Soft, conformal bioelectronics for a wireless human-wheelchair interface

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Authors
Mishra, Saswat
Norton, James J.S.
Lee, Yongkuk
Lee, Dong Sup
Agee, Nicolas
Chen, Yanfei
Chun, Youngjae
Yeo, Woon-Hong
Advisors
Issue Date
2017-05-15
Type
Article
Keywords
Soft electrode , Stretchable electronics , Conformal contact , Fractal structure , Electrooculograms , Human-wheelchair interface
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
Saswat Mishra, James J.S. Norton, Yongkuk Lee, Dong Sup Lee, Nicolas Agee, Yanfei Chen, Youngjae Chun, Woon-Hong Yeo. Soft, conformal bioelectronics for a wireless human-wheelchair interface. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 91, 2017, Pages 796-803, ISSN 0956-5663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2017.01.044.
Abstract

There are more than 3 million people in the world whose mobility relies on wheelchairs. Recent advancement on engineering technology enables more intuitive, easy-to-use rehabilitation systems. A human-machine interface that uses non-invasive, electrophysiological signals can allow a systematic interaction between human and devices; for example, eye movement-based wheelchair control. However, the existing machine-interface platforms are obtrusive, uncomfortable, and often cause skin irritations as they require a metal electrode affixed to the skin with a gel and acrylic pad. Here, we introduce a bioelectronic system that makes dry, conformal contact to the skin. The mechanically comfortable sensor records high-fidelity electrooculograms, comparable to the conventional gel electrode. Quantitative signal analysis and infrared thermographs show the advantages of the soft biosensor for an ergonomic human-machine interface. A classification algorithm with an optimized set of features shows the accuracy of 94% with five eye movements. A Bluetooth-enabled system incorporating the soft bioelectronics demonstrates a precise, hands-free control of a robotic wheelchair via electrooculograms.

Table of Contents
Description
Article published: 2017-01-29. Issue published: 2017-05-15.
Highlights •This article describes materials and methods to design soft biosensors and bioelectronics for a wireless human-wheelchair interface. •The “skin-like” bioelectrode enables an ergonomic, high-fidelity recording of electrooculograms, supported by the direct comparison with conventional rigid electrodes. •This soft bioelectronic system demonstrates excellent mechanical compliance in both stretchability (30%) and bendability (up to 180°). •A newly designed classification algorithm with an optimized set of features shows the accuracy of 94% with five different eye movements, which is used to demonstrate a precise, hands-free control of a robotic wheelchair via electrooculograms.
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal
Biosensors and Bioelectronics
Book Title
Series
PubMed ID
ISSN
1873-4235
0956-5663
EISSN