Wireless, Skin-Mountable EMG Sensor for Human–Machine Interface Application

Abstract

The development of advanced technologies for wireless data collection and the analysis of quantitative data, with application to a human-machine interface (HMI), is of growing interest. In particular, various wearable devices related to HMIs are being developed. These devices require a customization process that considers the physical characteristics of each individual, such as mounting positions of electrodes, muscle masses, and so forth. Here, the authors report device and calculation concepts for flexible platforms that can measure electrical signals changed through electromyography (EMG). This soft, flexible, and lightweight EMG sensor can be attached to curved surfaces such as the forearm, biceps, back, legs, etc., and optimized biosignals can be obtained continuously through post-processing. In addition to the measurement of EMG signals, the application of the HMI has stable performance and high accuracy of more than 95%, as confirmed by 50 trials per case. The result of this study shows the possibility of application to various fields such as entertainment, the military, robotics, and healthcare in the future.

Sensors for Context-Aware Smart Healthcare: A Security Perspective

“…On the one hand, intramuscular EMG methods are invasive, potentially painful, and not well aligned with smart healthcare solutions. On the other hand, surface EMG methods are non-invasive procedures that only require placing some patch electrodes on the muscle’s skin, facilitating their integration in wearable devices, such as wristbands, armbands, caps or even textiles, to enable long-term monitoring in real-time [ 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 ], tracking tremor and dyskinesia symptoms [ 129 ], preventing falls [ 130 ], recognising gestures and activities [ 131 ], controlling robotic prosthetics [ 132 , 133 , 134 ] and rehabilitation [ 135 , 136 ]. Although more comfortable, the quality of these measurements is affected by the skin’s properties, tissue structure, the adherence of the electrodes to the skin and external electromagnetic interference and noise-filtering techniques are required [ 137 ].…”

Review of Wearable Devices and Data Collection Considerations for Connected Health

“…Optical sensors that use a light-based technique to quantify the delicate magnetic fields produced by neurons firing in the brain may be used instead of MRI machines to create similar imaging, eliminating the expensive cooling or electromagnetic shielding required when patients require an MRI scan [ 4 ]. Additionally, the attachable skin format of these sensors improves the portability of the otherwise cumbersome devices, and can optimise bioelectrical signals obtained from users [ 7 ]. In patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), self-management has been shown to increase the quality of life and reduce respiratory-related hospital admissions.…”

Measuring Biosignals with Single Circuit Boards

“…In many cases, biosignals such as the ECG (electrocardiogram) or pulse rate, skin temperature or breathing frequency and many other parameters are measured for medical reasons [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Other possible applications are met in many sports disciplines [ 4 , 5 , 6 ], or even in human-machine interfaces (HMIs), e.g., to control a prosthesis, an exoskeleton, or a robot [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”