ME 4610

MEASURING AND INSTRUMENTATION

EMG SENSOR

:Prepared by

Name ID
Sultan Alotaibi 438050040
Fahad Alotaibi 441050383
Faisal Alruwais 441050392

Supervisor:

Dr. Muhammad Al-Rifai

Page|1
Table of contents:

Abstract…… ………………………………....………………………………...…….3

Introduction ………………………………....…………………….……………...….4

Types of EMG sensors………………………………………………………….……5

Types of EMG sensors……………....…………………….………………..……….6

How does EMG sensor work?.………………………………………………….…….7

How does EMG sensor work?.……………………………………………………..…8

What is EMG sensor used for?.…………..………………………………………...…9

What is EMG sensor used for?.…………………………………………………..….10

Why you should buy this EMG sensor……………………………………….....……10

Why you should buy this EMG sensor……………………………………..…..…….11

EMG sensor schematic and tutorial………………………………………..…..……..12

Hardware Configuration…..………………………………………………………….19

Advantages and disadvantages……………………………………………..,,……….21

Applications and conclusion……………....………………………………...……….22

References…………………………………………………………………...……….23

Page|2
Abstract:
Exoskeleton robots are mechanical constructions
attached to human body parts, containing actuators
for influencing human motion. One important
application area for exoskeletons is human motion
support, for example, for disabled people, including
rehabilitation training, and for force enhancement
in healthy subjects. This paper surveys two
exoskeleton systems developed in our laboratory.
The first system is a lower-extremity exoskeleton
with one actuated degree of freedom in the knee
joint. This system was designed for motion support
in disabled people. The second system is an
exoskeleton for a human hand with 16 actuated
joints, four for each finger. This hand exoskeleton
will be used in rehabilitation training after hand
surgeries. The application of EMG signals for
motion control is presented. An overview of the
design and control methods, and first experimental
.results for the leg exoskeleton are reported

Page|3
:Introduction
Electromyography (EMG) measures muscle response or
electrical activity in response to a nerve's stimulation of the
muscle. The test is used to help detect neuromuscular
abnormalities. During the test, one or more small needles (also
.called electrodes) are inserted through the skin into the muscle

EMG Sensor, also known as electromyography sensor, is one

that measures small electrical signals generated by your muscles
when you move them!

 This includes lifting your arm up, clenching your fist, or

even the simplest of movements like moving a finger!

Technical details

If you would like to further understand the technical side of

things, here’s how your muscles move and its relationship with
ECG:

 The whole process starts off in your brain.

 Neural activity in the motor cortex (part of your brain)
signals to the spinal cord
 The signal is then conveyed to the muscle part via motor
neurons.
 Motor neurons innervate the muscle directly, causing the
release of Calcium ions within the muscle and ultimately
creating a mechanical change.

Page|4
  This mechanical change involves depolarization (change
in electromechanical gradient), which is then detected by
EMG for measurement.

:Types of EMG sensors

Now that we’ve had a better understanding of the definition of
.EMG, we’ll now take a look at the two types of EMG sensors

1. sEMG sensors (surface electrodes)

SEMG sensors placed on the skin.

 The “S” refers to the surface, where this type of EMG

sensor takes measurements by placing surface EMG
electrodes on your skin.
 Uses Non-invasive technology, making this EMG sensor
type not painful.
 Commonly applicable in clinics and sports health
 Limitations: Though is a simple and easy way of EMG
measurement, it’s restricted to superficial muscles and

Page|5
 dependent on other variables such as the weight of
patients, etc.

2. Intramuscular EMG

ref

 Intramuscular EMG takes measurement through an

inserting a monopolar needle electrode through your skin
and into the muscle tissue.
 A common way of EMG sensing
 A perfectly safe option, though it may cause discomfort
when the needle electrodes are inserted and muscle
soreness afterward.
 Limitations: Possible contamination of deeper muscle
recording as the needle shaft is exposed.

Page|6
How does EMG sensor work?
Both types of EMG differs from the sensor placement, though
its procedures share certain similarities. Here’s the illustration of
how each EMG sensor works:

1. EMG Sensor Placement

Page|7
 2. EMG Sensor Output Display

This is how a surface EMG sensor works:

 The process begins with EMG sensor placement, where

it’s placed in the innervation zone of both tendons for
better detection quality (Picture 1)
 Electrodes begin to detect electrical activity generated by
muscle movement/contraction.
 Electrical activity detected is then displayed via the form
of waves on a monitor (also known as an oscilloscope)

How an intramuscular EMG work:

 The process begins by inserting a sterile needle

(monopolar needle electrode) into the muscle itself.
 Electrodes begin to detect electrical activity generated by
muscle movement/contraction.
 An audio amplifier may be attached for evaluation
of appearance and sound.

Page|8
  The electrical activity from your working muscle is
measured and displayed on the monitor.

Note: Both EMG sensing sensor procedures should end up with

:either normal or abnormal results

 Normal results:
 Muscle tissue at rest should be electrically inactive with
no waveforms.
 There should be varying rates and amplitudes spotted on
the data when the muscle is fully contracted.
 Abnormal results:
 Unusual data collected.
 May result from disorders of muscle, nerves, etc.

Overall, the stronger the muscle contraction = the higher the

number of activated muscles. Hence, a higher recorded voltage
amplitude.

What is EMG Sensor used for?

EMG sensors are mostly used for biomedical applications that
range from:

 Helping doctors diagnose muscle and nerve disorders of

patients for early prevention/treatment
 Research tool for kinesiology
 A control signal for prosthetic devices; hands, arms, and
lower limbs

Myoware Muscle Sensor

Alternative: Grove – EMGDetector

Page|9
 

Grove – EMG Detector



Surface Electrodes that come with it

P a g e | 10
Now for the moment you’re waiting for, this is the Grove –
EMG Detector, a cheaper alternative to Myoware muscle sensor
for your EMG sensing needs!
Similarly, to the Myoware muscle sensor, our Grove – EMG
Detector does not need an additional power supply and supports
3.3V – 5V for easy microcontroller integration!

Why you should buy this EMG Sensor

Our very own EMG sensor is capable of gathering small muscle
signals and processing it with 2nd amplify and filter, with the
output signal easily recognizable by Arduino!
Saeed’s very own Grove system
Grove system is Saeed very own initiative, allowing for you to
pair the Grove – EMG Sensor with other sensors, shields,
modules through plug-and-play!

 You still need to solder the Myoware Muscle Sensor

if you want to use it with Arduino.

However, with this, it means no more using messy and

complicated jumper wires, soldering, or debugging
electronic circuits!

P a g e | 11
 

Typical Myoware Arduino Circuit



With Grove

Apart from the above reasons, the Grove – EMG Detector has
the following features as well:

 3.5mm Connector
 6 Disposable Surface Electrodes included.
 1000mm Cable Leads
P a g e | 12
EMG Sensor Schematic:
To take a deeper look at the Grove – EMG detector, here’s its
circuit diagram for your reference!

EMG Sensor Arduino Tutorial

Need an EMG sensor Arduino code for the pairing? We got you
covered with this EMG sensor Arduino tutorial!
This tutorial will show you how to connect our Grove – EMG
Sensor to a Seeeduino!

 Seeduino is Seeed’s very own Arduino, built with benefits

over the original version

Required materials:
1. Arduino board - Arduino Nano
2. EMG sensor - MyoWare Muscle Sensor Kit
3. OLED display - 0.96" 12C OLED Display
4. Power supply unit- 5V DC Supply

P a g e | 13
 5. Connecting wires - Jumper Wires
6. Breadboard

Step 1: Preparing the surface

Start by using soap or a skin cleanser to gently clean and sanitize the
area or contact skin you plan to place the MyoWare muscle sensor.

Step 2: Snap electrodes in place

Connect the electrodes to the sensor's snap connectors.

Step 3: Expose the adhesive

To expose the adhesive, you'll need to remove the film on the backs of
the electrolytes and then place them on the skin or forearm muscle.

Step 4: Sensor placement

Place a sensor or EMG detector on the muscle during the testing phase.
The sensor should be placed so that one of the connection electrodes is
positioned in the middle area of the power. It's recommended that you
line up the other electrode with the direction of the muscle extent.

P a g e | 14
Step 5: Reference electrode placement

Electromyography testing while exercising in a critical position

This step includes placing the reference electrode on a thin or

angular part of the muscle. It should be anywhere near the
targeted active power or at a known distance away from the
recording electrode.
P a g e | 15
Step 6: Connecting to the Arduino board

Arduino electronic elements

There are one of two ways to connect the implanted electrode

connectors. The first way is to connect the electrode connectors
to the muscles directly, and the alternative method is to utilize
the cable shield now in conjunction with the cable connectors.
The supplementary shield contains a long electrode cable,
making placing the Electromyography sensor a distance from
the computer easy and convenient.

P a g e | 16
Step 7: Testing the sensor
You may begin evaluating the sensor and monitoring the value
once you've uploaded the code. Stretch your forearm muscle out
to examine the sensor and create muscular contractions, then
relax your muscle. Ultimately, these muscular contractions
generate a potential analog difference observed on the serial
display monitor in real-time. After that, the input EMG channel
extracts the EMG signals and feeds them into the self-recovery
module in real-time.
Upload the following code to Arduino

P a g e | 17
In a Nutshell

Electromyography testing in progress

Electromyography sensors are a diagnostic testing

procedure that measures how well your muscles respond to
the electrical signal emitted to specialized nerve cells, also
known as motor neurons. It's useful for muscle
reinnervation, so doctors often order EMG tests if they
suspect that a patient or subject has symptoms of
neurological or muscular conditions such as unexplained
weakness in the limbs or numbness in the muscles. EMG
sensors based on surface electrodes are a simple process
with minimal discomfort. Ultimately, the results from
EMG sensors help prevent or treat muscle and nerve-
related disorders. If you have any questions, please get in
touch with us.

P a g e | 18
What do you need?

Seeeduino Lotus V1.1

Grove – LED Bar

Grove – Base Shield

P a g e | 19
Note: This tutorial can work without the Base Shield as well
since the Seeeduino Lotus V1.1 contains grove ports.
EMG sensor raspberry pi is made possible as well since it
supports other microcontroller platforms. However, users
have to write their own software library as it’s not possible
to provide demo code for all supported platforms.

Hardware Configuration:
 Step 1: Plug Grove-Base Shield to Seeeduino
 Step 2: Plug Grove – LED Bar to D8 port.
 Step 3: Connect Grove – EMG Sensor to A0 port.
 Step 4: Plug in the electrodes to Grove – EMG Sensor and
place it on your muscle. Remember to keep a distance
between each.

It should look something like this once done:

P a g e | 20
Testing phase; Before you start moving:
 When you’ve finished uploading the demo code, it’ll take
about 5s to initialize, and you should keep static when it’s
initializing.
 You’ll then see the LED Bar go from level 10 to level 0.
 When the LED Bar is all off, you can start moving!

Resources and Going Further

Grove – EMG Sensor related Files:

 Grove-EMG Sensor v1.0 Eagle File
 Grove-EMG Sensor v1.1 Eagle File
 Grove-EMG Sensor v1.1 schematic PDF
 Download Arduino Demo Code

P a g e | 21
Advantages of EMG sensor
Following are the benefits or advantages of EMG sensor:
➨The EMG sensor based on surface electrodes is very quick
and easy to apply.
➨No medical supervision needed and does not require
certification.
➨It offers minimal discomfort.
➨Fine wire electrodes used in EMG sensor records single
muscle activity. It provides access to deep musculature.
➨It is extremely sensitive.
➨EMG provides continuous and quantitative data. Multi-
channel EMG can identify muscular bottle necks.
➨EMG data allows detection of muscle fatigue at early stages.

Disadvantages of EMG sensor

Following are the drawbacks or disadvantages of EMG sensor:
➨It is used for superficial muscles only.
➨No standard electrode placement.
➨May affect movement patterns of subject.
➨Detection area may not be representative of the entire muscle.
➨Cross talk is concern.
➨Limitations with recording dynamic muscle activity.

P a g e | 22
EMG Sensor Applications:

EMG sensors play a significant role in various

biomedical applications such as:
 Disorders of motor control and Kinesiology
 Myoelectric signals or control signals for prosthetic hand
devices; lower limbs, and arms
 Diagnosing muscle and nerve disorders in patients for
early prevention and treatment
 Video games
 Robotic control systems

:Conclusion
EMG sensors work by placing electrodes or senses close to your
muscle groups. These sensors are much more effective on
superficial muscles as they cannot bypass the action potentials
of superficial muscle tissue. The power activates, and its length
decreases during signal processing. Additionally, the muscle,
skin, and electrodes move concerning each other. Essentially,
EMG signals originate from the electrical activity or electric
.potential of muscle fibers active during a contraction

P a g e | 23
:References
M.H.Y. Raez, Techniques of EMG signal analysis: detection, ]1[
.classification and applications, Biol. Proced. Online 8 (2006) 11–35
W.F. Brown, C.F. Bolton, M.J. Aminoff (Eds.), Neuromuscular ]2[
.Function and Disease, W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 2002
M.J. Aminoff, Electromyography in Clinical Practice: ]3[
Electrodiagnostic Aspects of Neuromuscular Disease, 2nd edition,
.Churchill Livingstone, New York, 1987
J.V. Basmajian, C.J. De Luca, Muscles Alive: Their Functions ]4[
Revealed by Electromyography, 5th edition, William & Wilkins,
.Baltimore, 1985
E.R. Kandel, J.H. Schwartz, T.M. Jessell, Principles of Neural ]5[
.Science, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2000
T.J. Doherty, D.W. Stashuk, Decomposition-based quantitative ]6[
electromyography: methods and initial normative data in five muscles,
.Muscle Nerve 28 (2) (2003) 204–211
D.W. Stashuk, W.F. Brown, Quantitative electromyography, in: W.F. ]7[
Brown, C.F. Bolton, M.J. Aminoff (Eds.), Neuromuscular Function and
.Disease, W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 2002, pp. 311–348
D.W. Stashuk, L. Pino, A. Hamilton-Wright, T. Doherty, S. Boe, ]8[
Interpretation of QEMG data, in: Proceedings of the 2007 General
Meeting of the American Association of Neuromuscular and
.Electrodiagnostic Medicine, AANEM '07, AANEM, Phoenix, 2007
K. Akaboshi, Y. Masakado, N. Chino, Quantitative EMG and motor ]9[
unit recruitment threshold using a concentric needle with quadrifilar
.electrode, Muscle Nerve 23 (2000) 361–367
C. Bischoff, K. Bett, B. Conrad, Comparison of reliability of ]10[
different algorithms used for quantitative computer assisted motor unit
action potential analysis, Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 103 (1)
(1997) 220, http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/S0013-4694(97)89065-0 220(1)

P a g e | 24