Team 8 - Lightning McMuscle

Fredrik Willumsen Haug, Dennis Kim, Quinlyn Long
The human body releases electrical signals during muscle contractions. Though small potential differences, these signals can be captured and processed to analyze the physiology of the body. The signals can be harnessed to provide a signal for electronic devices, connecting the human body to electronics through the art of electrical engineering. Our project intends to explore the ideas of biological signals and their applications to the digital world, overlapping the two fields of study synergistically. Our effort is an accumulation of our knowledge from ES50 where we have incorporated concepts from a wide range of the course syllabus to create a wirelessly controlled car using biological EMG signals from participants using theory, classical circuits, and Arduinos. We learned about electronics, software, data processing, and their overlaps to build a wireless EMG-driven car, with the electrical signals from muscle contractions mapped to the speed and control of a DIY robot car. With regards to the actuation of the electric motors on our robot, we use the pulse width modulation feature on the Arduino that enables control over the average voltage delivered to an electronic device by rapidly switching the power on and off. The H-bridge pulse width modulation features are then transmitted wirelessly across two Arduino R4 WiFis which we control via the Arduino Cloud Environment. Developing a final project utilizing muscle isolation, sensory, and application reinforced the importance of providing better opportunities for all in hopes of a more accessible world.