###WeL-ME: Wearable Low-Cost Muscle Evaluation
Project ID: 2228bd1191 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Healthcare Technologies
UCL Lead department: Division of Surgery and Interventional Sciences
Lead Supervisor: Tom Carlson
Project Summary:
The aim of this project is to develop and evaluate a cost-effective wearable system for real-time monitoring of muscle activity (EMG) and feedback in musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are the leading cause of disability globally, as 1.71 billion people are affected worldwide (WHO). While the causes of MSK conditions are multifactorial in origin, rehabilitation broadly focuses on the restoration of normal movement and function, such as targeted muscle strengthening. Currently, the prescription of targeted muscle strengthening exercises (and their assessment) are delivered subjectively in the clinical setting. Quantitative measurements of muscle activity would therefore be better placed to monitor progress following MSK interventions. While EMG technology offers quantitative muscle function assessment, costly laboratory facilities and experienced technicians are needed to interpret data. Therefore, this project builds upon our previous work and proposes the development of the WeL-ME device: a cost-effective, wireless EMG system with integrated kinematic sensors, signal processing and machine learning for automatic data interpretation.
WeL-ME will quantify muscle activation/function and measure joint kinematics, which will be benchmarked against gold standards. A mobile app will also be developed to provide live feedback and useful clinical data. This will include further development of advanced signal processing algorithms to meet the requirements of both the clinical teams and their patients.
The student will work at various UCL sites, but will be primarily based on the Stanmore Campus in the Aspire Create lab, which is physically located within the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Here, they will be supported by an interdisciplinary team of researchers, with access to patients and clinicians: