Production of a chewing robot for quantitative analysis of dynamic control mechanisms of jaw movements

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The purpose of this study was production of a robot equipped with a control mechnism for performance of jaw movements along the trajectory of normal human jaw movements and for generation of biting force suitable for properties of intraoral foods. We aimed to develop an engineering model for quantitative analysis of neuro-muscular mechanisms of dyanmic optimal control of human jaw movements.To achieve this goal, we produced a robot which was equipped with a control unit and actuators for simulation of human jaw movemets, on the basis of the following designing principles : (1) to achieve jaw movements on the human skull model, (2) to equip with actuators simulating human jawclosing and -opening muscles, (3) to furnish with sensors corresponding with sensory receptors, including muscle spindles and periodontal mechanoreceptors, (4) to possess a control unit producing the motor commands for voluntary and reflex jaw movements.Along with the production of this chewing robot, we accumulated records of trajectories of jaw movements and EMG of jaw muscles during chewing movements in normal subjects and patients, to delineate the characteristics of the trajectopry of human masticatory jaw movements as well as the mode of generation of biting force.In addition, we established a method for induction of rhythmical sucking movements in in vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparations from newnborn rats. At present, we are trying to induce rhythmical chewing activities in young adult mice.