Recognition of handwriting from electromyography.
Handwriting--one of the most important developments in human culture--is also a methodological tool in several scientific disciplines, most importantly handwriting recognition methods, graphology and medical diagnostics. Previous studies have relied largely on the analyses of handwritten traces or kinematic analysis of handwriting; whereas electromyographic (EMG) signals associated with handwriting have received little attention. Here we show for the first time, a method in which EMG signals generated by hand and forearm muscles during handwriting activity are reliably translated into both algorithm-generated handwriting traces and font characters using decoding algorithms. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of recreating handwriting solely from EMG signals - the finding that can be utilized in computer peripherals and myoelectric prosthetic devices. Moreover, this approach may provide a rapid and sensitive method for diagnosing a variety of neurogenerative diseases before other symptoms become clear.
Linderman
Michael
M
Norconnect Inc., Canton, New York, USA. mlinderman@acm.org
Lebedev
Mikhail A
MA
Erlichman
Joseph S
JS
D000465:Algorithms; D004576:Electromyography; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology
J Child Neurol. 2008 Apr;23(4):399-406
18401033
Trends Neurosci. 2006 Sep;29(9):536-46
16859758
J Neurosci. 2002 Nov 1;22(21):9465-74
12417671
J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2006 May;113(5):609-23
16082511
J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2007 Feb;29(2):179-86
17365253
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Dec 21;101(51):17849-54
15585584
Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2007 Summer;16(3):291-302
17695620
Expert Rev Med Devices. 2007 Jan;4(1):43-53
17187470
Neuropsychologia. 2003;41(7):759-72
12631527
Mov Disord. 1990;5(2):118-26
2325673
J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2006 Dec;16(6):541-8
17045489
Neuropsychologia. 1999 Jun;37(6):685-94
10390030
Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2000 Aug;11(3):639-52
10989484
J Neurophysiol. 2008 Jul;100(1):482-94
18436635
Curr Opin Neurol. 2008 Dec;21(6):634-8
18989104