Model cart control using EMG signal

Abstract

This paper describes the development of EMG signal acquisition system application for model cart control. The main application of this type of control is to assist disabled people or frail people to control a cart or device via their healthy muscle. In this project, the circuit was simulated, developed and troubleshoots. The aim of model cart control was to control four basic directions which is forward, backward, turn left and turn right. Threshold voltage level comparison method is used in this project for model cart control. By considering the user friendly issue for the application system, EMG signal acquisition method was decided to be used and obtained with surface electrode. There are two stages to be done for this system, in which the first stage is the signal acquisition system and the second stage is to control the action of model cart. First stage included pre-amplifier, rectification and filtering, which were done with instrumentation amplifier, active low pass and high pass filter and precision full wave rectifier. Second stage included the microcontroller and motor driver in which the microcontroller functions to read the two channel EMG signal and give signal for the motor driver to control the DC geared motor. The result of the hardware testing is compared with the software simulation where the same output is obtained. There were also some limitation and problem which have not been solved. There was wire connected to the model cart where it is not very convenient for the model cart to move around or further.