Ultrasound based estimation of muscle contraction

In the absence of a single satisfactory control path from the amputee to the prosthesis, the search for new alternatives is of great interest. This paper introduces the idea of using ultrasound measurements of human tissue as a basis for generation of control inputs to a prosthesis. One of the methods employed, an optical flow estimation algorithm, is based on the work of others, but a simpler, onedimensional implementation is developed. The second method presented is based on cross correlation and is demonstrated to yield smooth muscle force estimates under ideal conditions. The results are compared to those obtained with an EMG based technique. Weaknesses are discussed and suggestions for further research are given.