Simulating Safe Bite Transfer in Robot-Assisted Feeding with a Soft Head and Articulated Jaw

Ensuring safe and comfortable bite transfer during robot-assisted feeding is challenging due to the close physical human-robot interaction required. This paper presents a novel approach to modeling physical human-robot interaction in a physics-based simulator (MuJoCo) using soft-body dynamics. We integrate a flexible head model with a rigid skeleton while accounting for internal dynamics, enabling the flexible model to be actuated by the skeleton. Incorporating realistic soft-skin contact dynamics in simulation allows for systematically evaluating bite transfer parameters, such as insertion depth and entry angle, and their impact on user safety and comfort. Our findings suggest that a straight-in-straight-out strategy minimizes forces and enhances user comfort in robot-assisted feeding, assuming a static head. This simulation-based approach offers a safer and more controlled alternative to real-world experimentation. Supplementary videos can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/224yh2kx.