Development of Human-Size Swallowing Robot

The number of patients with swallowing disorders is increasing according to the aging of society, although swallowing plays a significant role in the dietary process. The process of swallowing includes a very fast reflexive motion; there are difficulties in analyzing its mechanism even with the latest medical imaging technologies. In recent years, a simulator, named “Swallow Vision®,” has been developed from medical images such as MRI and CT to clearly visualize swallowing motion. It enables us to understand the kinesiology and analyze the motion of organs in swallowing. By using kinematic data obtained from this simulator and referring to medical knowledge, we develop a robotic simulator that has the potential to mimic human swallowing motion. The robot is able to perform tongue depressor and pharynx contraction to swallow food bolus. A performance evaluation is conducted to determine whether it is possible to swallow food bolus properly or where the bolus remains when failing.