Electromyography Control of a Computer Model of the Arm

Human arm movements may be adversely affected in the event of stroke or spinal cord injuries, eventually causing the patient to lose control of arm movements. Electromyography (EMG) is con-sidered the most effective technique for the restoration of arm movement in such cases. The reha-bilitation period for such patients is usually long. Moreover, complex treatment techniques may demoralize them. Therefore, this study, attempts to contribute to the development of a relaxing rehabilitation environment through electromyography control of a computer model of the arm. The model is created using MATLAB ® and Data LINK software and other requisite components for training the targeted participants to control their arm movements. Six male participants with no history of injury to the arms or back were selected using the set protocol. The results and data collected are analysed using three performance measures i.e. the number of target hits, average time to target, and path efficiency for each target. Then, the main results in terms of the obtained performance measures are discussed and compared with those of previous studies