Food Texture Estimation Using Robotic Mastication Simulator Equipped with Teeth and Tongue

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a food texture estimation system using a robotic mastication simulator equipped with teeth and a tongue. On the basis of the human oral function, we first introduce the mastication robot with which we can measure biting force and tongue pressure simultaneously during artificial mastication. We then develop a texture estimation system that estimates the value of human sensory evaluation from feature values of measured data. Finally, we describe an experiment where textures of doughnuts are estimated. The experimental results suggest that the proposed method can accurately estimate the value of human sensory evaluation when using both the biting force and the tongue pressure.

The Interaction Relationship of Aroma Components Releasing with Saliva and Chewing Degree during Grilled Eels Consumption

“…Several artificial oral systems have been developed and further improvements to simulate masticatory motion for observing chewing trajectory and its physiological constraints [16]. These models include measuring chewing force and jaw movement related to the physical properties of food [17], simulating bolus formation using a cylindrical chamber driven by a flat mechanical plunger [18], and assessing food texture using a robotic simulator [19]. In these models, focused on reproducing the chewing action and trajectory, it is still difficult to explain the volatile compounds released from different foods during mastication.…”