Operating a computer mouse with your tongue may seem eccentric to you. But more than 100 million people with reduced mobility do not find it so easy to use a mouse with their hands, and this is where devices like MouthPad^ come in. Created by the American company ^Augmentalit is an oral touchpad for computers, tablets and smartphones.
It is controlled from the palate using the tongue. We are looking at an oral controller that you place on the palate, and that weighs around 10 grams. In fact, it is custom designed to be able to have it in your mouth comfortably. Once there, the controller converts subtle movements of your tongue and your head into cursor movements, clicking, scrolling or dragging elements.
Its design is that of a transparent splint that fits over the upper teeth. It has a pressure-sensitive touch panel that is located on the palate, and motion sensors to detect head turns.
Its operation is very simple.The tongue moves on the trackpad of the palate, and this movement moves the cursor. It also has a mode in which what moves the cursor are head movements. So, just like the trackpads you use with your hand, a press of the tongue is equivalent to a left click, and a slurp gesture is equivalent to a right click. Everything else is the same as using a conventional trackpad. You can move elements, drag them and do almost the same thing as on a laptop touch panel.
Another of its features is that it connects via Bluetooth like a conventional wireless mouse. This allows you to use it on Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, Android or iOS without additional drivers or strange configurations. You simply connect it and start making the movement with your tongue, it is the device itself that translates your movements so that computers and mobile phones understand it.
It’s just like a normal mouse, plug in and start using. It is true that it has official applications for some systems that you can download. But these apps are not necessary, they simply serve to configure control aspects such as sensitivity, cursor speed or click force.
Discreet and with good autonomy. Another of the main features of this device is that it is extremely discreet. You put it inside your mouth where it can’t be seen, and it has minimal impact when it comes to speaking. It has a thickness of 1 millimeter, and is made of dental resin.
The controller has dimensions of approximately 30 × 50 × 80 mm, and is charged via a USB-C to USB-A cable. The full charge time is 1.5 hours, and it has an autonomy of more than 7 hours of continuous use, which is almost enough for a workday.
It is not the only device of this type. In Xataka we have already talked to you about alternatives such as the MouthX controller created in Spainand it also allows you to control cursors using your jaw and tongue. The difference here is that the MouthPad replicates a laptop trackpad with touch controls, while the Spanish alternative replicates two joysticks.
For now only for the United States. The bad news is that this device can currently only be purchased in the United States. The company follows American regulations, but has not adapted it to European or any other regulations, so they only ship there.
Regarding the price, ^Augmental It costs $1,400, but if you buy two it will be $1,900 for both. The key is that the expensive thing is to make it custom, and after completing the purchase the company will send you instructions to share with your dentist and take a 3D scan of your mouth that they will then use to manufacture your controller.
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