Using surface electromyography to predict single finger forces

Castellini C, Koiva R (2012)


Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2012

Pages Range: 1266-1272

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of the IEEE RAS and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics

Event location: ITA

ISBN: 9781457711992

DOI: 10.1109/BioRob.2012.6290294

Abstract

Surface electromyography (sEMG) of the forearm is an active research topic since the 1990s in the rehabilitation robotics/machine learning community, as it can be used to predict the hand posture and overall grip force. We hereby advance the state of the art by describing a multi-subject experiment in which sEMG is successfully used to predict simultaneous forces applied by a human subject at the fingertips, that is, when six voluntary muscle contractions (VMCs) are elicited (flexion of the little, ring, middle and index fingers, thumb rotation and thumb adduction). Using a multi-sensor setup sEMG activity of the forearm of a human subject and the forces exerted at the fingertips are measured; a Support Vector Machine is then used to associate sEMG signals and forces. Our results clearly show that sEMG can be used to predict the required forces with an error as small as 1.5% of the sensor range. Targeted positioning of the electrodes is not required. The prediction is uniformly accurate across all VMCs and all 12 subjects considered, and it is robust against subsampling. This result goes in the direction of enabling natural force/impedance control of a highly dexterous prosthetic hand over a continuous, infinite manifold of force configurations, rather than using posture classification like in the traditional approach. © 2012 IEEE.

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APA:

Castellini, C., & Koiva, R. (2012). Using surface electromyography to predict single finger forces. In Proceedings of the IEEE RAS and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (pp. 1266-1272). ITA.

MLA:

Castellini, Claudio, and Risto Koiva. "Using surface electromyography to predict single finger forces." Proceedings of the 2012 4th IEEE RAS and EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics, BioRob 2012, ITA 2012. 1266-1272.

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