Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Algorithmic Approach to an Embedded Electronic Medical Device for EMG-to-Joint Angle Regression

Received: 5 January 2026     Accepted: 16 January 2026     Published: 30 January 2026
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This study proposes an algorithmic approach for the development of a bio-inspired prosthetic hand system controlled by surface electromyographic (EMG) signals, aiming to achieve natural, adaptive, and continuous motion in upper-limb prostheses. The proposed framework integrates biomedical signal processing, machine learning–based motor intention decoding, and embedded mechatronic control within a unified system. Multi-channel surface EMG signals were acquired from the forearm and processed through a dedicated pipeline including amplification, physiologically relevant filtering, feature extraction, and normalization. To infer motor intention, two learning paradigms were investigated and compared: a classical Support Vector Machine (SVM) using handcrafted EMG features, and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network designed to perform continuous regression of finger joint angles corresponding to the metacarpophalangeal (MCP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP), and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints. While the SVM provided a baseline for gesture-related decoding, the LSTM demonstrated a clear advantage by explicitly modeling temporal dependencies and non-linear relationships in sequential EMG data, resulting in more accurate and temporally coherent kinematic predictions. Experimental validation was carried out on a custom bio-inspired prosthetic prototype equipped with potentiometric joint feedback, showing that the LSTM-based controller achieved higher prediction accuracy and smoother real-time control during representative gestures such as flexion, extension, and grasping. Furthermore, deployment using TensorFlow Lite confirmed the feasibility of embedding deep sequential models on low-power hardware platforms. Overall, this work highlights the importance of temporal modeling for EMG-driven control and establishes a robust foundation for neural-controlled prosthetic systems that combine signal intelligence, physiological relevance, and embedded optimization, contributing to the advancement of human–machine interfaces aimed at restoring dexterity and autonomy in amputee patients.

Published in Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Volume 14, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14
Page(s) 34-45
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Electromyography (EMG), Neural-Controlled Prosthesis, Bio-Inspired Design, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Signal Processing, Embedded Systems, Human–Machine Interface, Upper-Limb Amputation

References
[1] S. Kirchhofer, Design of a Bio-Inspired Prosthesis Controlled by Neural Networks Leveraging Electromyographic Signals, Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2020.
[2] L. Charleux, Signal Processing — MGM657: Digital Tools for Engineers, Univ. Savoie Mont-Blanc, France, 2019.
[3] R. N. Randriamanalina, Algorithmic Approach to an Electronic Device Used in Medicine, Master’s Thesis, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar, 2023.
[4] F. Scheme and K. Englehart, “Electromyogram pattern recognition for control of powered upper-limb prostheses: State of the art and challenges for clinical use,” J. Rehabil. Res. Dev., vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 643-659, 2011.
[5] Y. Li, Z. Guo, Y. Zeng, J. Yu, and B. Liu, “Deep learning for surface electromyography: A review,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng., vol. 28, no. 7, pp. 1575-1589, Jul. 2020.
[6] C. Castellini and P. van der Smagt, “Surface EMG in advanced hand prosthetics,” Biological Cybernetics, vol. 100, no. 1, pp. 35-47, Jan. 2009.
[7] A. D. Fougner, Ø. Stavdahl, P. J. Kyberd, Y. G. Losier, and P. A. Parker, “Control of upper limb prostheses: Terminology and proportional myoelectric control—A review,” IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng., vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 663-677, Sep. 2012.
[8] Maibam PC, Pei D, Olikkal P, Vinjamuri RK, Kakoty NM. Enhancing prosthetic hand control: A synergistic multi-channel electroencephalogram. Wearable Technol. 2024 Nov 28; 5: e18.
[9] Pieprzycki A, Król D, Srebro B, Skobel M. Analysis of Surface EMG Signals to Control of a Bionic Hand Prototype with Its Implementation. Sensors (Basel). 2025 Aug 28; 25(17): 5335.
[10] Deimel, Raphael & Brock, Oliver. (2015). A novel type of compliant and underactuated robotic hand for dexterous grasping. The International Journal of Robotics Research. 35.
[11] Gao Geng, Shahmohammadi Mojtaba, Gerez Lucas, Kontoudis George, Liarokapis Minas "On Differential Mechanisms for Underactuated, Lightweight, Adaptive Prosthetic Hands"-Frontiers in Neurorobotics-Volume 15 - 2021
[12] V Moreno-SanJuan, A Cisnal, JC Fraile, J Pérez-Turiel, E de-la-Fuente-"Design and characterization of a lightweight underactuated RACA hand exoskeleton for neurorehabilitation"-Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2021 Elsevier
[13] Chen Z, Min H, Wang D, Xia Z, Sun F, Fang B. A Review of Myoelectric Control for Prosthetic Hand Manipulation. Biomimetics (Basel). 2023 Jul 24; 8(3): 328.
[14] Tchimino J, Dideriksen JL, Dosen S. EMG feedback improves grasping of compliant objects using a myoelectric prosthesis. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2023 Sep 13; 20(1): 119.
[15] Simon AM, Newkirk K, Miller LA, Turner KL, Brenner K, Stephens M, Hargrove LJ. Implications of EMG channel count: enhancing pattern recognition online prosthetic testing. Front Rehabil Sci. 2024 Mar 4; 5: 1345364.
[16] Elbasiouny SM. The neurophysiology of sensorimotor prosthetic control. BMC Biomed Eng. 2024 Oct 1; 6(1): 9.
[17] Robin Arbaud, Elisa Motta, Marco Domenico Avaro, Stefano Picinich, Marta Lorenzini, Arash Ajoudani-"Learning and Online Replication of Grasp Forces from Electromyography Signals for Prosthetic Finger Control"- arXiv:2505.02574
[18] Joseph L. Betthauser, Rebecca Greene, Ananya Dhawan, John T. Krall, Christopher L. Hunt, Gyorgy Levay, Rahul R. Kaliki, Matthew S. Fifer, Siddhartha Sikdar, Nitish V. Thakor - "Online Adaptation for Myographic Control of Natural Dexterous Hand and Finger Movements"
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Randriamanalina, R. N., Ramahandrisoa, F., Andriambololoniaina, F. H., Randriamaroson, R. M. (2026). Algorithmic Approach to an Embedded Electronic Medical Device for EMG-to-Joint Angle Regression. Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 14(1), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Randriamanalina, R. N.; Ramahandrisoa, F.; Andriambololoniaina, F. H.; Randriamaroson, R. M. Algorithmic Approach to an Embedded Electronic Medical Device for EMG-to-Joint Angle Regression. J. Electr. Electron. Eng. 2026, 14(1), 34-45. doi: 10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Randriamanalina RN, Ramahandrisoa F, Andriambololoniaina FH, Randriamaroson RM. Algorithmic Approach to an Embedded Electronic Medical Device for EMG-to-Joint Angle Regression. J Electr Electron Eng. 2026;14(1):34-45. doi: 10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14,
      author = {Rojo Nofidiantsoa Randriamanalina and Fetraharijaona Ramahandrisoa and Faly Herizo Andriambololoniaina and Rivo Mahandrisoa Randriamaroson},
      title = {Algorithmic Approach to an Embedded Electronic Medical Device for EMG-to-Joint Angle Regression},
      journal = {Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering},
      volume = {14},
      number = {1},
      pages = {34-45},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jeee.20261401.14},
      abstract = {This study proposes an algorithmic approach for the development of a bio-inspired prosthetic hand system controlled by surface electromyographic (EMG) signals, aiming to achieve natural, adaptive, and continuous motion in upper-limb prostheses. The proposed framework integrates biomedical signal processing, machine learning–based motor intention decoding, and embedded mechatronic control within a unified system. Multi-channel surface EMG signals were acquired from the forearm and processed through a dedicated pipeline including amplification, physiologically relevant filtering, feature extraction, and normalization. To infer motor intention, two learning paradigms were investigated and compared: a classical Support Vector Machine (SVM) using handcrafted EMG features, and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network designed to perform continuous regression of finger joint angles corresponding to the metacarpophalangeal (MCP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP), and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints. While the SVM provided a baseline for gesture-related decoding, the LSTM demonstrated a clear advantage by explicitly modeling temporal dependencies and non-linear relationships in sequential EMG data, resulting in more accurate and temporally coherent kinematic predictions. Experimental validation was carried out on a custom bio-inspired prosthetic prototype equipped with potentiometric joint feedback, showing that the LSTM-based controller achieved higher prediction accuracy and smoother real-time control during representative gestures such as flexion, extension, and grasping. Furthermore, deployment using TensorFlow Lite confirmed the feasibility of embedding deep sequential models on low-power hardware platforms. Overall, this work highlights the importance of temporal modeling for EMG-driven control and establishes a robust foundation for neural-controlled prosthetic systems that combine signal intelligence, physiological relevance, and embedded optimization, contributing to the advancement of human–machine interfaces aimed at restoring dexterity and autonomy in amputee patients.},
     year = {2026}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Algorithmic Approach to an Embedded Electronic Medical Device for EMG-to-Joint Angle Regression
    AU  - Rojo Nofidiantsoa Randriamanalina
    AU  - Fetraharijaona Ramahandrisoa
    AU  - Faly Herizo Andriambololoniaina
    AU  - Rivo Mahandrisoa Randriamaroson
    Y1  - 2026/01/30
    PY  - 2026
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14
    T2  - Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
    JF  - Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
    JO  - Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
    SP  - 34
    EP  - 45
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2329-1605
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20261401.14
    AB  - This study proposes an algorithmic approach for the development of a bio-inspired prosthetic hand system controlled by surface electromyographic (EMG) signals, aiming to achieve natural, adaptive, and continuous motion in upper-limb prostheses. The proposed framework integrates biomedical signal processing, machine learning–based motor intention decoding, and embedded mechatronic control within a unified system. Multi-channel surface EMG signals were acquired from the forearm and processed through a dedicated pipeline including amplification, physiologically relevant filtering, feature extraction, and normalization. To infer motor intention, two learning paradigms were investigated and compared: a classical Support Vector Machine (SVM) using handcrafted EMG features, and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network designed to perform continuous regression of finger joint angles corresponding to the metacarpophalangeal (MCP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP), and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints. While the SVM provided a baseline for gesture-related decoding, the LSTM demonstrated a clear advantage by explicitly modeling temporal dependencies and non-linear relationships in sequential EMG data, resulting in more accurate and temporally coherent kinematic predictions. Experimental validation was carried out on a custom bio-inspired prosthetic prototype equipped with potentiometric joint feedback, showing that the LSTM-based controller achieved higher prediction accuracy and smoother real-time control during representative gestures such as flexion, extension, and grasping. Furthermore, deployment using TensorFlow Lite confirmed the feasibility of embedding deep sequential models on low-power hardware platforms. Overall, this work highlights the importance of temporal modeling for EMG-driven control and establishes a robust foundation for neural-controlled prosthetic systems that combine signal intelligence, physiological relevance, and embedded optimization, contributing to the advancement of human–machine interfaces aimed at restoring dexterity and autonomy in amputee patients.
    VL  - 14
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Sections