“The Health team is working on developing advanced interfaces that convert the electrical activity of muscles”
TECNALIA at the forefront of developing advanced interfaces that convert the electrical activity of muscles into real-world solutions
TECNALIA continues to turn knowledge into value for society, and one of our strategic pillars in the field of medical technologies is research into and the application of electromyography (EMG), a key tool for understanding the interaction between the nervous system and the muscular system.
The Health and Medical Technologies team is working on developing advanced interfaces that convert the electrical activity of muscles into practical solutions to improve the independence and quality of life of patients with neuromotor disorders.
What is EMG and why is it essential?
The electromyographic (EMG) signal represents the collective electrical activity of multiple motor units within a muscle. The voluntary movement triggered by this signal is controlled by the central nervous system, following a pathway that starts in the motor cortex, passes through the spinal cord and motor neurons, and ends at the muscle fibres.
By recording and processing these signals, it is possible to decode the user’s intended movement, which opens up the possibility of revolutionary biomedical applications.
Innovations in EMG for rehabilitation and assistive technologies
The applications of these technologies fall into two main categories:
- Advanced Rehabilitation: the aim is to optimise patients’ functional recovery through the use of smart systems. Our projects include:
- EXOTEK: An upper-limb exoskeleton synchronised with virtual reality (VR) environments, in which robotic movements are controlled directly by the patient’s EMG signal
- ISMORE: The development of hybrid brain-machine interfaces specifically designed for rehabilitation processes
- SMARTEX: An innovative system for assessing muscle fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis, making it possible to personalise rehabilitation exercises through adaptive serious games
- Assistive Technologies: our healthcare team uses biomedical engineering to help patients who have lost their independence and have neuromotor disorders regain their independence. The following projects are an example of this:
- NIMA: the development of electrotactile interfaces that make it possible to control prosthetic limbs using EMG signals, while also providing sensory and proprioceptive feedback to the user
- OSADAPT: a closed-loop system that detects residual EMG signals to trigger functional electrical stimulation and facilitate movement in conditions such as strokes.
From the laboratory into practice: Training and Workshops
TECNALIA is convinced that knowledge should be shared to speed up innovation and, therefore, has organised workshops that specialise in EMG signal processing. At these meetings, experts cover everything from the fundamentals of acquisition and processing (including filtering artefacts and normalising signals) to advanced decoding methods and artificial intelligence for classifying gestures and pathologies
These sessions culminate in practical demonstrations of real-world use cases, allowing healthcare and engineering professionals to learn about the potential of human-machine interfaces and functional electrical stimulation.
A real impact on society
Our work on medical technologies not only strives for technical excellence, but also aims to make a tangible social impact. TECNALIA's collaboration with universities, health research institutes, hospitals and companies has continued to cement its position as a European leader in creating tools that restore mobility and hope to thousands of people.