Simultaneous Vision and Surface Electromyography Measurements to Evaluate Masticatory Robot TMJ Reaction Forces During Mastication

The advancement in biomechanics motivated the development of biomimetic robots. In mastication, there are limited studies on a masticatory robot capable of reproducing the human mandibular trajectory. Available studies have suggested a reliable simulation of the developed masticatory robot based on human mandibular motion. However, there are limited literatures evaluating the robot’s performance and comparing its results to that of a human subject. Benchmarking and evaluating robotic performance with human subject data establishes an important concept which is essential for further development. Therefore, this article presents a methodology to evaluate masticatory performance of the developed masticatory robot and human subject during mastication. This methodology utilizes surface electromyography (SEMG) and Hill’s muscle model to estimate masticatory forces in a human subject during occlusion in mastication, and compares the relevant data to the in vitro simulation results measured from the masticatory robot. With this methodology in place, current limitations of the robot are identified and controls can be refined in further studies to provide more realistic results, aiming at providing more reliable and biologically accurate results.