasisAppraised from the full text
Rated moderately realistic and highly useful for teaching by expert ophthalmologists, offered as a genuine alternative to grape and tomato capsulorhexis models, which the authors note make the step unrealistically easy.
Read the source
Microsurgery

Low-tech intraocular microsurgery simulation for home use

A set of adapted low cost techniques for practising intraocular microsurgical steps at home, developed in response to reduced access to wet labs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedMixed materialsAppraisal in progress
Low-tech intraocular ophthalmic microsurgery simulation, 2021Read the source and build method →

Eyeball simulator for extraocular muscles

Learning about human eye movements broadens our comprehension of the visuomotor system and aids in the effective management of strabismus.

FrugalLow cost, not specified
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2023Read the source and build method →
Field standard

Grape and tomato capsulorhexis practice

The long standing, widely described low cost stand in for capsulorhexis practice. Cheap and available everywhere, but the peer reviewed literature itself flags that the thinner, more elastic fruit skin makes the technique feel easier than a real lens capsule.

FrugalNear zeroPlant based
Described as background across the capsulorhexis simulation literatureNo published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Specialties

Oral & maxillofacial surgery

Suturing

Orange peel oral suturing model

Orange peel combined with putty impression material and plaster of Paris, buildable by a student in about ten minutes, built specifically for minor oral surgery suturing practice ahead of live patient work.

FrugalNear zeroPlant basedEvidence appraised
Uppal & Saldanha, Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2012Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designTechnical note, build method only, no comparator or outcome data collected.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 5, expert opinion and mechanism, no trainee outcome measured.
CASP fit
  • No CASP checklist matches a build-only report, appraised on transparency and reproducibility instead. Clear, reproducible method. No claim of effectiveness is made, so none needs testing.
Kirkpatrick levelNot applicable, no evaluation was conducted.
BasisAppraised from the full text
Describes a ten minute build from orange peel, putty and plaster, published from an oral and maxillofacial surgery department. Reports no trainee outcome data of its own.
Read the source
Gap

TMJ, orthognathic & facial trauma

No frugal model has been catalogued here yet. This is exactly the kind of gap trainee submissions should fill, particularly for TMJ arthroscopy and open joint work, where commercial models are expensive and scarce.

Open category
Specialties

Orthopaedics & spine

3D printed

SpineBox

A 3D printed spine surgery skills trainer, built for programmes with access to a standard desktop printer, covering core instrumentation drills.

FrugalLow cost, not specified3D printed
Referenced across surgical simulation resource compilationsNo published source yet, so no build method to link to.
Construct validity

Low cost arthroscopic shoulder simulator

A bench arthroscopy simulator tested by three distinct groups, medical students, orthopaedic residents and shoulder surgeons, to see whether it could actually tell novices from experts apart.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedBench modelEvidence appraised
Dau et al., Rev Bras Ortop, 2023Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designTen medical students, ten residents and ten shoulder surgeons each performed the same tasks twice, scored on time, hand gaze and the validated GOALS instrument.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 3, non-randomised comparative construct validity study, the strongest design pattern in this library so far.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP cohort study checklist. True novice, intermediate, expert design is the closest this library gets to construct validity in Messick's sense.
  • Limitation, ten per group is small, single centre, no blinding of the assessor to group membership stated.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 2, learning, though the novice-expert split gives it more discriminative value than a single arm study.
BasisAppraised from the full text
Performance differed meaningfully across experience level on a validated scoring tool, genuine construct validity evidence rather than a satisfaction survey, and currently the best evidenced entry in the whole library.
Read the source
Specialties

Paediatric surgery

Wet lab

Duodenoduodenostomy, gastrostomy & pyeloplasty set

The same wet lab series extended to three further index paediatric procedures, run across nine courses in African low and middle income countries since 2008.

FrugalUnder $20Animal tissue
McClelland et al., World Journal of Surgery, 2019Read the source and build method →
Wet lab

Neonatal bowel anastomosis model

Animal tissue sourced from a local abattoir, formed into a neonatal bowel anastomosis trainer for under 10 US dollars per model.

FrugalUnder $20Animal tissue
McClelland et al., World Journal of Surgery, 2019Read the source and build method →
Specialties

Plastics & flaps

Tissue analogue

Konjac tissue mimic block

A plant derived konjac glucomannan gel with strength and strain properties comparable to animal muscle and liver under blunt dissection, suited to flap and energy device practice. Plant based, so free of animal, latex and allergen concerns by default.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedPlant based
Morimoto et al., Cureus, 2025Read the source and build method →
Diversity precedent

3D printed diverse facial overlays

Silicone facial and neck overlays that fit over an existing manikin to add skin tone diversity without buying an entirely new manikin, built for roughly 235 Canadian dollars for a pair.

Under $1503D printed, silicone
Micallef et al., Cureus, 2022Read the source and build method →
Specialties

Robotic surgery

Frugal robotics

PoLaRS, a portable robotic surgery trainer

A portable virtual reality robotic training system built specifically as an affordable alternative to the da Vinci Skills Simulator, aimed at trainees in less wealthy parts of the world, tested against the commercial system in a randomised controlled trial.

FrugalLow cost, not specifiedPortable, virtual realityEvidence appraised
Validation of PoLaRS, a randomised controlled trial, 2022Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designRandomised controlled trial, 18 medical students on PoLaRS and the commercial dVSS, 20 control students on dVSS alone, comparing learning curves and gathering face and construct validity data.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 2, a genuine RCT, one of very few in this entire library.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP randomised controlled trial checklist, the strongest methodological match anywhere in this library.
  • Strength, randomisation, a real comparator arm, and a direct comparison against expensive commercial hardware rather than a hypothetical benchmark.
  • Limitation, pilot scale, single centre, medical students rather than surgical trainees.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 2, learning curve comparison.
BasisAppraised from the full text
A rare case of a frugal build going head to head with a premium commercial system in a properly randomised trial, exactly the kind of evidence this library exists to surface, robotic simulation does not have to mean a six figure console.
Read the source
Construct validity

dV-Trainer basic skills validation

A prospective validation study of the dV-Trainer virtual reality platform against a real da Vinci console, using 75 subjects split into five experience groups across five representative robotic exercises.

Premium, $1000+Virtual realityEvidence appraised
Perrenot et al., Surgical Endoscopy, 2012Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study design75 subjects across five experience levels, performing five exercises testing 3D perception, clutching, force feedback, wrist manipulation and camera control, scored against expert video review.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 3, non-randomised comparative construct validity study.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP cohort study checklist. Genuine five level construct validity design, strong correlation with expert review, r equals 0.822.
  • Limitation, no randomisation, single centre, an industry linked simulator brand under evaluation.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 2, learning and skill discrimination, not patient outcome.
BasisAppraised from the full text
Clear separation across five experience levels with strong reliability, solid construct validity evidence for an expensive platform, the price tag buys real validated realism here, not just polish.
Read the source
Systematic review

Virtual reality simulators for robot assisted surgery

A systematic review of the evidence behind the da Vinci Skills Simulator, dV-Trainer and RoSS platforms, covering one RCT and 28 cohort studies on validity, and nine further studies on whether skill actually transfers to the real robot.

Premium, $1000+Virtual realityEvidence appraised
Moglia et al., European Urology, 2016Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designA systematic review of one randomised controlled trial and 28 cohort studies on validity, plus seven further RCTs and two cohort studies on skills transfer to real robotic surgery.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 1 to 2, a systematic review, though the review itself reports that the underlying studies vary widely in method.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP systematic review checklist, the one study type in this library it genuinely fits.
  • Strength, the largest evidence base of any entry here, spanning both validity and skills transfer.
  • Limitation, the review itself finds no consensus on which exercises or metrics work best, and reports no clear evidence that simulator skill transfers to patient outcomes.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 2 to 3 across the included studies, learning is well evidenced, behaviour transfer to real robotic cases is not.
BasisAppraised from the full text
The best evidenced entry in the whole library by volume of studies, and an honest one, it concludes simulators are realistic and useful for training but that nobody has yet shown the skill reliably transfers to patients.
Read the source
Specialties

Urology

Development and pilot evaluation of a simple, low-cost, reproducible simulation model for pediatric vesicoureteral reflux surgery training

Time in the OR is expensive and hands-on training is often scarce for surgical trainees in pediatric urology.

FrugalLow cost, not specified
Journal of Pediatric Urology, 2026Read the source and build method →
Microsurgery

3D printed low-fidelity microsurgery simulator

Two silicone tubes coated with resin, mounted in a printed polylactic acid holder, used to train vascular microanastomosis across five sessions with retesting at three months.

FrugalLow cost, not specified3D printed, syntheticEvidence appraised
Duarte Pinto et al., Acta Cir Bras, 2023Read the source and build method →
CASP appraisal & level of evidence
Study designUrology residents trained over five sessions, scored with the validated OSATS instrument and a satisfaction and self confidence scale, with a retention session at three months.
Level of evidenceOCEBM Level 4, before-after study without a control group, strengthened by validated instruments and a retention time point.
CASP fit
  • Appraised against the CASP cohort study checklist. Uses OSATS, a validated assessment tool, a genuine methodological strength.
  • Strength, includes a three month retention session, rare among the papers in this library.
  • Limitation, no comparator arm, single centre, small resident cohort.
Kirkpatrick levelLevel 2, edging toward 3, since skill was retested rather than only measured immediately after training.
BasisAppraised from the full text
Anastomosis time and OSATS scores improved significantly across sessions, with only a small dip at three month retesting, good early evidence that the skill held rather than decayed.
Read the source
Systematic review

Low cost urology model bundle

A systematic review identified twenty published low cost urology models, each built from materials costing under 150 US dollars, spanning suprapubic catheterisation, cystoscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, circumcision and prostate procedures.

Under $150Mixed materials
Pelly et al., Central European Journal of Urology, 2020Read the source and build method →
Specialties

Vascular access

Field standard

Foam and tubing cannulation pad

An improvised venous access pad using foam and internal tubing to simulate a vein under skin, a longstanding staple of homemade basic skills teaching.

FrugalNear zeroHousehold materials
Community sourced, formal citation pendingNo published source yet, so no build method to link to.