EMG-based high level human-robot interaction system for people with disability

This paper presents an innovative semiautonomous human-robot interaction concept for people with severe disability and discusses a proof-of-concept prototype system. The user communicates with the robot through electromyographic (EMG) signals. However, unlike most EMG controlled robotic operations, here the user can issue high-level commands to the robot. This would allow people with severe disability to access robots that can help them in activities of daily living. The robot controller is designed such that it can decompose highlevel user commands into primitives. The proposed concept eliminates the need for continuous control of the robot and hence makes the system easier to use and less error-prone.