SurfaceEMG Datasets for Hand Gesture Recognition Under Constant and Three-Level Force Conditions

This work introduces two complementary surface electromyography (sEMG) datasets for hand gesture recognition. Signals were collected from 40 healthy subjects aged 18 to 40 years, divided into two independent groups of 20 participants each. In both datasets, subjects performed five hand gestures. Most of the gestures are the same, although the exact set and the order differ slightly between datasets. For example, Dataset 2 (DS2) includes the simultaneous flexion of the thumb and index finger, which is not present in Dataset 1 (DS1). Data were recorded with three bipolar sEMG sensors placed on the dominant forearm (flexor digitorum superficialis, extensor digitorum, and flexor pollicis longus). A battery-powered acquisition system was used, with sampling rates of 1000 Hz for DS1 and 1500 Hz for DS2. DS1 contains recordings performed at a constant moderate force, while DS2 includes three force levels (low, medium, and high). Both datasets provide raw signals and pre-processed versions segmented into overlapping windows, with clear file structures and annotations, enabling feature extraction for machine learning applications. Together, they constitute a large-scale standardized sEMG resource that supports the development and benchmarking of gesture and force recognition algorithms for rehabilitation, assistive technologies, and prosthetic control.