Electromyography Acquisition and Intervention in Healthcare for Older Adults: A HCI Scoping Review

Abstract

As age advances, the decline in bodily functions and the rise in age-related diseases pose various challenges to the daily lives of the older population. This scoping review discusses the potential of Electromyography and Electrical Stimulation technologies in addressing aging health issues. This review aims to discover potential design opportunities for EMG and ES technologies in promoting healthy aging by searching for answers from the diverse research purposes, target groups and human-computer interactions involved in the 42 selected articles. Through the thematic analysis, we discovered six categories of applications and four core design themes. Based on our findings, a map has been illustrated to provide visual guidelines for future research and design practice. To enhance the overall health and quality of life for older adults, it would be beneficial to concentrate on three interdependent aspects: independent at home, active outdoors, and mental well-being.