Comparing the Effectiveness of EMG and Electrical Impedance myography Measurements for Controlling Prosthetics

In recent years, the field of prosthetics has made significant progress towards creating prosthetic devices that are more functional, comfortable, and user-friendly. However, achieving intuitive control over prosthetic hand movements remains a significant challenge, especially for individuals with limb loss who rely on prosthetics for independent daily activities. To address this challenge, researchers have explored the potential of non-invasive techniques as electromyography (EMG) for prosthetic control. This paper aims to investigate the potential of using EMG and the electrical impedance myography (EIMG) techniques jointly for the measurement of hand movements. The study involved recording and comparing EMG and EIMG signals from a cohort of healthy individuals. These signals were captured during four distinct hand gestures: opening and closing the hand, as well as extending and flexing it, under varying time conditions, allowing for categorization into low and high-intensity movements. Data collection employed the Open BCI and ZRPI devices. The analysis of these signal waveforms revealed compelling results. Brachioradialis activity in EMG 2 exhibited an increase during open hand (0.015mV) and extension hand (0.009mV in low and 0.013mV in high intensity) gestures, accompanied by increased EIMG activity (56mV and 52mV respectively). Additionally, close hand (0.0018mV in low and 0.05mV in high intensity) and flexion hand (0.0075 in low intensity and 0.002 in high intensity) gestures exhibited heightened flexor carpi ulnaris activity with raised EIMG activity (57mV and 45mV respectively). These results proved to be consistent, acceptable, and aligned with existing literature. The findings of this paper indicate that both EMG and EIMG techniques could be used together to control custom-made hand prosthetics, demonstrating a significant development that could lead to more intuitive and easier-to-control prosthetics. Also, the results obtained could be valuable to researchers and engineers working in the prosthetics field, as it provides insights into the potential of non-invasive techniques for prosthetic control.