Thesis Project Form

Body-Machine Interfaces (BoMIs) decode upper-body motion for operating devices, such as computers and wheelchairs and can be used as an assistive and/or rehabiliatative tool for people with motor impairment.

In this study, we want to explore the possibility of developing a dynamic EMG-based BoMI, that could account for time dependency either in the body space (i.e. muscle activity) or in the control space. Furthermore, a VR environemnt will be developed to provide users with a more immersive experience while utilizing the interface. The novel dynamic control scheme will be tested on healthy users for future implementations on stroke survivors or people with spinal cord injury.

Engineering tasks related to this study will include: kinematic and elettroniografic data collection, immersive display development, development of the software for real-time control of object dynamics including point mass and simple manipulator structures. Research skills such as methods design, data analysis, data interpretation, signal processing and machine learning methods will also be learned and exercised during this project.