Robot manipulator control using EMG generated from a face

Issue title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Mechatronics and Information Technology (ICMIT 2005, ICMIT 2007)

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Sagawa, Koichi^{a; *} | Kimura, Orie^b

Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan | [b] Nihon System Design, Inc., Hokkaido, Japan

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. Faculty of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan. Tel.: +81 172 39 3691; Fax: +81 172 39 3691; E-mail: sagawa@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp

Abstract: A robot manipulator control method using an electromyogram (EMG) from a human face is proposed. The robot has a three-degree-of-freedom arm with an end effector installed on the tip of the robot. The amplitude of the EMG signal generated from the masseter, a jaw muscle, is used to control the robot hand velocity and to grasp the object. The difference of the EMG level between right and left masseter determines the hand's direction of movement. The open-close control of the robot hand is activated by detecting double clenches performed within 0.6 s. Low-pass filters of two kinds are applied to the measured EMG to enable reliable and effortless control of the velocity and grasping task. Picking, transferring, and placing of a brick object are performed. The effectiveness of the proposed method was verified.

Keywords: Robot control, electromyogram, hands free control, masseter, experiment

DOI: 10.3233/JAE-2011-1347

Journal: International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, vol. 36, no. 1-2, pp. 85-93, 2011