1
ROBOTIC ARM THROUGH EEG
SIGNALS
Oscar Ivan Bonilla Moica
Abstract – At present article there are different types of
biomechanical models that allow joint mobility in
processes of rehabilitation or improvement of conditions.
The different devices allow to facilitate the model of life
and involve the current needs of the individual in the face
of the society. The simulation proposed in this document is
intended to represent an evaluation of mobility in higher
members, collecting electroencephalographic signals to
determine the movement of people with permanent
injuries in the area cervical. Characterizing and
discretizing the behavior of brain activity when
performing physical tasks in patients with rehabilitation
processes or permanent support and the use of MATLAB
to check
Indices: EEG, simulation, injury, spinal cord, mobility.
I. INTRODUCTION
There are different types of accidents (unpredictable or
uncontrollable), affectations which in many cases can involve
the brains. These affectations in many cases represent
permanent or progressive limitations, injuries that restrict the
social dynamics of coexistence, because people most of them
suffer from social discrimination. In response to this problem,
many study centers supported by technology propose different
alternatives to the variety of disabilities that are presented,
opening the discussion about possible solutions to the same
condition from different parts of the world and allowing the
universality of knowledge determine how best to fit the
individual into society. An acquired brain injury limits the
process of motor control, if the regions the front and back
sides of the body that are responsible for the movement are
irreversibly affected. the motor processes would have partial
or complete loss of movement and this generates a
displacement to the individual.
The disabilities of most individuals who have a problem with
cervical or brain connection is as varied as the type of disease,
to solution, it is taken limited to the disability you must be
able to generate an alternative. For the dimensioning of this
project, it was taken as problematic individuals who have
limitations in the superior members and that they can't
generate movement from the neck or cervical area. the goal of
oscar-bonilla@ipc.edu.co
the project is to collect the signal produced by the brain
region, discretize and characterize the signal in order to
represent the movement through of the different study group
databases, for the analysis of movement of the region along
with the comparison of other signals in order to perform elbow
movement.
II. METHODS
EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS
From EEG signals obtained by databases with procedures like
the experimental process, the selection was made with
characteristics such as upper limbs and with similar signal
channels that were in the range of 1000 Hz digitized. The
search resulted in two signals for comparison, one signal is
provided by the higher member (fingers) and the other by the
arm movement. With this comparative value the signal
selection for the movement (arm) can be made.
With the selected signals between 0.05 and 200Hz a
Butterworth filter was applied, determining the size of the
bases in the rows and columns, transferring the bases to
characterize the signal, designing the filter on the 59 data
taking a sample of 2000 data and applies the fast Fourier
transform. For the second database, it is compiled so that the
comparison can be made between vectors. A loop
segmentation was used to generate a 2000 data matrix, where
the peak values of the fast transform are collected, for this
purpose we initialized a matrix of zeros to determine the peaks
of each signal and power make the comparison, took the peak
values by evaluating the image signal provided by the fast
transform and applied a storage variable where the pre-
selected peak values.
Finally, the signals are compared, the input vector taking the
absolute and maximum value of the signal making the
comparison with an independent variable, which represents
the maximum value of a signal.
MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS
Butterworth Filter
The process or device used for filtering a signal from
unwanted component is termed as a filter and is also called as
 2

a signal processing filter. To reduce the background noise and Segment array
suppress the interfering signals by removing some frequencies
is called as filtering. There are various types of filters which In the segmentation a loop was used to generate a matrix of
are classified based on various criteria such as linearity-linear 2000 data, where the peak values of the fast transform are
or non-linear, time-time variant or time invariant, analog, or collected, for this I initiate a matrix of zeros to determine the
digital, active, or passive, and so on [1]. peaks of each signal to be able to make the comparison as
shown in figure 2, values taken by the author.
The selection of the filter was made by its signal
characterization, as it is a signal that passes up and down, from
which we can change the frequency and the activation range is
the default to perform the process. so, the size of the bases in
the lines and columns were determined, the bases were
transferred to characterize the signal and the filter was
designed on the data taking a sample of 2000 data and the
Furrier Fast Transform (FFT) was applied. For the second
database, the I collect the comparison can be made between
vectors.

Figure 2. segment array

he filters are used for shaping the signal’s frequency spectrum
in control system, the Butterworth filter changes from pass
band to stop-band by achieving pass band flatness at the
expense of wide transition bands and it is considered as the
main disadvantage of Butterworth filter.
Peak determination
Once the segmentation array, a limit was determined to collect
the peaks by evaluating the image signal provided by the fast
transform and a storage variable was applied where the pre-
selected peaks remain and is loaded into another script so that
both databases can be compared.

Figure 3 shows the image of an EEG signal and how a TTF is

applied to obtain the peak values of the signal, taking the
voltage reference vs. the samples [2].
The frequency response of the nth order Butterworth filter is
given as is shown in the equation. Where ‘n’ indicates the
filter order and is maximum pass band gain.

The above equation can be represented in S-domain as given

below in general, there are various topologies used for
implementing the linear analog filters. But, Cauer topology is
typically used for passive realization and Sallen-Key topology
is typically used for active realization.

if the Butterworth filter order increases, then the cascaded

stages within the Butterworth filter design increases and the
brick wall response & filter gets closer as shown in the above Figure 3. Peak determination [2].
figure.
Comparison of the signals

Figure 1. Butterworth Filter Ideal Frequency Response [1]
or the comparison of the signals, the scripts are called and the
absolute and maximum value of the signal was taken from the
input vector, the comparison was made against an independent
variable, which represents the maximum value of a signal to
be compared. Once the signal compared, it is determined if the
value is within the determined range and generates a message
in the command together with the arm simulation generating
the movement at 90 degrees or maintaining its position at 0,
figure 4 shows the robotic arm used to validate the procedure.
 3

Figure 4. signal comparison.

III. RESULTS
The result of the process closed in being able to use the two
databases and make a filtering, a segmentation of signals to
200mHZ and a sample of 2000 data, of this information was
made the search of the peaks and the comparison was made,
Figure 6. Hand filter
using MATLAB as a system to make the processing of the
signals and SolidWorks to recreate the hand, this image of the
Matrix array and the peak determination validation and, the
hand in movement was taken from the Internet and modified
representation of images 7 and 8. These are provided by the
to make the representation of the movement, for this
arm signal, the same conditions were used for the hand signal.
synchronization was used a toolbox that has both programs to
connect.

As a result of the Butterworth Filter we obtained the image 5

and 6 which are the result of the arm and hand signals. Images
from the experimental file of the document.

Figure 7. Matrix array.

Figure 8. Peak determination.

Figure 5. Arm filter.
With the validation and comparison of the bases, we used a
MATLAB complement, Simscape, which allowed through a
block diagram to make the mathematical modifications of
each movable point that was made in SolidWorks and thus
making the visualization from the movement in MATLAB.

Figure 9. Simscape model.
the simulation of the signals are represented in the image 10
and 11. These are the movements of the arm, in two situations,
when the comparison of the signals was given an integer
variable it was allowed the comparison with the signals, a
range was determined for the peak signal of the arm, in that
point the arm was opened, in any other moment, the signal
was replicated to 0 that was the indicative of not moving the
arm. To test its operation the whole variable represented an
EEG signal profiled under the parameters that were the others
and compared against these and that enabled the movement.
Figure 10. No-movement signal.
Figure 11. Movement signal.
IV. DISCUSSION
When comparing the signals, it became evident that there was
no neural network that would allow better characterization to
avoid errors in the selection of the signals; taking the peak
values as the filter and designation of the variables is an
unreliable method to ensure that the movement generated
belongs to the part of the corresponding member.
4
It is evident that the segment of the signals taken are not large
enough to consider a valid characterization, since the signals
can continue to vary over time by modifying the variables and
making the comparison inefficient.
V. REFERENCE
[1] "Butterworth Filter Design, Equations and
Calculations", ElProCus - Electronic Projects for
Engineering Students, 2020. [Online]. Available:
https://www.elprocus.com/butterworth-filter-formula-and-
calculations/. [Accessed: 23- Apr- 2020].
[2] https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Figura-44-Senal-
ECG-despues-del-filtrado-por-integrador-de-ventana-
movil-Los-autores-de_fig19_303364031. [Accessed: 23-
Apr- 2020].
[3] J. R. Bergen and M. S. Landy, _Computational modeling of
visual texture segregation, _ in Computational Models of
Visual Processing, M. S. Landy and J. A. Movshon, Eds.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1991, pp. 253_271.
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Nedley, G. E. Francisco, F. Sergi, and M. K. OâMalley,
_E_ects of assist-as-needed upper extremity robotic
therapy after incomplete spinal cord injury: A parallel-
group controlled trial,_ vol. 11.
[5] G. Borghini, P. Aricò, G. Di Flumeri, G. Cartocci, A.
Colosimo, S. Bonelli, A. Golfetti, J. P. Imbert, G. Granger,
R. Benhacene, S. Pozzi, and F. Babiloni, _Eeg-based
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https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017NatSR...7..547B