Using EMG Sensor to Evaluate the Assistance Level of a Developing Rehabilitation Device

Research has suggested using an EMG sensor to evaluate the assistance level of an elbow rehabilitation device. The used sensor is a cheap EMG sensor, suitable for research conditions in developing countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, etc. The study compared the amplitude of the electromyography signal of the biceps brachii muscle when lifting objects in two cases of with and without using the device. The data on the electromyography signal were collected by conducting measurement tests on a group of 10 healthy people. The experiment consisted of measuring the electromyography signals of the biceps brachii muscle when lifting different loads. The signals of the two cases were then passed through a low-pass filter and the RMS (Root Mean Square) values of the amplitude were compared. From the results, the study evaluated the level of muscle activities, thereby determining the level of force assist from the rehabilitation device. Rehabilitation device is effective in reducing the load on the biceps brachii during lifting, as demonstrated by the lower amplitude of the electromyography signal in the case of not using assist device with the same load level. Thus, the study provided a low-cost quantitative method to evaluate the effectiveness of arm assist devices. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility and potential of the method when applied to more complex assistive or rehabilitation devices.