The Utah NeuroRobotics Lab was just awarded $200,000 to develop a wearable device capable of translating intended movements of the hand into control of smart-home devices. The funding comes from the Veterans Affairs "Specially Adapted Housing Assistive Technology" program. The long-term vision of this project is to allow individuals with neuromuscular impairments the ability to seamlessly interact with their home environment, despite physical limitations and/or impaired speech. The wearable device, in the form of a wrist watch, will use electromyography and various embedded sensors to determine a users intended hand gestures, even if they are weak or unable to physical move their hand. This fast-paced 1-year project will run from June 2022 to June 2023 and result in a functional prototype and leverage plan for future commercialization of the assistive technology.
You can learn more about the grant here: https://www.ece.utah.edu/2022/08/25/george-receives-200k-grant/