As anyone with gabby coworkers or in-laws can attest, the tongue is a tireless muscle. Georgia Tech researchers believe the tongue can be more than a vessel for speech and taste; they think it may be the key to turning a disabled person’s mouth into a virtual computer.

InventHelp’s Invention Girl has learned that this inventive new system works via a magnet placed under the tip of the user’s tongue. As the user controls the tongue, the magnet’s movement is tracked by sensors on the side of each cheek. Then, this data is sent to a receiver situated atop the user’s head. Software converts the movement into commands for a wheelchair, appliances or electronics.

Although this system is not the first to use the mouth to control electronics, it presents new options for those paralyzed from the neck down. Breath-powered commands for wheelchairs are popular, but they provide only four movement options. The flexible, sensitive tongue could allow for more detailed, controlled movements. It could also provide a more economical alternative to sophisticated eye-movement systems.

InventHelp and Invention Girl don’t want to speculate too much on the future of this invention, so we’ll bite our tongues until this technology trend unfolds!

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