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MOUTH MOUSE
The future of the desktop mouse may be here: meet the MouthPad, an electronic device worn inside the mouth, like a dental retainer, and operated with tongue and head movements. That is progress, assuming your definition of progress includes telling your laptop what to do with your tongue.
The Augmental company’s MouthPad is a custom-fitted, Bluetooth touchpad that fits against the roof of your mouth and turns your tongue and head movements into computer controls.
It is built for hands-free access to phones, tablets, and computers and makes your regular desk mouse look as if it came from an ancient cave.
The basic idea is wonderfully strange: instead of moving a plastic mouse around a desk, you wear a slim, dental-resin mouthpiece with a pressure-sensitive trackpad on its palate.
Move the cursor with tongue movement or head motion, depending on settings. Use tongue presses for left-clicks and click-and-drag actions. Use lip “sipping” motions for right-clicks, with additional gestures providing scrolling and swiping.
Set sensitivity, cursor speed, click strength, and control modes with a companion device worn outside the mouth.
And in case you were wondering, a MousePad in your mouth has minimal impact on speech,
Pair Mouthpad, using Bluetooth, with phones, tablets, and computers like a standard wireless mouse. MouthPad works across major operating systems without a wire dangling from your face. Augmental says the device is supported by MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Its battery holds a seven-hour charge and re-charges in 90 minutes.
Augmental has announced that MouthPad is now available in the United States with each unit custom-made from a dental scan of the customer’s mouth.
The scan is important because this is not a one-size-fits-all gadget. It is a personal input device, custom-built for each user
MouthPad is aimed primarily at people who need hands-free digital control, including users with limited mobility.
Its startling originality reveals just how narrow our typical idea of computer input has become. We automatically assume that we need fingers, hands, and arms to control our computers. MouthPad politely asks: Why?
When you think about it, there is some wisdom in using your mouth. The tongue is fast, precise, and already good at subtle motion, having spent your entire life supervising your mouth and shaping your words. Turning it into a cursor sounds ridiculous for about three seconds, and then it starts to make a lot of sense.
MouthPad stores settings on the device itself, making connections to compatible devices effortless. Augmental also says it can switch between devices with one-click switching.
Because the MouthPad goes inside your mouth, buying one is not quite like ordering a keyboard. Augmental says customers first order online, then complete a quick oral 3D scan with a dentist. The company uses that scan to manufacture your one-off MouthPad.
Users should be over 18, have sufficient tongue dexterity and good oral health, and not be undergoing orthodontic treatment.
There are reasonable limitations. The company says that MousePad should not be worn while eating, drinking anything other than water, or sleeping. Plus, it should be hand-cleaned with soap and water before and after use.
MouthPad prices begin at USD$1,400 (NTD$42,000). The required dental scan is booked separately and should cost from USD$50 to $150 (NTD$1500-$4500). Orders are made through Augmental and take about six months to complete.
But, what if you get really scared and accidentally swallow it? Unfortunately, no data yet exists on whether MousePad can be controlled by peristalsis.
SOURCE: odditymall.com
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