Development of 1-DOF Mechanomyography-Based Elbow Power Assist System

Abstract

This paper presents a 1-DOF power assist system that can assist elbow flexion motion using mechanomyogram (MMG) signals. An MMG transducer is attached to the skin of biceps brachii to monitor muscle actions during arm movement. In order to estimate elbow flexion joint torques, a Hill-type muscle model and a musculoskeletal model of the arm are used. The estimated joint torques are substituted into the admittance control system, and the elbow joint angle is calculated. Power assist experiments are conducted, and the effectiveness of the power assist system is verified.