Model- based filtering for artifact and noise suppression with state estimation for electrodermal activity measurements in real time

Measurement of electrodermal activity (EDA) has recently made a transition from the laboratory into daily life with the emergence of wearable devices. Movement and non-gelled electrodes make these devices more susceptible to noise and artifacts. In addition, real-time interpretation of the measurement is needed for user feedback. The Kalman filter approach may conveniently deal with both these issues. This paper presents a biophysical model for EDA implemented in an extended Kalman filter. Employing the filter on data from Physionet along with simulated noise and artifacts demonstrates noise and artifact suppression while implicitly providing estimates of model states and parameters such as the sudomotor nerve activation.