Augmental: MouthPad goes public, and we introduce VOX
a day ago
- Augmental launched the MouthPad, a tongue-driven Bluetooth mouse for hands-free control of devices, now publicly available in the US.
- The MouthPad is custom-fitted over the upper teeth and uses a pressure-sensitive trackpad and head motion for cursor control, clicks, and gestures.
- Over 100 people with mobility challenges use the MouthPad daily, including students, artists, and gamers, for up to 16 hours.
- The second-generation MouthPad adds customizable keyboard shortcuts, WASD controls for gaming and 3D modeling, seven-plus hour battery life, and multi-device pairing.
- A user set a cursor-control speed record of 10.47 bits per second, matching implanted brain-computer interfaces without surgery.
- Augmental also released VOX, a skin-worn microphone pendant that captures sound through air and body for quiet dictation, rejecting ambient noise.
- VOX can be triggered by a button or tongue gesture (with MouthPad) for private dictation, messages, or AI interaction, and only activates on deliberate gestures.
- The VOX beta costs $200 (shipping late 2026), and the MouthPad costs $1,400 (plus ~$100 dental scan, shipping within six months).
- Combining MouthPad and VOX enables silent speech by pairing tongue movement patterns with body-conducted sound for a personal speech model.
- Both devices are part of Augmental's Skinware ecosystem: body-coupled wearables that meld with the body for better signal, comfort, and expression.