Tomás Vega SM ’19 began stuttering at age five, an experience that taught him about the difficulties disabilities can bring and the potential of technology to help overcome them.
“A keyboard and mouse were my outlets,” says Vega. “They allowed me to communicate fluently through my actions. This ability to surpass my limitations ignited my interest in human augmentation and cyborgs. It also increased my empathy. We all have empathy, but we express it through our personal experiences.”
Since then, Vega has been dedicated to using technology to enhance human abilities. He started programming at 12 and helped individuals with disabilities, such as hand impairments and multiple sclerosis, while in high school. During his college years at UC Berkeley and MIT, Vega developed technologies that helped people with disabilities achieve greater independence.
Now, Vega is the co-founder and CEO of Augmental, a startup focused on deploying technology that allows people with movement impairments to interact seamlessly with their personal devices.
Augmental’s debut product, the MouthPad, enables users to control their computers, smartphones, or tablets using tongue and head movements. The device, featuring a pressure-sensitive touchpad on the roof of the mouth and motion sensors, translates these gestures into cursor movements and clicks in real time via Bluetooth.
“A significant part of the brain is dedicated to controlling the tongue,” Vega explains. “The tongue has eight muscles, mostly slow-twitch fibers, which don’t fatigue easily. So, I thought, why not leverage that?”
Individuals with spinal cord injuries are already using the MouthPad daily to interact with their devices independently. One user, a quadriplegic college student studying math and computer science, finds the device essential for writing formulas and studying in places where other assistive speech-based devices aren’t effective.
“She can now take notes in class, play games with friends, watch movies, and read books,” Vega says. “Her mother said that getting the MouthPad was the most significant moment since her injury.”
Augmental’s mission is to make technology more accessible, enabling those with severe impairments to use phones and tablets as proficiently as anyone else.
In 2012, Vega, then a freshman at UC Berkeley, met his future Augmental co-founder, Corten Singer. Vega was determined to join MIT’s Media Lab, a goal he achieved four years later, enrolling in the Fluid Interfaces research group led by Pattie Maes.
“I only applied to one grad school program, the Media Lab,” Vega says. “I felt it was the only place where I could pursue my goal of augmenting human ability.”
At the Media Lab, Vega took courses in microfabrication, signal processing, and electronics. He developed wearable devices to help people access information, improve sleep, and regulate emotions.
“The Media Lab was like Disneyland for makers,” Tomas says. “I could freely experiment and apply my engineering and neuroscience background.”
Initially interested in brain-machine interfaces, an internship at Neuralink led Vega to seek a different path. “Brain implants have great potential but face long development timelines. I needed a solution for my friends now.”
Vega decided to create a solution with the potential benefits of brain implants but without the long development timelines. In his final semester at MIT, he designed a sensor-laden “lollipop” to test mouth-based computer interaction, which worked impressively well.
“I called Corten and said, ‘This has the potential to change lives,’” Vega recalls. “It could transform how humans interact with computers.”
Using resources from MIT, including the Venture Mentoring Service and the MIT I-Corps program, and early funding from MIT’s E14 Fund, Augmental was officially launched when Vega graduated in 2019.
Each MouthPad is custom-made using a 3D model of the user’s mouth, 3D printed with dental-grade materials, and fitted with electronic components. Users navigate their devices by sliding their tongue, making clicking gestures, or using head movements.
“Our aim is to create a multimodal interface that accommodates various conditions,” Vega says.
Many current users, including those with spinal cord injuries, use the MouthPad daily for up to nine hours. “It has seamlessly integrated into their lives, providing significant value,” Vega notes.
Augmental aims to secure FDA clearance to enable features like controlling wheelchairs and robotic arms, which would make the product more accessible through insurance reimbursements. The company is also developing a system that responds to whispers and subtle movements, crucial for users with impaired lung function.
Tomas is optimistic about the advancements in AI and hardware. “We hope to provide a robust, private interface to intelligence, the most expressive hands-free operating system humans have created,” Vega envisions.
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