EMG-Driven Machine Learning Control of a Soft Glove for Grasping Assistance and Rehabilitation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Marek Sierotowicz - , Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, German Aerospace Center (DLR) (e.V.) Location Oberpfaffenhofen (First author)
  • Nicola Lotti - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Laura Nell - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Ryan Alicea - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Xiaohui Zhang - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Michele Xiloyannis - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • Rüdiger Rupp - , University Hospital Heidelberg (Author)
  • Emese Papp - , Chair of Industrial Design Engineering (Author)
  • Jens Krzywinski - , Disruption and Societal Change Center (TUDiSC), Chair of Industrial Design Engineering (Author)
  • Claudio Castellini - , German Aerospace Center (DLR) (e.V.) Location Oberpfaffenhofen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Lorenzo Masia - , Heidelberg University  (Last author)

Abstract

In the field of rehabilitation robotics, transparent, precise and intuitive control of hand exoskeletons still represents a substantial challenge. In particular, the use of compliant systems often leads to a trade-off between lightness and material flexibility, and control precision. In this letter, we present a compliant, actuated glove with a control scheme to detectthe user's motion intent, which is estimated by a machine learning algorithm based on muscle activity. Six healthy study participants used the glove in three assistance conditions during a force reaching task. The results suggest that active assistance from the glove can aid the user, reducing the muscular activity needed to attain a medium-high grasp force, and that closed-loop control of a compliant assistive glove can successfully be implemented by means of a machine learning algorithm.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1566-1573
Number of pages8
JournalIEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Volume7
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85122566908
ORCID /0009-0004-1383-8141/work/153654646
ORCID /0000-0003-2862-9196/work/153655320