Comparison of machine learning algorithms and feature extraction techniques for the automatic detection of surface EMG activation timing

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology for automatically detecting muscular activity by denoising, extracting features, and classifying surface electromyography (sEMG) signals. The proposed methodology utilizes the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Willison’s Amplitude Algorithm (WAMP) for feature extraction. Five classification methods, including Neural Networks (NN), Classification Vector, XGBoost, Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), and ExtraTree, were evaluated using F-Measure, Precision, and Recall as performance metrics. Through k-fold cross-validation, the XGBoost algorithm, when combined with the Eigen values feature, achieved the highest training performance with an F1-Score of 98.71 %. For the test group, the LGBM classifier using WAMP, and NN with both WAMP and Eigen values as features, demonstrated the best average performance with F1-Scores of 96.52 ± 3.45 % and 96.52 ± 3.07 %, respectively. These results highlight the precision and performance of the proposed approach in detecting EMG signals. Moreover, the framework has the potential to support clinicians in diagnosing neuromuscular disorders and developing human–machine interfaces.