A Touchpad for Your Mouth

Most computer users never think twice about how they move a cursor across the screen. A mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen gets the job done. For people with limited hand mobility, however, those everyday input devices may not be an option. A company called Augmental believes the solution to this problem could be sitting somewhere entirely unexpected: the roof of your mouth.

After a lengthy early access program, Augmental has now released its device, called MouthPad, to give people a new way to interact with computers. MouthPad is custom-made for each wearer and fits over the upper teeth like a dental retainer. A pressure-sensitive surface positioned against the palate detects tongue movements, while built-in motion sensors track head movements to control cursor positioning, clicking, scrolling, dragging, and other gestures across macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android devices.

The technology has already found a growing audience among people who depend on hands-free computer access. According to Augmental, more than 100 people use MouthPad every day, including students, artists, professionals, and gamers with limited mobility. Some reportedly wear it for up to 16 hours a day, although the company notes it should be removed before eating or drinking hot beverages. Cold water, however, is perfectly acceptable.

Users can customize tongue gestures to trigger keyboard shortcuts or remap the pressure-sensitive touch surface to WASD controls for gaming, 3D modeling, and other specialized applications. MouthPad can also pair with multiple Bluetooth devices simultaneously and switch between them with the press of a button, making it easier to move between a computer, tablet, and smartphone.

One user of the system recently reached 10.47 bits per second during a standardized cursor control test measuring both speed and accuracy. Augmental says that level of performance is comparable to implanted brain-computer interfaces, but without requiring surgery or implanted hardware.

Each MouthPad weighs about 10 grams and is manufactured from dental resin using a custom 3D scan of the user's mouth. That customization requires an intraoral scan from a participating dentist or scanning provider, typically costing between $50 and $150. The device sells for $1,400, ships with a charging case and USB-C cable, and provides more than seven hours of continuous battery life with a recharge time of roughly 90 minutes. Customers needing longer uninterrupted use can purchase a second MouthPad for an additional $500.

Augmental is also developing VOX, a wearable pendant microphone currently in beta that complements MouthPad by handling text input. Rather than relying on an always-listening microphone, VOX only begins recording when the wearer presses the pendant or activates it with a programmed tongue gesture. The microphone captures sound conducted through both the body and the air, allowing quieter dictation while rejecting much of the surrounding noise.

Whether Augmental’s vision for the future becomes mainstream remains to be seen, but for people who need reliable hands-free access to modern devices, MouthPad could be the ideal solution. It provides another way to interact with technology without requiring specialized workstations, invasive implants, or a pair of free hands.