Jaw mechanism modeling and simulation

To quantitatively evaluate the dynamic changes to the texture of foods during chewing a mechatronic device is required to reproduce human chewing behaviour. To design such a device the jaw mechanism needs to be firstly modelled and analysed through simulations. Following an investigation into the biological process of mastication, the muscles responsible for the chewing movements are represented by a set of linear actuators. They are then placed between the mandible and the skull according to the biological structure and functionality, resulting in a spatial mechanism of 14 links, six linear actuators and 12 spherical joints. Simulations for motion and control have been conducted using the Matlab SimMechanics toolbox, and results have shown that the jaw mechanism enables the jaw movements to be reproduced.