Advanced Methods of Human Machine Interface for Improved Myoelectric Control

虽然假肢的设计在过去的几十年里已经有了很大的发展，但目前的假肢并不能完全取代复杂的、多功能的人类肢体。材料和技术的进步导致了人机界面的改进，但操作可能很慢，而且往往不直观，导致用户不满和放弃设备。传统上，表面肌电图（EMG）被用作动力上肢假体的控制输入。多通道信号记录或高密度肌电图（HDEMG）的出现是一项很有前途的技术，它可以从许多紧密间隔的电极收集信号，从而产生准确和详细的肌肉激活数据。利用HDEMG中包含的信息将推进具有多功能控制的灵巧上肢假体的开发研究。将HDEMG数据与脑电图（EEG）神经活动测量相结合，将进一步推进对设备使用者认知负担的研究。结合这些生物信号的能力将推动假肢的发展。拟议的研究项目将在新不伦瑞克大学的安德鲁和马乔里·麦凯恩人类行为实验室（HPL）进行。HPL是UNB运动机能学学院内最先进的研究、教育和临床服务机构。HPL配备了高度专业化的设备来研究人体运动，并在假肢设计，控制和开发方面拥有丰富的经验。该研究项目旨在开发更直观的肌电控制系统，使其具有更多自由度，更接近于完整的人类四肢。通过使用HDEMG和EEG等生物传感器，我们将探索肌肉激活和信号控制的肌肉和神经成分，以开发肌电控制的新方法。数据分析将需要先进的信号处理技术，以及开发新的算法来研究肌肉行为和神经肌肉功能。我们还将利用最近无线传感器技术可用性的巨大增长来开发获取肌肉数据的新型创新系统（例如电子纺织品）。这项研究在生物医学工程的许多领域都有应用，从假肢设计到外骨骼的开发。在接下来的五年里，该研究计划将支持四名研究生和四名本科生，并为他们提供最先进的肌电控制系统和假肢设计方面的重要培训。

While prosthesis design has evolved greatly over the last several decades, current artificial limbs do not fully replace the intricate, multifunctional human limb. Advancements in materials and technology have led to improved human¬ machine interfaces, but operations can be slow and are often not intuitive, leading to user dissatisfaction and abandonment of the device. Traditionally, surface electromyography (EMG) is used as the control input for powered upper limb prostheses. The advent of multichannel signal recordings or high density EMG (HDEMG) is a promising technique that collects signals from many closely spaced electrodes, resulting in accurate and detailed muscle activation data. Harnessing the information contained within HDEMG will advance research towards the development of a dexterous upper limb prosthesis with multifunction control. Combining HDEMG data with neural actitivty measure through electroencaephalography (EEG) will further advance knowledge to examine cognitive burden on the device user. The ability to combine these biological signals will advance efforts to develop artificial limbs. The proposed research program will be conducted in the Andrew and Marjorie McCain Human Performance Laboratory (HPL) at the University of New Brunswick. The HPL is a state¬-of¬-the-¬art research, education and clinical service facility within the Faculty of Kinesiology at UNB. The HPL is well equipped with highly specialized equipment to study human movement and has significant experience in prosthesis design, control and development. This research program aims to develop more intuitive myoelectric control systems that are capable of many degrees of freedom to more closely resemble intact human limbs. Through the use of biological sensors including HDEMG and EEG we will explore muscular and neural components of muscle activation and signal control to develop new methods of myoelectric control. Analysis of the data will require advanced signal processing techniques as well as the development of new algorithms to investigate muscle behavior and neuromuscular function. We will also exploit the tremendous recent increase in availability of wireless sensor technology to develop new and innovative systems of obtaining muscle data (for example e¬textiles). This research has applications in a number of areas of biomedical engineering from prosthesis design to development of exoskeletons. Over the next five years, the proposed research program will support four graduate students and four undergraduate students and provide them with significant training in state¬-of-¬the-¬art myoelectric control systems and prosthesis design.