Prototyping artificial jaws for the Bristol Dento-Munch Robo-Simulator. 'A parallel robot to test dental components...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dental Materials Science
• Robotics

Background:

• Existing chewing simulators lack accuracy due to limited degrees of freedom (DOF).
• Accurate simulation of human chewing patterns is crucial for dental material testing.
• Dental component failure is often caused by high bite forces during occlusion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the robot periphery for a 6-DOF Robotic Dental Testing Simulator.
• To simulate material wear on dental components like teeth and crowns.
• To develop a system capable of replicating accurate human chewing patterns.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Parallel Robot (Stewart Platform) for 6-DOF motion.
• Engineered artificial human-like mandible and maxilla with composite teeth.
• Integrated a compliance module and strain gauge force transducer for force measurement.

Main Results:

• Developed a 6-DOF robotic system for advanced dental simulation.
• Successfully replicated human chewing patterns and assessed occlusion.
• Measured axial biting forces on posterior teeth using an integrated transducer.

Conclusions:

• The 6-DOF robotic dental simulator provides a more accurate platform for testing dental materials and components.
• The compliance module effectively manages fluctuating chewing forces.
• This technology advances the understanding of dental material wear and failure mechanisms.