MouthPad turns your tongue into a mobile mouse

One day, you can use your tongue as a mouse for your laptop, tablet, or phone, thanks to a new product that made its public debut at CES 2024. The MouthPad (an obvious spin on the word “mouse pad”) is what its makers call a tongue-activated trackpad that “sits on the roof of your mouth” and connects to your device like a standard Bluetooth mouse. I saw the MouthPad in Las Vegas, its first public appearance since its release last year, but, to be clear, I didn’t put it in my mouth to try it out for myself. Instead, I watched Thomasás Vega, the company’s co-founder, use the device to navigate his iPhone and open the camera, and we took a selfie together.

The MouthPad is basically like a holder with a built-in trackpad, battery, and Bluetooth radio. It’s made from resin, which the company says is the same “dental-grade material” commonly used in braces, mouthguards and other oral appliances. The device’s battery is made by a company called Varta, which the MouthPad’s maker also says has a “long track record of producing safe medical implant-grade batteries.” All of which is to say that while it might feel strange to put a battery-powered electronic device in your mouth, it might be reassuring to at least know that it’s using technology that’s been around for a long time in the oral health industry.

I watched Vega place the 7.5-gram mouthpiece on his palette, surrounded by his upper teeth. He kept his mouth shut, and the iPhone he held up showed a cursor moving as he opened apps and menus. I asked him to turn on his camera, he said yes, and we took a selfie. This was clearly not a pre-recorded demo and didn’t feature great performances.

Photography: Cherlynn Low/Engadget

Now, since I haven’t tried it myself, I can’t tell you if it’s comfortable or easy to use. But the spec sheet notes that the MouthPad is about 0.7 millimeters (0.027 inches) thick outside of the capsule, while the trackpad itself on top of the mouth is 5 millimeters (0.19 inches) thick. From what I’ve seen, it doesn’t look bulkier than my own retainer, and when Vegas smiles after wearing the MouthPad, I can only see a small black chip on one of his teeth.

You have to remove the MouthPad when eating, but you can talk while it’s in your mouth. You might be a little lisp like a normal follower, but I can totally relate to Vega. The company says the device currently lasts about 5 hours on a charge, though the team is working on increasing that to 8 hours by March. The device takes about an hour and a half to charge, but Vega and his team say that most of the more than 30 people who currently own a MouthPad tend to charge while eating and rarely run out of battery.

The company explains that the MouthPad uses Apple’s Assistive Touch feature to navigate iOS, but it can be recognized as a Bluetooth mouse by other devices. It’s already on sale to those who signed up for early access, but will be generally available later this year. Each MouthPad is individually 3D printed from the dental impression sent by the customer during the ordering process. Early access users will also receive help from the company with setup and calibration, as well as throughout the device usage process.

Photography: Cherlynn Low/Engadget

Tongue-operated controllers aren’t new, but the MouthPad is one of the more elegant and sophisticated options yet. It also works with a variety of devices and appears to be well into the production process to be ready for sale. However, whether the human tongue is suitable for interacting with computers can only be determined after long-term use in the real world.

We will provide live coverage of CES 2024, which will be held in Las Vegas from January 6th to 12th.Get all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/the-mouthpad-turns-your-tongue-into-a-mouse-for-your-phone-184541021.html?src=rss

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