Augmental announced the public U.S. launch of the MouthPad, its tongue-driven computer mouse, alongside a beta release of a new wearable called Vox, which the company describes as an “invisible keyboard” for voice-driven computing. The MouthPad first launched through an Early Access program in 2024 and is currently used by more than 100 people with mobility challenges, including students, artists, and gamers, with some users wearing the device for up to 16 hours a day.
The MouthPad is custom-made for each user and fits over the upper teeth like a slim retainer, featuring a pressure-sensitive trackpad on the palate along with head-based motion sensing for hands-free cursor control, clicks, swipes, and other gestures. Augmental released a second generation of the device earlier this year, adding custom keyboard shortcuts activated by tongue gestures, remappable trackpad controls for gameplay and 3D modeling, more than seven hours of battery life, and the ability to pair with multiple devices simultaneously. One user, Tomás Baptista, recently set a MouthPad record of 10.47 bits per second in a cursor-control task, a result the company said matches the performance of today’s state-of-the-art implanted brain-computer interfaces without requiring surgery. More than 6,300 people are currently on the MouthPad waitlist.
Vox, developed as the MouthPad’s companion device, is a skin-worn mic pendant inspired by the stethoscope that captures sound through the body as well as through the air, allowing users to dictate at much quieter volumes while rejecting more ambient noise than conventional microphones. Vox can be activated by pressing a button on the pendant or, when paired with the MouthPad, through a tongue gesture, and is designed to require a deliberate activation gesture rather than always being on. Augmental said all proceeds from the first batch of Vox’s beta release will fund MouthPads for people in need. The company said pairing acoustic data from Vox with tongue movement patterns on the MouthPad could eventually enable “silent speech” input without requiring sound or brain surgery.
Vox is currently in beta and costs $200, with units expected to ship by late 2026. The MouthPad costs $1,400, not including a required dental scan priced at approximately $100, with both devices shipping within six months.
KEY QUOTES:
“I game better, work faster, and life’s just easier. But best of all, when I use my computer, I no longer feel like my limitations hold me back.”
Tomás Baptista, MouthPad User
“I can speak a lot quieter and with many fewer mistakes than using the microphone built into the laptop.”
Brian McCarthy, Vox Tester and MouthPad User, Forest Ecology Professor at Ohio University
“Technology should meet humans where they are. Not the other way around. If you design for those who are the most constrained, you design better interfaces for everybody.”
Tomás Vega, CEO and Co-Founder, Augmental
