Conductive silicon based sEMG sensor for myoelectric control of prosthetic hands: Structure design

SEMG (surface electromyography) measurement is a critical part to interface human body and mechatronic prosthetics. Conductive silicon based sEMG sensor is proposed in this study for the disabled to control prosthetic limbs in daily life. The electrodes with conductive silicon to transduce electrical signal are sewed on an elastic band to guarantee closely contact to the skin thus to enable stable sEMG measurement. The sensor is highly customizable to fit for the size and the shape of the stump so that the disabled can wear the sensor by themselves. Two kinds of structure, one with only conductive silicon on the surface and the other with conductive silicon and metal wires, were designed and compared in different conditions. The experimental results suggest that the hybrid surface was less susceptible to sweating. Furthermore, the influence of external force on the quality of measured sEMG signal was investigated since external forces are inevitable in the practical use of prosthetic hands. The measurement results indicated that the fluctuant external force affects the signal more than steady external force, and that the low-frequency region is more susceptible to external force.