Control Motors with Your Muscles!

Summary

Areas of Science

Robotics
Human Biology & Health

Difficulty

Method

Engineering Design Process

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Previous experience with Arduino is recommended. See our Arduino tutorial series to get started.

Material Availability

An Arduino kit is available from our partner Home Science Tools®. Muscle sensor parts must be purchased separately from SparkFun Electronics. 

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

Follow all manufacturer instructions when using the muscle sensors. 

Credits

Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies

Science Buddies is committed to creating content authored by scientists and educators. Learn more about our process and how we use AI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T3uTwY7pqM

Abstract

Have you ever wished you could control your own suit of power armor like Iron Man? What about building a set of Wolverine-like retractable claws? You can get started by using electromyography (EMG) sensors, which can measure the tiny electrical signals generated by our muscles when they contract (Figure 1). You can interface these sensors with a microcontroller like an Arduino and use the output to control LEDs or motors.

Getting these sensors to work can be tricky. The electrical signals involved are very tiny, and interference like electrical noise from a computer power supply or dirt on your skin touching the sensor electrode can make it difficult to get a good signal. Thankfully, detailed guides with troubleshooting steps are available from both Advancer Technologies and SparkFun Electronics. We strongly recommend only trying this project if you are already familiar with Arduino - see the Arduino tutorial series from Science Buddies if you need help getting started there. 

In addition to fun superhero-inspired accessories, technology like this could be useful for prosthetics. For example, it could allow an amputee to bend the fingers in a robotic hand by flexing muscles in their forearm. Can you design your own working accessory or prosthetic using these sensors?

Image Credit: SparkFun Electronics / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Figure 1. Diagram showing how EMG sensor output changes with muscle contraction.

Ask an Expert

Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Post a Question

Global Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

This project explores topics key to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Careers

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Robotics Engineer

Log in to add favorite More Menu

• Read More

Career Profile

Have you watched "The Transformers" cartoon series or seen the "Transformers" movies? Both shows are about how good and evil robots fight each other and the humans who get in the middle. Many TV shows and movies show robots and humans interacting with each other. While this is, at present, fantasy, in real life robots play a helpful role. Robots do jobs that can be dangerous for humans. For example, some robots defuse landmines in war-stricken countries; others work in harsh environments like… Read more

News Feed on This Topic

 

, ,

Explore Our Science Videos

Model Your Blood Flow – STEM activity

Shrink a Potato with Osmosis – STEM activity

How To Balance Anything – STEM activity