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Have you ever remembered something for your grocery list while cooking or exercising, and couldn’t get out your phone to write it down?
Soon you may be able to enter your groceries with just your mouth, thanks to a smart holder developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The device, MouthPad^, connects to smartphones or computers via Bluetooth and allows the user to select buttons by swiping their tongue over a trackpad chip.
They can left-click by pressing it and right-click by making a ‘sip’ gesture.
The team at startup Augmental, a spin-off of MIT Media Lab, hopes their invention will help people with reduced hand control live more independently.
The device, MouthPad^, connects to smartphones or computers via Bluetooth and allows the user to select buttons by swiping their tongue over a trackpad chip
MouthPad^ uses a machine learning algorithm in the processor to accurately track the position of the user’s tongue. It then translates these small movements into cursor commands, which allow the user to perform any number of actions that their computer or phone is capable of
“As our lives become increasingly intertwined with technology and the world expands from physical to digital, it is more important than ever to ensure everyone has equal access to control inputs and new interfaces,” said Tomás Vega, co-founder and engineer at Augmental.
“Interactions with these systems need to be designed to accommodate how people perceive, process and act.”
MouthPad^ uses a machine learning algorithm in the processor to accurately track the position of the user’s tongue.
It then translates these small movements into cursor commands, which allow the user to perform any number of actions that their computer or phone is capable of.
These can be daily tasks, such as sending an email and turning on the lights, which can change the lives of people with quadriplegia and limited hand control.
However, it could also boost the productivity of those who are often in “hands-busy” scenarios, such as surgeons, astronauts and factory workers.
It can also be used for recreational purposes such as editing photos or playing video games.
Corten Singer, co-founder and engineer at Augmental, said: “Universal design has the power to vastly expand digital access for everyone, not just those without mobility.
“In exploring hands-busy scenarios and contexts where users have limited hand controls, we have developed an in-mouth platform that enables convenient device interaction while also paving the way for a future of more human and less distracting heads-up displays .’
Mouthpad^ can help a user perform daily tasks, such as sending an email and turning on the lights, which can be life-changing for people with quadriplegia and limited hand control
Mouthpad^ can connect to and control iOS and Android smartphones, Windows, Mac and Linux based desktop and laptop computers
Each MouthPad^ is custom made for the wearer and a 3D model of the mouth is first generated through an ‘intraoral dental scan’.
This is then used to design and print a device uniquely suited to them using dental resin.
The manufacturer then places a flexible circuit board with sensors, processing unit and Bluetooth radio, before sealing everything in a saliva-tight housing.
It is then able to connect to and control iOS and Android smartphones, Windows, Mac and Linux based desktop and laptop computers.
The smart dental holder works in parallel with the already existing accessibility features in these systems.
The team at startup Augmental, a spin-off from MIT Media Lab, hopes their invention will help people with impaired hand control live more independently
Each MouthPad^ is custom made for the wearer and they first receive a 3D model of their mouth generated through an ‘intraoral dental scan’
Mr. Vega said, “In my previous roles, I worked on invasive implants for brain-computer interfaces, and I realized that these innovations would help a lot of people.
“But when I talked to friends who would benefit most from these technologies, I realized that most of them wouldn’t have surgery to interact with computers.”
One company working on such a brain implant is Neuralink, founded by billionaire Elon Musk.
Neuralink’s system consists of a computer chip attached to small flexible wires that are stitched into the brain by a “sewing machine-like” robot.
The robot removes a small piece of the skull, connects the wire-like electrodes to certain parts of the brain, stitches up the hole, and the only visible remnant is a scar left by the incision.
It would allow the user to control computers and mobile devices with their mind, but could have even more applications in the years to come.
Neuralink’s system consists of a computer chip attached to small flexible wires that are sewn into the brain by a ‘sewing machine-like’ robot
“It’s like replacing a piece of the skull with a smartwatch,” Musk said. Pictured: A visual of what the electrodes will look like when implanted in the brain
In November, Mr. Musk said human trials of the Neuralink chip will take place within six months.
But the team behind MouthPad^ has already worked consistently with the disability community during the development and testing of their product.
Augmental says other hands-free devices, which use eye-tracking, voice recognition or lip-activated joysticks, can leave users frustrated or with tooth damage.
The company hopes its device will solve these problems, to be more inclusive.
In the future, engineers hope to upgrade the device so it can support other gestures, such as head movements and bite-based input.
MouthPad^ is currently not available for purchase, but you can request to be added to the waiting list to receive a beta version.
Augmental says other hands-free devices, which use eye-tracking, voice recognition or lip-activated joysticks, could leave users frustrated or with tooth damage