This tooth splint is a tongue sensitive trackpad
Operating smart devices with just your tongue is now possible with Mouthpad. The intraoral touchpad comes from the MIT spin-off Augmental, who introduced it last week. She emphasizes the interactive potential of the tongue and calls it “the eleventh finger”.
The invention is primarily aimed at the paralyzed or other people who cannot use their hands. The second target group consists of people who want to operate an electronic device while their hands are full.
Augmental manufactures the mouthpad from 3D-printed dental resin. The manufacturer adapts the shape individually to the oral cavity of the user. The waterproof device, which at first glance looks like a denture, is placed over the upper teeth on the upper palate. It weighs 7.5 grams and is about 0.7 millimeters thick.
In addition to the touch-sensitive surface, the engineers have integrated a microprocessor, a battery and a Bluetooth module. A created Mouthpad does not affect the ability to speak, writes Augmental in a press release. “It […] enables people to switch seamlessly between tongue-controlled on-screen navigation and voice,” according to the startup. The battery lasts five hours and is fully charged again in two hours.
Editor’s Recommendations
The mouthpad works by detecting the position and pressure of the tongue. In the next step, it converts this data into commands using a machine learning algorithm. By connecting to a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, laptop, or other device, the user can hover over a cursor and click.
This enables almost any activity that you would normally do with a conventional mouse. The notice mentions sending emails, turning on smart home devices, photo editing, and playing video games.
Augmental lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android as compatible platforms and emphasizes that no extra software is usually required for operation. “The mouthpad works in parallel with the existing accessibility and control functions of these devices and their operating systems,” the manufacturer promises. So far, the mouthpad cannot be purchased, but you can count on one waiting list set.
