An SEMG computer interface using three myoelectric sites for proportional two-dimensional cursor motion control and clicking for individuals with spinal cord injuries

Abstract

We developed an alternative computer interface using surface electromyography (sEMG) for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to access a computer. We designed this interface to make a cursor move on a two-dimensional screen and to click using only three muscles for each subject. In addition, a user can voluntarily control cursor movement speed by modulating muscle contraction levels. Three SCI patients and 10 healthy subjects volunteered to evaluate the performance of this interface using Fitts' law test in a two-dimensional testing setup. The throughputs (TP) of our interface were 0.1962 +/- 0.0562 b/s for the SCI patients and 0.4356 +/- 0.0706 b/s for the healthy subjects. This interface could help SCI patients handle a wider range of activities such as browsing the Internet and communicating with others.