Mouth-based touchpad enables people with paralysis to interact with computers

A new assistive technology is allowing people with paralysis to use computers, tablets, and smartphones without relying on their hands. The MouthPad, developed by Boston-based startup Augmental, translates tongue and head movements into cursor commands, offering an alternative to voice recognition systems that are often impractical in classrooms or social environments. The system has already transformed the daily lives of users living with severe mobility impairments, giving them a new measure of independence.

The MouthPad is a custom-fit retainer embedded with a pressure-sensitive touchpad that sits on the roof of the mouth. Combined with motion sensors, it connects via Bluetooth to personal devices and enables users to scroll, click, and drag with tongue gestures or head movements. For people with limited tongue control, alternative inputs such as clenches or sips can be used. Augmental says the design takes advantage of the tongue’s eight muscles, which are highly expressive and resistant to fatigue.

One of the first students to adopt the MouthPad is 19-year-old Keely Horch, a freshman studying math and computer engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Horch became quadriplegic at the age of 12 after suffering a stroke that left her unable to move her arms or hands. Until recently, her use of technology was minimal and always required assistance. “My interactions with technology were pretty scarce because anything to do with the computer or the internet I had to have another person help me,” she said. “But now I do things on the computer whenever I want, not having to rely on others. It really has become a game changer.”


University of Maryland student Keely Horch, who became quadriplegic after a childhood stroke, uses the MouthPad to code, take notes, and interact with her devices independently. Photo via Augmental.

For Horch, the device has turned frustration into access. She now codes, writes equations, and takes notes during lectures where voice commands are not suitable. “Being able to stay up late to do homework or play games, it gives me a sense of normalcy,” she explained. “It’s given me a spark. It’s given me the motivation to want to take control of my life.” Her mother describes the MouthPad as a turning point, saying the technology restored a measure of independence once thought impossible.

Behind the device is Tomás Vega, co-founder and CEO of Augmental. Vega’s interest in human–computer interaction traces back to his childhood. At the age of five, he developed a stutter and turned to keyboards and computers as a way to express himself without limitations. That early experience with assistive technology inspired him to explore ways of augmenting human abilities. After studying engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, Vega joined the MIT Media Lab in 2016, where he worked in Pattie Maes’ Fluid Interfaces group. He experimented with wearables to regulate sleep, track emotions, and improve access to information, but ultimately focused on brain–machine interfaces.

An internship at Neuralink shifted his direction. “A brain implant has the highest potential for helping people in the future, but I saw a number of limitations that pushed me from working on it right now,” Vega explained. “One is the long timeline for development. I’ve made so many friends over the past years that needed a solution yesterday.” In his final semester at MIT, he created a prototype using a sensor-equipped mouthpiece — “a lollipop with a bunch of sensors” — and demonstrated that tongue input could reliably replace a mouse. Soon after, Augmental was founded with his longtime collaborator Corten Singer.

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The Augmental MouthPad, named a 2025 CES Innovation Awards Honoree in Accessibility & AgeTech. Photo via Augmental.

Each MouthPad is custom-fabricated. Augmental begins with a scan of the user’s mouth, generates a 3D model, and produces the retainer using dental-grade materials and embedded electronics. Users can navigate with tongue swipes, right-click with a sip gesture, or use head tracking for cursor control. Gamers, programmers, and students have already tested the device for daily use, with some reporting up to nine hours of interaction per day.

The startup is now preparing to expand the system’s capabilities. Augmental plans to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance in the coming year, which would allow the MouthPad to interface with wheelchairs and robotic arms, as well as enable reimbursement through insurance. The team is also working on a next-generation version designed to respond to whispers and subtle internal speech movements, a feature intended to support users with impaired lung function.

Vega sees broader applications ahead. As artificial intelligence tools become more embedded in daily computing, he believes the MouthPad could provide an accessible interface for everyone, not just people with disabilities. “What we hope to provide one day is an always-available, robust, and private interface to intelligence,” he said. “We think this is the most expressive, wearable, hands-free input system that humans have created.”


Augmental co-founder and CEO Tomás Vega. Photo via Augmental.

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Author: Anyer Tenorio Lara

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