A Review of EMG-, FMG-, and EIT-Based Biosensors and Relevant Human–Machine Interactivities and Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Wearables developed for human body signal detection receive increasing attention in the current decade. Compared to implantable sensors, wearables are more focused on body motion detection, which can support human–machine interaction (HMI) and biomedical applications. In wearables, electromyography (EMG)-, force myography (FMG)-, and electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-based body information monitoring technologies are broadly presented. In the literature, all of them have been adopted for many similar application scenarios, which easily confuses researchers when they start to explore the area. Hence, in this article, we review the three technologies in detail, from basics including working principles, device architectures, interpretation algorithms, application examples, merits and drawbacks, to state-of-the-art works, challenges remaining to be solved and the outlook of the field. We believe the content in this paper could help readers create a whole image of designing and applying the three technologies in relevant scenarios.

Characterization of embroidered textile-based electrode for EMG smart wear according to stitch technique

“…Recently, as the interest in wellness and health has increased, research and development of wearable devices for monitoring biosignals and muscle activation are increasing rapidly (Ahsan et al, 2022;Zahid et al, 2022). Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals are used mainly to analyze muscle activity that is used through the electrical potential of the human body that changes during daily life or exercise (Lam et al, 2022;Zheng et al, 2022). Accordingly, human bioelectrical signals are collected through wet and dry electrodes to detect and continuously monitor them.…”

“…Many previous studies have developed a textile-type dry electrode to replace the existing Ag/AgCl hydrogel electrode to overcome the limitation of smart wear for sEMG measurement. In general, as a method for manufacturing textile-type dry electrodes, there are methods of using a conductive yarn in weaving or knitting form, a decoration form on fabric using an embroidery technique, and a method of coating or laminating a substrate fabric or yarn on a conductive material (Choi & Hong, 2019;Kim et al, 2022b;Ohiri, et al, 2022;Shuvo et al, 2022;Zhao et al, 2022). Among them, embroidery is one of the most often used technologies in the sphere of smart textiles.…”

Feasibility of force myography for the direct control of an assistive robotic hand orthosis

“…The most conventional biosignal used for the control of assistive devices is surface electromyography (sEMG), and has shown its potential for gesture recognition in both impaired and unimpaired populations [4,5,6]. However, the quality of a sEMG signal is sensitive to sources of noise from the surroundings or the used hardware, sweat, signal crosstalk and electrode shifts, making its prolonged use as intention detection strategy challenging [5].…”

Human–machine interface-based wheelchair control using piezoelectric sensors based on face and tongue movements

“…However, an HMI system that covers all levels of disability still needs to be developed. The use of biomedical signals for HMI systems is an alternative approach, such as an electromyogram (EMG)-based HMI system for controlling electric devices or powered wheelchairs [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. A facial EMG signal measures biopotential changes when facial, jaw, and tongue movements are executed.…”