Koopman-Driven Grip Force Prediction Through EMG Sensing

Loss of hand function due to conditions like stroke or multiple sclerosis impacts daily activities. Robotic rehabilitation provides tools to restore hand function, while surface electromyography (sEMG) enables the adaptation of the device's force output to the user's condition, thus enhancing rehabilitation outcomes. This study focuses on accurately predicting grip force during medium wrap grasps using a single sEMG sensor pair, addressing the challenge of escalating sensor requirements. We conducted sEMG measurements on 13 subjects at two forearm positions, validating results with a hand dynamometer. Established flexible signal processing steps achieved high peak cross-correlations between the processed sEMG signal and grip force. Influential parameters were subsequently identified through sensitivity analysis. Leveraging a novel data-driven Koopman-based approach and problem-specific data lifting, we devised a method for the estimation and short-term prediction of grip force from processed sEMG signals. The method achieved a weighted mean absolute percentage error (wMAPE) of ~5.5% for grip force estimation and ~17.9% for 0.5-second predictions. The methodology proved robust regarding precise electrode positioning, as the effect of sensing position on error metrics was non-significant. The algorithm executes exceptionally fast, processing, estimating, and predicting a 0.5-second sEMG signal batch in just ~30 ms, facilitating real-time implementation.