A pneumatic arm power-assist system prototype with EMG-based muscle activity detection

Wearable robotic assist devices need to be safe for the user. Pneumatic actuators are suitable for driving those devices because they are highly safe for humans. However, the responsiveness of pneumatic actuators is lower than that of electric actuators. In this paper, we propose an approach to muscle-burst onset detection by monitoring surface electromyogram (EMG) signals, and utilize it to trigger the actuator of a pneumatic power-assist device for the human arm. Experimental verification demonstrates the validity of our approach for detecting muscle-burst onset by EMG signals online, and the applicability of the EMG trigger for the pneumatic power-assist device.