Advanced Electromyography Electrode Design Through Technical Yarn Embroidery

Wearable solutions for health monitoring have gained significant importance over the past decade, profoundly influencing various application fields such as rehabilitation, sports science, and human-computer interaction. In this context, this study investigated the overall performances of textile-based electrodes for detecting muscle activation via surface electromyography (EMG), evaluating different materials, geometries, and embroidery techniques. In particular, EMG signal quality was assessed by measuring root mean square (RMS) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values, before and after a washing cycle. Results demonstrated that all the proposed textile-based electrodes were able to effectively detect EMG signals, and their overall performance was comparable to, and in some cases exceeded, that of conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes, even after washing. This research supports the potential of embroidery techniques for fabricating high-performance washable textile electrodes suitable for wearable surface EMG monitoring systems.