One day you'll be able to use your tongue as a mouse for your laptop, tablet, or phone, thanks to a new product that made its first public appearance at CES 2024. The MouthPad (an obvious twist on the word “mousepad”) is what tech/”>its creators call a tongue-operated touchpad that “sits on the roof of your mouth” and can connect to your devices like a standard Bluetooth mouse. I was able to see the MouthPad here in Las Vegas, where it will be making its first public appearance since its announcement last year, although, to be clear, I didn't put it in my mouth to try it for myself. Instead, I watched as the company's co-founder, Tomás Vega, used the device to navigate on an iPhone and open the camera while we took a selfie together.
The MouthPad is basically like a retainer with a built-in touchpad, battery, and Bluetooth radio. It is made of a resin that the company tech/faq”>says It is the same “dental-grade material commonly used in dental aligners, bite guards, and other oral appliances.” The device's battery was made by a company called Varta, which the MouthPad makers also said has “a long history of producing quality safe batteries for medical implants.” All of this is to say that while it may feel strange to put a battery-powered electric device in your mouth, it can at least be comforting to know that you are using technology that has been around in the oral health industry for a long time.
I watched Vega place the 7.5 gram mouthpiece right on his palette, where it was surrounded by his upper teeth. She closed her mouth and the iPhone she was holding showed a moving cursor as she opened apps and menus. I asked him to open the camera and he agreed, and we took a selfie. Evidently, this was not a pre-recorded demo accompanied by a good performance.
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 indicates that the MouthPad is about 0.7 mm (0.027 in) thick, apart from where there are capsules, while the touchpad on the roof of the mouth is 5 mm (0.19 in) thick. From what I saw, it didn't look much bulkier than my own retainers, and when Vegas smiled after putting on the mouthguard, I could only see a small black piece on top of one of his teeth.
You will have to remove the MouthPad when you are eating, but you will be able to talk while it is in your mouth. You may have a slight lisp like you would with normal retainers, but I could understand Vega perfectly. The company said the device currently lasts about five hours on a charge, although the team is working to improve that to eight hours in March. Recharging the device takes about an hour and a half, although Vega and his team said that of the people in their 30s who currently have a MouthPad, most users tend to charge theirs when they eat and rarely seem to run out of power.
The company explained that the MouthPad uses Apple's Assistive Touch feature for navigation in iOS, but other devices can recognize it as a Bluetooth mouse. It's on sale now for those who sign up for early access, but general availability will arrive later this year. Each MouthPad is individually 3D printed, based on dental impressions submitted by customers as part of the ordering process. Early access users will also receive support from the company during setup and calibration, as well as while using the device.
Tongue-powered controllers aren't new, but the MouthPad is one of the most elegant and sophisticated options to date. It also works with a wide variety of devices and appears to be far enough along in the production process to be ready for sale. However, whether the human tongue is a suitable organ for computer interactions is something we will only be able to determine after prolonged use in the real world.
We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas January 6-12. Stay up to date with the latest news from the show. here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-mouthpad-turns-your-tongue-into-a-mouse-for-your-phone-184541021.html?src=rss
