A Novel Method for Achieving Dexterous, Proportional Prosthetic Control using Sonomyography

Abstract

Although myoelectric upper limb prostheses have been commercially available for decades, many patients who receive these devices abandon them due to their limited functionality. Some of these functional limitations are related to the difficulties in sensing activity in different muscle compartments with surface electromyography. We believe it is possible to overcome the limitations of myoelectric control through use of sonomyography, or ultrasound-based sensing of muscle deformation. Sonomyography can better distinguish individual muscle activity and provides access to control signals that are directly proportional to muscle deformation, which has the potential to significantly improve prosthesis functionality. In this paper, we will describe our work towards developing a low-power wearable imaging system that will enable sonomyographically-controlled prostheses.