Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and Movement
Individuals who sustained a spinal cord injury often lose important motor skills, and cannot perform basic daily living activities. Several assistive technologies, including robotic assistance and functional electrical stimulation, have been developed to restore lost functions. However, designing re...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/20/4532 |
| _version_ | 1811301167247917056 |
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| author | Lucas Fonseca Wafa Tigra Benjamin Navarro David Guiraud Charles Fattal Antônio Bó Emerson Fachin-Martins Violaine Leynaert Anthony Gélis Christine Azevedo-Coste |
| author_facet | Lucas Fonseca Wafa Tigra Benjamin Navarro David Guiraud Charles Fattal Antônio Bó Emerson Fachin-Martins Violaine Leynaert Anthony Gélis Christine Azevedo-Coste |
| author_sort | Lucas Fonseca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Individuals who sustained a spinal cord injury often lose important motor skills, and cannot perform basic daily living activities. Several assistive technologies, including robotic assistance and functional electrical stimulation, have been developed to restore lost functions. However, designing reliable interfaces to control assistive devices for individuals with C4−C8 complete tetraplegia remains challenging. Although with limited grasping ability, they can often control upper arm movements via residual muscle contraction. In this article, we explore the feasibility of drawing upon these residual functions to pilot two devices, a robotic hand and an electrical stimulator. We studied two modalities, supra-lesional electromyography (EMG), and upper arm inertial sensors (IMU). We interpreted the muscle activity or arm movements of subjects with tetraplegia attempting to control the opening/closing of a robotic hand, and the extension/flexion of their own contralateral hand muscles activated by electrical stimulation. Two groups were recruited: eight subjects issued EMG-based commands; nine other subjects issued IMU-based commands. For each participant, we selected at least two muscles or gestures detectable by our algorithms. Despite little training, all participants could control the robot’s gestures or electrical stimulation of their own arm via muscle contraction or limb motion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:04:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-213485b203934e568df466804c1aeaca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:04:05Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-213485b203934e568df466804c1aeaca2022-12-22T02:57:02ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202019-10-011920453210.3390/s19204532s19204532Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and MovementLucas Fonseca0Wafa Tigra1Benjamin Navarro2David Guiraud3Charles Fattal4Antônio Bó5Emerson Fachin-Martins6Violaine Leynaert7Anthony Gélis8Christine Azevedo-Coste9LARA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Brasília, Brasília 70919, BrazilINRIA, University of Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, FranceLIRMM, University of Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, FranceINRIA, University of Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, FranceCRF La Châtaigneraie, 95180 Menucourt, FranceLARA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Brasília, Brasília 70919, BrazilDepartment of Physiotherapy at the Faculdade de Ceilândia, University of Brasília, Brasília 72220, BrazilPROPARA Clinical Center, 34090 Montpellier, FrancePROPARA Clinical Center, 34090 Montpellier, FranceINRIA, University of Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, FranceIndividuals who sustained a spinal cord injury often lose important motor skills, and cannot perform basic daily living activities. Several assistive technologies, including robotic assistance and functional electrical stimulation, have been developed to restore lost functions. However, designing reliable interfaces to control assistive devices for individuals with C4−C8 complete tetraplegia remains challenging. Although with limited grasping ability, they can often control upper arm movements via residual muscle contraction. In this article, we explore the feasibility of drawing upon these residual functions to pilot two devices, a robotic hand and an electrical stimulator. We studied two modalities, supra-lesional electromyography (EMG), and upper arm inertial sensors (IMU). We interpreted the muscle activity or arm movements of subjects with tetraplegia attempting to control the opening/closing of a robotic hand, and the extension/flexion of their own contralateral hand muscles activated by electrical stimulation. Two groups were recruited: eight subjects issued EMG-based commands; nine other subjects issued IMU-based commands. For each participant, we selected at least two muscles or gestures detectable by our algorithms. Despite little training, all participants could control the robot’s gestures or electrical stimulation of their own arm via muscle contraction or limb motion.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/20/4532spinal cord injurytetraplegiafes-assisted graspinginertial measurement unit interfaceelectromyography interface |
| spellingShingle | Lucas Fonseca Wafa Tigra Benjamin Navarro David Guiraud Charles Fattal Antônio Bó Emerson Fachin-Martins Violaine Leynaert Anthony Gélis Christine Azevedo-Coste Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and Movement Sensors spinal cord injury tetraplegia fes-assisted grasping inertial measurement unit interface electromyography interface |
| title | Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and Movement |
| title_full | Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and Movement |
| title_fullStr | Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and Movement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and Movement |
| title_short | Assisted Grasping in Individuals with Tetraplegia: Improving Control through Residual Muscle Contraction and Movement |
| title_sort | assisted grasping in individuals with tetraplegia improving control through residual muscle contraction and movement |
| topic | spinal cord injury tetraplegia fes-assisted grasping inertial measurement unit interface electromyography interface |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/20/4532 |
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