  Drivers with disabilities such as hemiplegia or unilateral upper limb
amputation restricting steering wheel operation to one arm could encounter the
challenge of stabilizing vehicles during pedestrian collision avoidance. An
sEMG-controlled steering assistance system was developed for these drivers to
enable rapid steering wheel rotation with only one healthy arm. Test drivers
were recruited to use the Myo armband as a sEMG-based interface to perform
pedestrian collision avoidance in a driving simulator. It was hypothesized that
the sEMG-based interface would be comparable or superior in vehicle stability
to manual takeover from automated driving and conventional steering wheel
operation. The Myo armband interface was significantly superior to manual
takeover from automated driving and comparable to manual steering wheel
operation. The results of the driving simulator trials confirm the feasibility
of the sEMG-controlled system as a safe alternative that could benefit drivers
with the aforesaid disabilities.
