Hi, I am working on this chewing counter project but I am a beginner in electronics/ programming and I need your help.
First of all, I don't know which sensor I should use.
The timer will have chewing sensor, swallowing sensor, PIC microcontroler, LED display, and a buzzer. With this counter, I want to preset the chewing time for each bite - for example 30 chewing a bite, then as I chew, the number will be conted down on the display. If I swallow the food before the number reaches zero, it makes a big noise. If I swallow after the timer counts down to 0, it will simply go back up to the preset number.
For the sensing part, EMG maybe ideal and I found a schematics for signal amplifier but someone told me that filtering the noizes will be very diffucalt. Now I am thinking of using a potentiometer or switch to read the motion of the jaw. If I place a little lever switch on the jaw mascle, the switch clicks when the stiffened muscle pops out as I bite hard. I think this may work better than potensiometer becaue it can differenciate the chewing from talking. But when I actually chewed a cracker, the switch did not work very reliably. Probably because when I chew naturaly the jaw mascle does not become stiff enough for the switch to pick up.
I have no idea what sensor I sould use for sensing swallowing. Some kind of sensor that can read the motion of Adam's apple? (Though it would be gender specific.) Do you know good sensors that would work for this application or solution for EMG?
Thanks