EMG Acquisition and Processing for Hand Movement Decoding on Embedded Systems: State-of-the-Art and Challenges
Join us for our upcoming Future Computing Seminar Series
Speaker: Prof. Simone Benatti (UniMoRe)
Date: Thursday, May 21st, 2026, 10:00 CET
Where: ETZ E9
Abstract:
The electromyography (EMG) signal is a fundamental monitor of muscular activity, and it can be acquired non-invasively on the skin surface. Thanks to these key characteristics, EMG-based human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for gesture recognition are becoming widespread. A key challenge in this context is to design embedded systems to process EMG signals and generate motor commands with miniaturized, unobtrusive, and low-power devices, reliably and in real-time, at a relatively low cost to provide continuous monitoring without causing stigma or discomfort. In this presentation, we go through an in-depth review of the current status and future research challenges in systems and circuits for EMG acquisition and processing. We start by illustrating the sensor interfaces and acquisition systems required for signal analysis, providing efficient and effective ways to understand the signal and its nature. We therefore focus on state-of-the-art conventional EMG-based gesture recognition algorithms, as well as new architectures that address challenges in EMG processing, such as the decoding of motor unit action potentials. Thanks to a more bio-inspired approach, these new architectures can help improve the design of these interfaces and make them more natural.
Speaker bio:
Simone Benatti received a PhD. degree in Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies (ETIT) from the University of Bologna, under the supervision of Prof. Luca Benini. In 2015 and 2019, he was a visiting fellow at the BWRC - University of California, Berkeley (Jan Rabaey's group). Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Modena e Reggio Emilia. In 2023/4 and 2025/6 he was appointed as Visiting Professor at EFCL-ETHZ for six months. His research interests focus on energy-efficient embedded systems for HMIs. Prof. Benatti works on the design and optimization of systems for the acquisition and processing of physiological signals. In this field, he has published more than 100 papers in international peer-reviewed conferences and journals. He has ongoing collaborations with several international research institutes, such as ETHZ, EPFL, TU Graz, FBK and Politecnico di Torino. Dr. Benatti is a recipient of the GHAIA grant (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2017, G.A. 777822). Previously, from 2006 to 2012, he was employed as a design and R&D engineer of electromedical devices at Lean srl, where he was involved in international industrial projects with companies such as Erydel, ST Microelectronics, Arthrocare, Medical Vision, Livanova, Baxter et al.