The Utah NeuroRobotics Lab was recently awarded a $150,000 grant from Facebook Reality Labs to develop new inclusive neural interfaces for controlling virtual and augmented reality. We were one of six selected for funding out of 50 applications! The objective of our proposal is to develop a privacy-by-design EMG data-collection process that provides unbiased and generalizable performance across different decode algorithms and users’ physical ability levels. To maximize EMG privacy, we will place users in direct control of the data-collection process and allow them to rapidly collect data that is inclusive to their specific needs on an as-needed basis. We will also identify key aspects of training data that are critical for unbiased run-time performance in order to inform users how to maximize performance and minimize data collection. Experimental changes in the data-collection process will be validated with functional and psychological metrics while users complete activities of daily living (ADLs) in a virtual reality environment (MuJoCo HAPTIX) with different decode algorithms. Importantly, validation will be done with participants exhibiting common neuromuscular disorders to ensure that the technology is inclusive to individuals with varying physical ability levels.
You can learn more about the grant from Facebook Reality Labs and from the University of Utah Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering!