Graduate Students
Natasha Alves-Kotzev
PhD candidate
Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering
University of Toronto
Advisor: Dr. Tom Chau
E-mail: natasha[dot]alves[at]utoronto[dot]ca
Eduation & Training
Natasha received the B.Eng (Ryerson University, 2004) and MASc degree (University of Toronto, 2006) in Electrical Engineering. She is currently pursuing a PhD degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto. Her major interests are in biological signal processing, mechanomyography, upper-limb prostheses, and access technologies.
Research title
Muscle sounds as an access pathway
Research abstract
When muscles contract, movements of the muscle result in small vibrations on the surface of skin. These vibrations are known as ‘muscle sounds’ or mechanomyogram (MMG), and can be measured by small microphones placed directly on the skin’s surface.
Muscle sounds may be used for access when the user has limited voluntary movement, but some voluntary muscle control. The user may be able to communicate his/her intent by contracting his/her muscles in a defined pattern. Since muscle sounds indicate muscle activity, different types of muscle contractions should result in distinctive muscle sounds. The pattern of muscle sounds that are emitted due to the muscle contraction can be automatically recognized, and translated into a function of a terminal device (such as a communication aid or environmental control system). Thus, the user can control a terminal device by controlling how his muscles contract.
The objective of this thesis is to develop methods to automatically recognize patterns of muscle sounds. This involves observing sound patterns during muscle contractions, characterizing the sound signal, and determining the optimal signal features and muscle sites for measuring muscle sounds.
The outcomes of this research may provide a means for people with neuromuscular disabilities to access an environment that is otherwise out of reach.
