Abstract
For elderly people, we imagined an eating monitoring system, that detects electromyogram (EMG) signals by tiny electrodes mounted on artificial teeth. Thus, by placing the electrodes on gums of participants, we investigated the relationship between EMG signals and tongue motions, and evaluated the possibility of the eating detection. Concretely, the EMG signals were measured by two pairs of silver balls (ϕ1mm) used as the electrodes, and the balls were located on participants' gums at neighborhoods of right-and-left canine and molar teeth. It was found that EMG signals could be detected by using only the one pair of the tiny silver ball electrodes located on the gum at the neighborhoods of the canine or molar teeth. Moreover, it was also found that two tongue motions of sticking out and pressing to palate could be recognized by using the two pairs of the electrodes located on the gum at the neighborhoods of the canine and molar teeth. From the facts, eating motions may be detected by analyzing the EMG signals.
