A while ago I wrote about an open source prosthetic arm controlled by signals generated by your arm’s muscles. It used an Arduino board, a bio-feedback shield by Olimex, and inMoov Hand for the arm and hand. It worked, but lacked accuracy. Gesto is a solution based on boards powered by Atmel MCUs that looks somewhat similar, but with higher accuracy (over 100 gestures have been tested), and the project has now been launched on Crowdsupply.
Two kits are available:
- Gesto Stella
- EMG circuit – ADS1294
- MCU – Atmel ATmega1284p
- 2x EMG cables connector
- Through holes with GND, PWR, MOSI, MISO, CLK and SC
- Dimensions – 35 x 20 mm
- Includes 16 disposable electrodes and relevant cables
- Gesto Caelum
- EMG circuit – ADS1294
- MCU – Atmel ATmega1284p
- Sensors – 3-axis accelerometer (MMA8652FC)
- Connectivity – Bluetooth (RN42-HID)
- 2x EMG cables connector
- USB – Micro USB connector
- Programming – ICSP connector
- Power – Battery connector
- Dimensions – 40 x 40 mm
- The kit also includes 8 reusable dry electrodes with cables, a 3.7V rechargeable battery, a micro-USB cable for recharging, and an elastomeric band. The smartphone setup app and a 3D model for a modular band will also be provided.
Gesto Stella is designed to interface to other boards such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi boards, and sends raw muscle data via its SPI interface. Gesto Caelum is more of a standalone, ready-to go solution, as it integrates Bluetooth communication, so you can simply configure the gestures in your Android or iOS smartphone to get started right away.
Gesto can handle three types of gestures: singular gestures (static), air drawing gestures, and directional gestures (rotations, up and down, etc…). The technology making sense of the muscle raw data is called “DualBurst” which combines muscle patterns and motion patterns for better accuracy. I assume motion patterns are not available with Stella, but only with Caelum. An SDK, smartphone apps, and 3D printer file (for arm band) will be provided.
Gesto Stella costs $99, and Gesto Caelum $149, with delivery scheduled for March 2016. Shipping is free to the US, and $15 to the rest of the world.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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