Translating Human EMG Signal Readings to Robot Movements
Sample experiment setup, with electrodes on forearm and laptop set up to collect EMG signal data.Copyright Taken during classroom testing.
With a design-thinking approach, students incorporate neuroscience into their robotics learning experiences in this activity. They perform an experiment to design a basic human-robot interface through which electromyography (EMG) signal readings from the muscle movements in their arm are translated to simple movements in their robots. Students brainstorm factors they believe will vary between arm movements, and use these factors to develop a data processing program for the EMG data collected. In doing so, students form an understanding of the considerations that are involved in designing, building, and evaluating a human-machine interface.
Neuroengineering is a rapidly growing field. Neuroscientists, biomedical engineers, and computer scientists all work together to develop brain-computer interfaces to treat neurological issues, restore movement in paralyzed individuals, and much more. When designing these interfaces, neuroengineers have to consider many different factors to ensure patient safety. There are limitations on how they connect these interfaces to the brain, which areas of the brain they record from and/ or simulate, and what type of activity they induce in the brain.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe and sketch a simple neural circuit involved in a basic muscle movement.
- Design a basic EMG-based experiment, identifying inputs and outputs and prototyping different ways to connect the components together.
- Utilize programming to process data from an experiment to produce desired output in a robot.