A former PhD student at the University of Bristol has been awarded first prize and the Paul Roell Medal in the prestigious Zwick Science Awards for his doctoral work in the area of dental materials testing.
Daniel Raabe won for his development of the Chewing Robot, a mechanical mandible that mimics the action of a human jaw. The robot is intended for use in the testing of new types of crowns and other dental fittings, a process that can be costly and time-consuming when human subjects are used.
Researchers in the university's department of mechanical engineering worked in collaboration with the department of oral and dental science to develop the device.
Kazem Alemzadeh, PhD, a senior lecturer in the department of mechanical engineering, came up with the concept after recognizing that the Stewart-Gough platforms used in aircraft simulators provide and control the same six degrees of freedom needed to mimic the chewing motion.
