Single Channel Electromyography Controlled Wheelchair Implemented in Virtual Instrumentation

The electrical signals that are emerging from our body enables us to connect to countless applications in the field of Human-machine interface and rehabilitation. In this paper, a low-cost human-machine interface (HMI) is implemented which could be of great help for people who have lost their voluntary movements while retaining the cognitive capacity. Hence the only way to assist them is by recording the bio-signals generated from the body and use them to control special medical assisting equipment. Here, a prototype of a wheelchair has been developed using LABVIEW and an Arduino microcontroller that can be actuated by the muscle signals (EMG). The processed signal from the Myoware EMG sensor is given as input to the microcontroller, which depending on the type of signal generated, decides which direction to move on. An attempt has also been made to detect stationary and non-stationary obstacles in the path using an ultrasonic transducer enabled with a smart collision avoidance algorithm, which has been fixed on the wheelchair. Additionally, an anti-theft mode, emergency braking with gyroscope control and a GPS tracking facility has also been incorporated. This single channel EMG controlled wheelchair can also be used to assist and help people affected by partial paralysis or even Quadriplegia with slight modifications.