ARTICLE
30 October 2026

Myoelectric Control for Robotic Exoskeletons: A Comprehensive Review from Signal Processing to Future Directions

Yijian Huang1
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1 School of Information Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 201424, China
JERA 2026 , 10(9), 74–85; https://doi.org/10.26689/JERA.v10i9.15929
© 2026 by the Author. Licensee: Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Keywords
Surface electromyography signal
Exoskeleton robot
Signal processing
Feature extraction
Pattern recognition
Human-machine interaction

Electromyography (EMG) control technology would be used to realize natural human-robot interaction in exoskeletons. The presented work gives a systematic literature overview of the EMG signal processing and control algorithms to be used in exoskeletons. To begin with, it describes how surface EMG signals are generated and acquired and what the benefits and drawbacks of various types of electrodes and sensors are. Secondly, it discusses the detailed process of signal processing, such as preprocessing, filtering, feature extraction (especially the Root Mean Square (RMS) within the time domain), and pattern recognition methods. Based on this, it groups and examines threshold control, proportional control, and control strategies based on machine learning and describes their appropriate areas of application. Lastly, it recaps the main issues at stake today (variability of signals, real-time constraints, and barriers to clinical translation) and envisions future research perspectives like multimodal fusion, edge computing, and personalized adaptive control. The purpose of the present review is to offer an organized body of knowledge about EMG-controlled exoskeletons to those who are new to electronics and information-related disciplines.

References

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