Transhumanist Appendage Addition Device

The following project was my Final Project for my "Electronics and Robotics" class at San Francisco State University in the "Conceptual Information Arts" department. 

Here is my artist's statement for the piece:
""Primitive Transhumanism #2: Sixth Finger"
Glove, Arduino, Code, Electrical Wire, Servo Motor, EMG Sensors, Low-Heat Plastic, Armature Wire, Power Adapter

I'm interested in the future of transhumanism especially from a DIY perspective and what the layman can take to mold ones body however they wish. Body liberation will not happen through the corporation, even though it will be the ever arching fight of our times, but these changes may be necessary to keep resisting the status quo in a world of the hyperreal. Taking the ideas of transhumanism and the body as moldable, I use everyday objects to create a primitive transhuman experience, which the viewer can participate. This piece adds to the body a sixth finger to the left hand. its purpose is left ambigous on purpose, to engage the viewer on what these sorts of transformations can mean for the body. I encourage viewers of the piece to imagine a world where a primitive transhumanism could be advantageous."

The glove uses my muscle flexing to react and move the motor. I used the Advancer Technologies EMG sensor board that gave me data that i could process with an arduino. Using that data i told the arduino to move a servo when I flexed. 

The project took a lot of fiddling with the EMG board, but once i debugged it, it was fairly easy to use. I got a lot of help from Randy'sProjects as well. 

Since i took a lot from other EMG projects, I felt no need to do a full Step By Step instructable, but if enough people ask i'll do a full tear down. Below is a video of the glove in action.


And here is the Code:

#include <Servo.h> 
const int analogInPin = A0;  // Analog input pin

int sensorValue = 0;        // value read from the sensor
Servo myservo;  // create servo object to control a servo 
int buttonPin = 8;                // a maximum of eight servo objects can be created 
 
int pos = 0;


void setup() {
  // initialize serial communications at 9600 bps:
  Serial.begin(9600); 
  myservo.attach(9);  // attaches the servo on pin 9 to the servo object 
  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT); 
}

void loop() {
  // read the analog in value:
  sensorValue = analogRead(analogInPin);            

  // print the results to the serial monitor:
  Serial.print("sensor = " );                       
  Serial.println(sensorValue);  
  if(sensorValue > 350){
      for(pos = 90; pos < 180; pos += 1)  // goes from 0 degrees to 180 degrees 
    {                                  // in steps of 1 degree 
      myservo.write(pos);              // tell servo to go to position in variable 'pos' 
      delay(5);                       // waits 15ms for the servo to reach the position 
    } 
     for(pos = 180; pos>=91; pos-=1)     // goes from 180 degrees to 0 degrees 
    {                                
      myservo.write(pos);              // tell servo to go to position in variable 'pos' 
      delay(5);                       // waits 15ms for the servo to reach the position 
    }
    }
   else{
    
  }
                    
}

Comments

[Patrick S]

Hey, cool project! I had a question though, it looks like you ran the muscle sensor off of two 9V's but how did you read the output voltage it gave since it is greater than the 5V limit that the arduino analog pins can read? Thanks!

[Advancer Technologies]

Awesome project! Have you tried mapping the output voltages to motor position? It might give you smoother motor motions.

BTW this'll count for our Creative Minds Discount. You'll get 10% off your next order.

[Faiz Hakim]

can this project gives the different force at the 6th finger if higher signal detected form the emg sensor?

[Tomdf]

I think the name alone makes this a winner.

[ccrew1]

Could you send me a list of the needed equipment... I have no arduino experience but I'm looking for a project this summer.

[njkl44]

Is the code pretty much just an if statement?

[frenzy]

Yep! i'll post the code shortly

[dawg065]

reminds me of the nintendo powerglove.

[Dusk Shadows]

i use those only they control a little robot that goes around and gives guests drinks and it can also have the stress relief mode when you want to hit things
p.s i made it when i was 9 but its not on instructables sadly i couldn't remember how i made it =(

[randofo]

Make it control a giant robot hand!

[frenzy]

it wouldn't be hard

[Kiteman]

Is the sixth digit the white thing hanging from the blue box?

I think we need a video from that side...