On the design of a myoelectric human-machine interface for the control of an industrial robot

In this paper we present design aspects regarding a myoelectric Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for the control of a KUKA KR15 industrial robot by using a Thalmic Labs Myo armband. To be functional, the Myo armband needs to be installed on the user’s forearm in order to read and interpret the user’s arm motion and gestures. Our goal is that the user should be able to control the robot’s gripper position by moving his arm. This paper presents the architecture of the system, describes the subsystems and the software code that was used in order to make the system functional and analyze its performance. The results of our work are presented in the paper. In the Conclusions chapter are discussed the limitations of the system and future work.