Smart Home Interactions for People with Reduced Hand Mobility Using Subtle EMG-Signal Gestures

Smart home technology is receiving significant attention. This is largely in response to an increase in the size of demographic those who require assistance due to reduced mobility, in particular, older adults. Smart home technology enables the assistance individuals with limited mobility need for their daily routines: these limitations can be addressed using modern ambient assisted living technologies. In particular we discuss the benefits of using electromyography (EMG) sensors to capture gestural input that would normally be difficult to sense in the absence of such sensors. With EMG, we can provide user control of a smart environment through the use of gestures based on muscle activity of the hands. This paper will focus on presenting the benefits of EMG technologies that can potentially assist individuals with hand mobility issues. We will describe the current state of EMG sensory technologies and their role in shaping gesture-based interaction techniques. We present our approach using such EMG signals and demonstrate their value in a smart home scenario. Finally we introduce the concept of subtle EMG gestures and build a better understanding of how we might improve accessibility for those with limited upper limb motion.