PC gaming, often perceived as an exclusive domain, is seeing an influx of assistive technologies aimed at broadening accessibility. Augmental, a company specializing in 'Skinware' or body-coupled interfaces, has introduced the Mouth Pad, a device designed to allow users to control computers, tablets, and phones using only their tongue. This innovation is now available for purchase in the US and can be utilized for gaming.
The Mouth Pad resembles the upper section of a dental retainer, encasing flexible circuits within a custom 3D-printed dental resin. This approach builds on existing mouth-operated interfaces, such as mouth-operated pens that are already used by gamers with physical disabilities. Instead of directly manipulating physical controls, Mouth Pad users navigate by moving their tongue across a trackpad integrated into the device's palate. An additional head-tracking mode is also available for input registration.
Augmental CEO Tomás Vega's journey to the Mouth Pad involved an early interest in brain-machine interfaces. However, after an internship at Neuralink, Vega shifted focus to more immediate solutions. He told MIT News in 2024 that while brain implants hold significant future potential, the long development timelines presented limitations. Vega sought to provide solutions for those who needed them "yesterday."
Vega developed the initial version of the Mouth Pad during his final semester at MIT in 2019, describing the prototype as "a lollipop with a bunch of sensors." Following this, he co-founded Augmental with Corten Singer. The company has since collaborated with approximately 100 early access users to refine the product's design. Notably, streamer RockyNoHands, known for achieving high scores in games like Call of Duty using only mouth-based controls, has been among these early users.
The current Bluetooth-enabled Mouth Pad offers around seven hours of battery life, requiring approximately one and a half hours for a full charge. Inputs are registered by pressing the tongue tip against the palate for clicks, while 'sucking or sipping' gestures facilitate right-clicks. The device also supports click-and-drag functionality.
The primary obstacle to wider adoption remains the cost, with the Mouth Pad priced at $1,400, or $1,900 for a bundle including a second device. As the Mouth Pad has not yet received FDA approval, insurance reimbursement is not currently an option. Given its potential to significantly improve lives beyond gaming, there is hope for a more accessible price point in the future.