Leveraging convolutional sparse autoencoders for robust movement classification from low-density sEMG

Abstract Reliable control of myoelectric prostheses is often hindered by high inter-subject variability and the clinical impracticality of high-density sensor arrays. This study proposes a deep learning framework for accurate gesture recognition using only two surface electromyography (sEMG) channels. The method employs a Convolutional Sparse Autoencoder (CSAE) to extract temporal feature representations directly from raw signals, eliminating the need for heuristic feature engineering. On a 6-class gesture set, our model achieved a multi-subject F1-score of 94.3% ± 0.3%. To address subject-specific differences, we present a few-shot transfer learning protocol that improved performance on unseen subjects from a baseline of 35.1% ± 3.1% to 92.3% ± 0.9% with minimal calibration data. Furthermore, the system supports functional extensibility through an incremental learning strategy, allowing for expansion to a 10-class set with a 90.0% ± 0.2% F1-score without full model retraining. By combining high precision with minimal computational and sensor overhead, this framework provides a scalable and efficient approach that, although validated here as a proof-of-concept on able-bodied individuals, establishes a foundation for the next generation of affordable and adaptive prosthetic systems.