Oral tribometer

Several textures of foods evoke differing oral sensations for the consumer some of which can be palatable or unpalatable depending on their chemical and physical properties. Pleasant tastes are considered to have a smooth feel on the tongue. For example in ice cream development, tinier nucleated ice crystal structures are responsible for a creamier mouthfeel. The reverse is the case for unwanted rough textures on the tongue. This project is aiming to develop a device that can measure friction of varying textures on the tongue. The device proposed in this project can also be applied to measure the loss of saliva in patients with dry mouth symptoms.

The solution approach adopts a systems engineering process for designing a device that can measure friction forces on the tongue surface as a result of different interface conditions.