Open Muscle
Open-Source Forearm Pressure Myography for Finger Motion Detection
Affordable, open-source sensor technology that predicts finger movements from forearm muscle contractions using pressure sensors, ESP32 microcontrollers, and machine learning.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to explore, create, and advocate for open-source and open-hardware solutions in the biotech sector, concentrating on prosthetic sensor technology, in order to increase accessibility and enrich the lives of people with disabilities.
Latest Demo: FlexGrid Live Finger Prediction
Watch the FlexGrid sensor array predict finger movements in real time from forearm muscle contractions.
The Platform
OM-12 Sensor Band
12 Hall effect pressure sensors at 30-degree intervals around the forearm, wired to an ESP32-S2. Transmits data over Wi-Fi at ~100 samples/second. Documented in our upcoming HardwareX paper.
FlexGrid (Next Gen)
60 sensors in a 15×4 array running on the ESP32-S3. Significantly higher spatial resolution for better finger prediction accuracy. Targeting 3mm sensor thickness for all-day comfort.
LASK5 Labeling Device
The Label Seeking Somatosensory Device captures finger force data for machine learning training. V3 is nearly production-ready with improved build quality and consistent data capture.
Machine Learning Pipeline
Random Forest model trained on 87,000+ data points predicts finger movements in real time. Full pipeline from UDP data capture to live prediction, all open source.
Fully Open Source
Hardware under CERN Open Hardware License, software under MIT. Every schematic, PCB file, and line of code is freely available. Working toward OSHWA certification.
Research Paper
Our first paper is being submitted to HardwareX, an open-access journal for scientific hardware. It covers the full OM-12 platform, data pipeline, and reproducible ML results.
Build Your Own
Watch the full OM-12 build tutorial — from soldering sensors to running your first prediction.
In the Press
Open Muscle has been featured on Hackaday multiple times:
- Hackaday Prize 2023: LASK4 Watches Those Finger Wiggles
- Hackaday Prize 2023: Finger Tracking via Muscle Sensors
- Forearm Muscle Contraction Sensor Is Useful Component for Open Source Prosthetics
Get Involved
Open Muscle is a community project and every contribution helps — code, hardware testing, documentation, or ideas.