Auricular Muscle- controlled Navigation for Powered Wheelchairs

Abstract There are many alternative methods to joystick control for control of Electric Powered Wheelchairs for users with neuromuscular disabilities, such as muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injuries, such as tetraplegia. However, these methods- which include the sip-and-puff method, head and neck movement, blinking, or tongue movement- hinder social interaction, and are therefore detrimental to user independence. In recent years, research has explored the use of Electromyography (EMG) signals from alternative muscles to control a powered wheelchair, consequently increasing the quality of life of these users. The Auricular Muscles (AM) may be suitable, as they are controlled separately from the facial nerve and are vestigial in humans, making them advantageous for powered wheelchair control for users with tetraplegia. Additionally, they are located around the ear, adding a level of cosmesis when designing wearable sensors and prosthesis. This paper extracts and implements two control strategies from current literature and, for the first time, compares them directly, demonstrating viable implementation approaches for an online EMG-based powered-wheelchair control system. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) was developed and various window lengths were compared, with the most accuracy and real-time effectiveness found at 300ms. A study with three participants demonstrates the feasibility of these methods of control as well as experimental results to guide the potential AM use.