Seed for Science: EMG in Virtual Reality

Enter to Win

EMG And Beyond:

Using the Delsys API to Expand the World of Telehealth

Introduction

Today, over 85% of clinicians utilize telehealth in their rehabilitation practices.

0%
of Clinicians Utilize Telehealth in their Rehabilitation Practices

As many as 50% of those clinicians report that traditional telehealth does not provide sufficient physical data. The rising use of telehealth combined with its current limitations demands a more robust software solution that gets critical data from the human body into the hands of clinicians.

By using the Delsys API, researchers can have translational impact by developing clinically meaningful applications to further patient care through telerehabilitation.

Background

The Delsys API* is a software platform that enables live data sharing between Delsys sensors and third-party software systems. When using the API, data becomes available through open-source code to users who would like to create custom interfaces of their own. Benefits of using our API include:

  • Third-party integration in real time

  • More customized development

  • Implementation of real-time data filters

  • The ability to use signals as a control input

  • Access to example projects written in Unity, Python, and C# via our GitHub

*Please note that Delsys does not provide support for writing custom code.

EMG is an experimental technique, typically used within human movement assessments and performance monitoring, that involves the recording and analysis of the electrical signals that emanate from the muscles during contractions and force production. By gaining insight into the status of muscular excitation, researchers, clinicians, sports practitioners, and engineers have been able to determine:

  • The level of muscular effort involved – gained from assessing the overall EMG signal amplitude

  • Co-ordination between muscles – assessed by the activation timings of muscles

  • The effects of muscle fatigue – an exploration of the frequency component of the EMG signal

  • Neural control strategies – how is the brain adapting to training or external stimuli

Unity is a development engine that supports 2D and 3D game development. It can be operated by most virtual reality platforms and allows developers the opportunity to create exciting new virtual environments. Integrating EMG and biofeedback data with Unity can enhance and expand the potential of virtual reality in the field of health science. Some examples include:

Online healthcare and therapy can provide more access and a safer environment for people who struggle with anxiety. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and muscle activity are all important metrics that can provide useful feedback to a person in one of these settings.

EMG and biofeedback allow an accurate digital representation of the human body.

A virtual environment can be used to improve prosthetic limb control. EMG and biofeedback data could be the key to improving prosthetic control for people with different levels of mobility and muscle control.

VR is an open-ended environment that can be tailored towards a developer’s needs. Having the option to get physiological data into that virtual space expands the possibilities of research to an even greater degree.

Demo

Delsys’ research arm, Altec, uses the Delsys API to conduct their research by bringing data from Delsys sensors into Unity. To see an example of what their developers were able to create with the Delsys API, they have created a video demonstration:

Demo Equipment

Equipment Type Equipment Name
Software Delsys API 2.5.3.0
Software Unity
System Trigno Research+ Base Station
Sensor Trigno Avanti EMG Sensor
Sensor Trigno EKG Biofeedback Sensor
Custom Sensor Respiratory Sensor // *NOT CURRENTLY COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE*

Demo Protocol

Discussion

EMG

The Trigno Avanti sensor is our state-of-the-art EMG sensor used to collect EMG from large muscle sites on the body. In the demo video, the Avanti sensor is responsible for controlling the hand. The Avanti sensor, placed on the participant’s flexor carpi radialis (FCR), detects electrical activity when the FCR contracts and performs wrist flexion. If the participant wants to move the hand within the virtual environment, they must flex or relax their wrist. This mechanism is important for establishing neuromuscular control: an essential metric for patients with muscular dystrophy or athletes recovering from injury. In a telehealth environment, it helps bring essential information about muscular control and movement to the clinician’s attention.

EKG

The EKG is a specialized sensor that detects heart rate and the electrical signals from the heart. In the demo, the EKG data is represented by the beating heart. Participants have no real-time cognitive control of their heart rate, so they cannot directly control this. However, participants can practice certain techniques to lower their heart rate. This tool is crucial for clinicians who want to see how a participant’s heart rate changes in response to certain tasks. Through a virtual representation of heart rate, the EKG sensor provides real-time feedback that is valuable to both patients and clinicians.

Respiration

The respiration sensor is a custom sensor that is not yet commercially available. This sensor wraps around the rib cage and detects information about breathing patterns. In the demo video, the respiration sensor corresponds to the set of lungs. While respiration and lung expansion cannot be manipulated to the same extent as the forearm, they can be controlled consciously unlike heart rate. This might be useful in a therapy setting where clinicians are seeking to teach breathing strategies to children with anxiety.

Expanding with API

Those looking to use the Delsys API to expand their research practices can download it from our GitHub.

Download Here

References

FAQ

No. Due to the open-ended nature of the API, we do not provide any training. Users can refer to our GitHub to explore some example projects that utilize our API, but we will not give any specific help.

No. Once you download the Delsys API, you will have everything you need from our end to integrate with Unity. You can download the API here. 

Using the API is limited by the user’s imagination, skills, and knowledge.

Please reach out to support@delsys.com for assistance.