We draw on engineering and physiology principles to design advanced ground-breaking technologies.

dEMG Technology for Extracting Information from the EMG Signal

The underlying neural mechanisms that regulate how muscles generate and control force are embedded in the characteristics of electrical pulses that originate in the brain and are transmitted to the muscle fibers by nerves.

Reassessment of Widely Accepted Motor Control Notions

Our dEMG technology has provided us with the means to query the validity of commonly accepted notions of motor unit control. A brief summary of our work follows, with reference to relevant published work.

Movement Disorder Monitor

Forty-five million people in the US suffer from an involuntary movement disorder. Accurate motor symptom tracking is crucial to improve therapy for those suffering from Parkinson’s disease, stroke, essential tremor, ALS, cerebral palsy, and other disorders.

System for Non-vocal Speech Communication

Some patients with speech deficits, such as individuals with laryngectomy or brain injury, cannot vocalize. Others, such as Special Forces soldiers, may need to rely on voiceless communication for covert operations or noisy environments.

Sensor Design and User Guidelines

Over the past three decades we have continuously expressed concern regarding the insufficient attention given by manufacturers and users to the manner in which the surface EMG signal is detected, and more importantly, how it is analyzed and interpreted to draw inferences about the behavior of the muscles.

The views expressed in these materials do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH or its components; nor does the inclusion of trade names/logos/trademarks/or references to outside entities constitute or imply an endorsement by any Federal entity.