Analysis of EMG Signal Quality using Flexible Multi-Channel Electrodes

Sammanfattning

Surface electromyography or sEMG is universally used as a control signal in myoelectric prosthetic hands, where muscle activation patterns are utilized to interpret the user's intended movements. However, sEMG recording quality is strongly affected by electrode-skin interface, electrode configuration and even external factors such as limb position. Traditional rigid electrode setup with limited channels may restrict spatial resolution as well as user comfort which in turn affects electrode performance. This master's thesis aims to analyze the quality of EMG signals using multi-channel flexible electrodes, with the goal of testing their suitability for prosthetic hand control. EMG recordings were gathered from 21 participants using standardized recording sessions with the flexible electrode arrays positioned according to a planned protocol. The collected signals were preprocessed to reduce noise and improve signal quality prior to analysis. Subsequently, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and cross-correlation were evaluated to assess signal quality and determine the similarity between electrode channels.