Design and Evaluation of a Surface Electromyography-Controlled Steering Assistance Interface

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Drivers may face shoulder muscle overload and reduced steering control, especially with larger steering angles.
• Existing systems may not adequately accommodate drivers with disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel steering assistance system using surface electromyography (sEMG) for drivers with disabilities.
• To compare the path-following accuracy of an sEMG-controlled steering interface with a standard game steering wheel.

Main Methods:

• Incorporated sEMG sensors measuring biceps brachii activity into a remote steering wheel rotation system.
• Conducted driving simulator trials where participants performed U-turns with varying radii of curvature.
• Quantified path-following accuracy using median lateral errors.

Main Results:

• The sEMG interface demonstrated significantly higher accuracy (0.5 m median lateral error) than the game steering wheel (1.2 m) for the minimum turning radius (3.6 m).
• Accuracy was comparable between the sEMG interface (1.6 m) and game steering wheel (1.4 m) for a larger turning radius (7.2 m).

Conclusions:

• The sEMG-based steering assistance system offers improved accuracy for specific driving maneuvers, particularly at tighter turning radii.
• This technology holds potential for enhancing automobile steering control for individuals with physical disabilities.