A Portable Myoelectric Robotic System for Light Exercise Among Bedridden and Wheelchair Bound Individuals Ahmad Jazlan Haja Mohideen #1 , Shahrul Naim Sidek #2 # Department of Mechatronics Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia P.O. Box 10, 50728 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1 ahmad_jazlan06@yahoo.com 2 naim.sidek@gmail.com Abstract— In this study an interactive exercise technique is developed to cater to bedridden and wheelchair bound individuals, in order for them to remain both mentally and physically alert despite their immobility. The sedentary lifestyle common among bedridden and wheelchair bound individuals leads to a variety of problems such as stiff muscles and numbness in various parts of the body. To perform this light exercise, surface electromyogram (EMG) signals are measured from major muscles from the body responsible for human motion. These measured signals are processed and further used to control the movements of a mobile robot (either left, right or straight) wirelessly using radio frequency transmission. Keywords— Electromyogram, Biceps Brachii, amplification, filtering and RF Transmission. I. INTRODUCTION In this paper we propose using a mobile robot that responds to muscle activity as a means for exercise to incorporate some degree of physical activity among bedridden and wheelchair bound individuals. In tennis for example, the player is active physically by swinging the racket to hit the ball. At the same time the player is also mentally active because he has to see the ball and decide exactly when and where to hit the ball with his racket. In this proposed robotic based exercise method, the patient exercises physically by navigating the mobile robot’s movements using his left and right bicep muscle activity. At the same time the patient is also mentally active because he or she needs to observe the mobile robot’s movements (left, right or forward) and decide which direction it should move to achieve the target point. Surface Electromyogram (EMG) signals measured from the left and right bicep serve as the muscle activity indicator of the bedridden or wheelchair bound individual. EMG signal refers to the electrical current generated upon muscle contraction [1]. When muscle fibers contract, there is an exchange of ions within the muscle fiber membranes, this flow of ions generates an electrical current [1] [2]. Flow of ions within muscle fiber membranes can be measured on the surface of the skin by using Argentum Chloride surface electrodes which convert ion flow into electron flow. II. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION Fig 1 shows the two main components for this system namely the transmitter block and receiver block. At the transmitter block, the EMG signals from the individual are obtained, processed, digitized and transmitted via radio frequency. At the receiver block, the digitized EMG signal transmitted by the transmitter is received by a radio frequency receiver. This received signal is used to control the movements of the mobile robot forward, left or right in real time. Fig. 1 Transmitter and Receiver blocks for this system III. METHODS A. EMG Signal Conditioning EMG signals are measured from the skin surface of the left and right biceps brachi muscles as shown in Fig 3. Bipolar electrode configuration is used where two surface EMG electrodes are placed on the muscle of interest and another electrode is placed on a bony part of the body, such as the elbow [3][4]. 2010 IEEE Control and System Graduate Research Colloquium 978-1-4244-7240-6/10/$26.00 ©2010 IEEE 33