TY - CONF T1 - #13 - Muscle Behavior and Properties During Wheelchair Use AU - Salman, Muhammad AU - Rosenthal, Jordan AB - Understanding the properties of muscles and the neurological signals that direct them while exerting a specific force can lead to a better understanding of the stress involved and how injuries begin to develop. A surface electromyography (SEMG) sensor measures the muscle activity below the skin by using electrodes that measure the electrical signals non-invasively. SEMG is a common diagnostic tool for determining the neurological involvement for muscles. Using these sensors in conjunction with accelerometers, the properties of muscles under different levels of exertion can be measured and correlated. This correlation will be determined by matching SEMG signals with the stiffness of the muscle. The accelerometers will allow the muscle stiffness to be determined by measuring wave propagation through the muscle under each level of exertion. Once each muscle group involved in propelling a wheelchair is observed individually and their properties are determined, the combined effect of their functionality can be studied. Previous studies have used EMG technology to analyze muscle function and other studies have examined how individual muscles contribute to the overall flow of power related to wheelchair propulsion. This study is focused on how the stiffness of each muscle correlates to the EMG signal that controls the muscle and how that information can be used to lessen the risk of injury. It is hypothesized that the SEMG signals being measured will be proportional to the amount of force being exerted and that the muscle stiffness will not increase linearly. DA - 2019-11-2 PY - 2024 PB - unav ER -