Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine Interface
An electromiographic (EMG)-based human-machine interface (HMI) is a communication pathway between a human and a machine that operates by means of the acquisition and processing of EMG signals. This article explores the use of EMG-based HMIs in the steering of farm tractors. An EPOC, a low-cost human...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2011-07-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/11/7/7110/ |
| _version_ | 1798040502076964864 |
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| author | Sergio Alonso-Garcia Luis Fernando Nicolas-Alonso Israel San-Jose-Gonzalez Jaime Gomez-Gil |
| author_facet | Sergio Alonso-Garcia Luis Fernando Nicolas-Alonso Israel San-Jose-Gonzalez Jaime Gomez-Gil |
| author_sort | Sergio Alonso-Garcia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An electromiographic (EMG)-based human-machine interface (HMI) is a communication pathway between a human and a machine that operates by means of the acquisition and processing of EMG signals. This article explores the use of EMG-based HMIs in the steering of farm tractors. An EPOC, a low-cost human-computer interface (HCI) from the Emotiv Company, was employed. This device, by means of 14 saline sensors, measures and processes EMG and electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from the scalp of the driver. In our tests, the HMI took into account only the detection of four trained muscular events on the driver’s scalp: eyes looking to the right and jaw opened, eyes looking to the right and jaw closed, eyes looking to the left and jaw opened, and eyes looking to the left and jaw closed. The EMG-based HMI guidance was compared with manual guidance and with autonomous GPS guidance. A driver tested these three guidance systems along three different trajectories: a straight line, a step, and a circumference. The accuracy of the EMG-based HMI guidance was lower than the accuracy obtained by manual guidance, which was lower in turn than the accuracy obtained by the autonomous GPS guidance; the computed standard deviations of error to the desired trajectory in the straight line were 16 cm, 9 cm, and 4 cm, respectively. Since the standard deviation between the manual guidance and the EMG-based HMI guidance differed only 7 cm, and this difference is not relevant in agricultural steering, it can be concluded that it is possible to steer a tractor by an EMG-based HMI with almost the same accuracy as with manual steering. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:08:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ec60d9f4b682498c881f439ffbc45411 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:08:30Z |
| publishDate | 2011-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-ec60d9f4b682498c881f439ffbc454112022-12-22T04:00:38ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202011-07-011177110712610.3390/s110707110Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine InterfaceSergio Alonso-GarciaLuis Fernando Nicolas-AlonsoIsrael San-Jose-GonzalezJaime Gomez-GilAn electromiographic (EMG)-based human-machine interface (HMI) is a communication pathway between a human and a machine that operates by means of the acquisition and processing of EMG signals. This article explores the use of EMG-based HMIs in the steering of farm tractors. An EPOC, a low-cost human-computer interface (HCI) from the Emotiv Company, was employed. This device, by means of 14 saline sensors, measures and processes EMG and electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from the scalp of the driver. In our tests, the HMI took into account only the detection of four trained muscular events on the driver’s scalp: eyes looking to the right and jaw opened, eyes looking to the right and jaw closed, eyes looking to the left and jaw opened, and eyes looking to the left and jaw closed. The EMG-based HMI guidance was compared with manual guidance and with autonomous GPS guidance. A driver tested these three guidance systems along three different trajectories: a straight line, a step, and a circumference. The accuracy of the EMG-based HMI guidance was lower than the accuracy obtained by manual guidance, which was lower in turn than the accuracy obtained by the autonomous GPS guidance; the computed standard deviations of error to the desired trajectory in the straight line were 16 cm, 9 cm, and 4 cm, respectively. Since the standard deviation between the manual guidance and the EMG-based HMI guidance differed only 7 cm, and this difference is not relevant in agricultural steering, it can be concluded that it is possible to steer a tractor by an EMG-based HMI with almost the same accuracy as with manual steering.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/11/7/7110/agricultural vehicleshuman-machine interface (HMI)human-computer interface (HCI)brain-computer interface (BCI)electroencephalography (EEG)controlglobal positioning system (GPS)tractor, guidance |
| spellingShingle | Sergio Alonso-Garcia Luis Fernando Nicolas-Alonso Israel San-Jose-Gonzalez Jaime Gomez-Gil Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine Interface Sensors agricultural vehicles human-machine interface (HMI) human-computer interface (HCI) brain-computer interface (BCI) electroencephalography (EEG) control global positioning system (GPS) tractor, guidance |
| title | Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine Interface |
| title_full | Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine Interface |
| title_fullStr | Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine Interface |
| title_full_unstemmed | Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine Interface |
| title_short | Steering a Tractor by Means of an EMG-Based Human-Machine Interface |
| title_sort | steering a tractor by means of an emg based human machine interface |
| topic | agricultural vehicles human-machine interface (HMI) human-computer interface (HCI) brain-computer interface (BCI) electroencephalography (EEG) control global positioning system (GPS) tractor, guidance |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/11/7/7110/ |
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