Abstract
In this paper, a DSP and microcomputer-based EMG controlled functional electrical stimulation (FES) system, for restoring walking of paraplegics at the patients' own command, is presented. The above-lesion EMG is a time-varying nonstationary signal and its autoregressive (AR) parameters are identified by the nonstationary identification algorithm using a DSP chip. The identified AR parameters are used for the cloassification of the function and the control of the movement. The below-lesion response-EMG signal is used as a measure of muscle fatigue. This FES system is designed to measure muscle fatigue and control the stimulation intensity according to the amplitude of the response-EMG signal. While the automatic electrical intensity control is obtained by identifying the movement, the proposed FES system is suitable for the automatic control of paraplegic walking.