Project Timeline

Task	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
EMG functioning research	x	x	x
Physiological muscle research	x	x	x	x
Collection of materials		x	x	x	x	x
Sleeve Construction				x	x	x
Program Creation						x	x	x	x
Testing								x	x	x
Final Report Preparation								x	x	x

EMG Functioning Research

The muscle sleeve utilizes EMG sensors in order to detect electrical impulses from the muscles. The EMG sensors consist of electrodes that will be stitched into the sleeve to maintain contact with the skin. In order to develop the muscle monitoring program, an understanding of how these EMG sensors work and the factors that may have an effect on these sensors has to be obtained. The research will include online scientific journals and websites from companies manufacturing such electrodes.

Physiological Muscle Research

To obtain a successful graphical representation of the electrical signals, the placement of the EMGs on the muscle must be accurate. As the arm muscles being investigated are antagonistic pairs, it is important to conduct research into the physiological aspects of the muscles. There may be other biological factors such as sweat on the skin which may interfere with the functioning of the electrodes and therefore, scientific journals and research papers will utilized to achieve this understanding.

Collection of Materials

After the materials necessary for the project have been ordered on the internet, sufficient time was allocated to physically receive the materials and to verify that they can be used satisfactorily. If certain materials do not meet the necessary conditions in terms of results and ease of use, they will be shipped back immediately and new parts will be ordered.

Sleeve Construction

During this phase, the actual sleeve will be constructed. The user's arm will be fitted with the sleeve and by using the research from the previous weeks; the electrodes will be fitted into the sleeve. The EMGs will be stitched in a way that two electrodes will be in contact with the biceps and one electrode will be in contact with the tricep. In addition, the electrodes will stitched in the sleeve as the use of super glue may interfere with the detection of electrical impulses.

Program Creation

The program will be created using MATLAB and will demonstrate a graphical representation of the electrical impulses that are detected by the EMGs. In order to develop this program, an intrinsic knowledge of programming on MATLAB is required and the group members will be making progress to acquire these skills.

Testing

After the program has been created, the testing stage must be conducted. This stage provides feedback as to whether reliable results can be obtained from the system and will help answer the overall question; whether the system can be implemented in real life situations. The testing stage will be carried out in the weight room of the Drexel Recreation Center. A group member will wear the muscle sleeve and lift dumb bells in increasing order to determine whether there us an increase in the electrical signal.

Final Report Preparation

The final stage of the design process is the preparation of the final report. This report will demonstrate every stage that was carried out in the project from the abstract to the references utilized. The report will provide readers with a complete understanding of the project and will provide an insight into the experiences of the group members’ who were working on the project.