Design and Validation of A Passively Actuated Food Repositioning Mechanism Applied to the Chewing Robot.

Research hotspots in food science and dental studies currently focus on analyzing food texture, preparing food boluses, and studying the interaction between food and the chewing system during the mastication process using in vitro experiments. Several food repositioning mechanisms have been developed and applied to the chewing robots for different applications, but they are normally actively actuated by motors or pneumatic/hydraulic valves, which increase the complexity of the system. This study aims to develop a food repositioning mechanism to mimic the function of tongue and cheek muscles during food masticatory process with no actuation. The technical requirements of the new food repositioning mechanism are summarized by analyzing the pros and cons of the existing mechanisms. A new food repositioning mechanism based on spring and V-shaped inclined plates are developed, hinge structure is applied to support the inclined plates, and its performance is validated by using simulations.