Wearable sensor technology and medical robotics for fatigue assessment using electromyography signal processing, 2024,

Wearable sensor technology and medical robotics for fatigue assessment using electromyography signal processing

Byeon, H., Seno, M.E., Yajid, M.S.A. et al. Wearable sensor technology and medical robotics for fatigue assessment using electromyography signal processing. SIViP (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11760-024-03505-6

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11760-024-03505-6

Abstract

This study integrates Wearable sensor technology and medical robotics to propose a unilateral approach to assessing fatigue in passive lower limb exoskeleton users.

Addressing the one-sidedness in evaluating the fatigue status of wearers of passive lower limb exoskeletons, a comprehensive exoskeleton efficacy evaluation method combining muscle fatigue threshold value Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold (EMGFT), biomechanical analysis, and subjective Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE) scale is proposed.

Unlike traditional methods relying solely on surface electromyography (sEMG) or blood oxygen saturation measurement, the proposed method can effectively enhance the accuracy of passive lower limb exoskeletons efficacy evaluation.

By capturing movements for gait comparison analysis, spatial position information and muscle force data are obtained, along with calculation of ankle joint stability.

Subject’s sEMG is pre-processed to calculate muscle fatigue baseline values; combined with sRPE scores and ankle joint deviation variance, EMGFT is subjected to subjective and objective validation.

Results indicate that the proposed method effectively alleviates fatigue by 30.3%.

 

I've just glanced but it looks like they were trying different attachment styles and seeing what subjective fatigue scores were, on use.

A bit more on methods —

(Not sure that definitely follows but I'll allow!)

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9229674/

I did a Google of these exoskeleton things and it’s a whole new world

I think you might be right and @Dolphin fir posting that this area could have a lot to offer re methods and understanding of gait and signals of fariguability and other pertinent issues

I didn’t know you could get wearables to help with energy or exhaustion

but makes sense they need to understand the mechanics of eg tge legs in those states well to not cause more problems than they solve

 

When I think of the risk of OnlY using actimeters for measuring eg PEM

and of course the issue being we haven’t really got a good way of measuring what I think is at the core which is cumulative and like a residue from jog back/perfotm-agsin recovery rather than rest until fully recovered from exertion … yet

and the issue of the floor/ceiling effect even if you are done in but need the loo or have to care for a child , not being able to measure how much thinking or a conversation or spreadsheet takes out of someone yet. Or twelve hours of it.

Vs issues of bias, coercion, manipulation in subjective replies so people might ‘think’ they are feeling good because of adrenaline, geeing up and being told ‘that pains a good sign’ because no pain no gain and they’ve not be around the block trying to cheat the illness enough times yet.

but I bet the gait of me when I was pushing through would show the difference between ‘smiling and loading up with caffeine and riding the adrenaline to complete this work task me’ and ‘I’ve just had my week off in bed where I sleep of 6weeks worth of PEM me just in time for Monday morning me’ in a way humans mightnt spot without those tools.

importantly they might do the holy grail of being able to compare a year or more apart.

nevermind adding in that it’s about more than exercise but sitting up and doing work thinking of talking etc too

well these things probably do or might have the incentive to be looking at the longer harms and indicators instead of just the ‘can you get a bump in performance short term’ so might be interesting to dive into

if for example you are doing something for healthy military purposes to make eg soldiers better at energy intense things or able to do more for less short term then you need to know what you are really measuring

edit: including long term side effects/unintended consequences