EMG control switching system for FES

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an effective method for assisting the movement of paraplegic patients. FES makes it possible to realize activities such as standing-up, walking, and grasping. However in spite of this advantage, its clinical application is limited. One reason is that it needs a switch for which the paraplegic patients have to make an action other than the one that they desire to make. In some cases, it is possible to use another type of switch. Lower limb actions, for example standing-up and walking, need the synchronization of both limbs. Hence, in the case of lower limb hemiplegics it is possible to recognize the action that the patients intend to perform from the EMG (electromyogram) detected on the surface of the normal limb. EMG is physiological signal with individual disparity, which inevitably results in classification error. To overcome this problem, we use online classifier method. This paper presents an automatic switch system using EMG for hemiplegics and shows its potential.