Myoelectric Control Development Toolbox

Surface myoelectric signals (MES) can be used as effective input for the control of upper arm prostheses. The concept of myoelectric control was introduced in the 1940’s [1]. Initially, amplitude measures were used to parameterize the MES, but simple approach imposed a practical limit of a three state system for each MES control site (e.g. rest, hand open, and hand close) [2]; therefore, to implement a multifunctional prosthetic control system, additional MES control sites were required. Graupe and Cline [3] parameterized the MES using an autoregressive-moving-average model, instead of simple amplitude measures, and were successful at discerning multiple intended limb movements from a single MES control site. This result demonstrated that given the proper signal features, it was feasible to implement a multifunctional prosthetic control system.