When Tomás Vega ’19 was just five years old, he began to stutter. His acquired expertise granted him a profound understanding of the challenges he might face, including potential incapacitating circumstances. This further solidified his confidence in his area of specialization.
“A peculiar career path has unfolded for a keyboard and a mouse,” Vega remarks. They granted me the freedom to navigate challenges with ease and confidence. In my earlier years, I was driven by the prospect of transcending my physical and cognitive boundaries, leading me to become increasingly fascinated with the concept of human augmentation and the possibility of becoming a cyborg. I additionally gained empathy. While most people possess empathy, we tend to exercise it in accordance with our unique life experiences.
Since its inception, Vega has leveraged its expertise to augment and enhance human potential. At the tender age of 12, he embarked on his coding journey. During his time in high school, he supported people with various disabilities, including those with hand impairments and multiple sclerosis. At Berkeley and subsequently at MIT, Vega developed innovative technologies that empowered people with disabilities to live more autonomously.
At present, Vega serves as co-founder and CEO of Augmental, a pioneering startup that empowers people with mobility limitations to effortlessly collaborate with their personal assistive devices.
Augmentals’ inaugural product is the MouthPad, enabling users to control PCs, smartphones, or tablets via subtle tongue and head movements. The MouthPad’s pressure-sensitive contact pad is positioned on the palate, seamlessly integrating with dual movement sensors to convert tongue and head movements into real-time cursor navigation and clicks via Bluetooth connectivity.
Vega notes that a substantial portion of our brain is dedicated to governing the placement of our tongue. The human tongue is composed of eight muscles that operate in harmony, with many of these muscle fibers exhibiting slow-twitch characteristics, allowing them to recover quickly from contractions. Why don’t we leverage all of that?
Individuals with spinal cord injuries are now leveraging the MouthPad on a daily basis to seamlessly interact with their preferred devices autonomously. A student living with quadriplegia, who is pursuing math and computer science studies in school, credits the system for enabling her to formulate math problems and research within the library – citing specific cases where other assistive speech-based devices were inadequate.
Vega explains that the new device will enable the child to take notes in class and engage in collaborative gaming sessions with friends. “She is extra unbiased. Since her mother had advised us that acquiring the MouthPad was likely the most crucial step after her injury.
The ultimate goal of Augmentum is to significantly elevate the accessibility and usability of applied sciences that have become an integral part of our daily lives, making them more comprehensible and relevant to everyone.
“We’re confident that someone with severe hand impairment can operate a phone or pill with the same ease as anyone else using their hands,” Vega states.
In 2012, Vega, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, encountered his future business partner and co-founder of Augment, Corten Singer. Over the next 12 months, he informed Singer that he was committed to joining the Media Lab as a graduate student, a feat he accomplished four years later when he joined the Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces research group, led by Pattie Maes, MIT’s Germeshausen Professor of Media Arts and Sciences.
“I relied exclusively on a single program, the Media Lab, during my graduate studies,” Vega states. “I thought that’s where I could truly make a difference, by amplifying humanity’s potential.”
At the MIT Media Lab, Vega pursued training in microfabrication, signal processing, and electronics. With a focus on empowering individuals, he designed wearable devices that enable seamless online access, optimize sleep quality, and provide emotional regulation tools.
“With a unique blend of engineering and neuroscience expertise at her disposal, Vega thrives on the Media Lab, where she can bring her creative vision to life.” I liken the Media Lab to a cutting-edge wonderland for innovative thinkers and creators, where imagination runs wild and possibilities abound. I used to possess the simplicity to play freely, without worrying about the outcome.
As Vega delved into the realm of brain-machine interfaces, his internship at Neuralink sparked a quest for a definitive solution.
“A mind implant holds immense promise for future applications,” Vega notes, “but upon further evaluation, I’ve identified several significant limitations that have prompted me to delay pursuing the project.” The growth process requires a substantial amount of time, often spanning years or even decades. Friends I’ve accumulated over the years have been demanding immediate responses.
At MIT, he endeavored to build an AI system capable of harnessing the full potential of human cognition without the limitations typically associated with brain implants.
As Vega’s time at MIT drew to a close, he designed an innovative prototype – essentially a lollipop equipped with sensors – aimed at exploring the mouth as a novel interface for human-computer interaction. It labored fantastically.
“At that moment, I turned to Corten, my co-founder, and observed, ‘This concept has the power to transform countless lives.’ I also noted that it could potentially alter how humans interact with computers in the future.”
Vega leveraged MIT’s resources, including its libraries and research facilities, to gather information and data. Additionally, it secured vital initial financing from the university’s entrepreneurship programs. Augmental was formally established when Vega graduated from MIT at the end of 2019.
Using a 3D model created from a scan of the customer’s mouth, Augmental produces each unique MouthPad design. The team uses dental-grade materials to 3D print a custom-fitted retainer, subsequently delivering the digital components.
The MouthPad allows users to effortlessly navigate through content by intuitively scrolling in all four directions – upwards, downwards, sideways, and correctly – simply by moving their tongue. Users will intuitively manipulate the interface using a subtle sipping motion to activate right clicks and an urgent pressing of their tongue to trigger left clicks. Individuals with limited mouth control may employ alternative methods such as biting, clenching, or gesturing, whereas those with more refined neck control can utilize head-tracking technology to navigate their screen cursor.
“Our vision is to develop a highly adaptable interface that empowers users to engage with us in the way that best suits their preferences.” “We must remain adaptable and responsive to every unique circumstance.”
Many existing clients at Augmental suffer from spinal cord injuries, resulting in some individuals being unable to control their hands while others are impaired in moving their heads. Enthusiastic gamers and coders have also leveraged this technology. Corporate clients collaborate intensively with the MouthPad for up to nine hours each day.
“As a testament to its effectiveness, Vega notes that our solution has become effortlessly integrated into users’ daily routines, yielding numerous benefits.”
Augmental is seeking to expand into the U.S. market? The agency’s clearance over the ensuing 12-month period allowed clients to tackle complex projects such as developing wheelchairs with advanced management capabilities and integrating robotic arms into their systems. FDA clearance can significantly enhance the accessibility of a product by unlocking insurance coverage reimbursement options for customers.
Augmental has already invested in developing a system that can respond to subtle cues such as whispers and delicate articulations of internal speech organs.
“As a crucial factor in our early buyer segment, Vega notes that many individuals have either lost or experience impaired lung function.”
Vega’s potential can be amplified by advancements in AI-driven brokers and the corresponding hardware innovations. Regardless of future developments in the digital sphere, Vega firmly believes that Augmented Reality will ultimately benefit everyone.
“What we aspire to provide in the near future is a seamless, reliable, and intuitive gateway to knowledge,” Vega says. “We anticipate this innovative, hands-free technology to be among the most expressive and wearable systems developed to date.”
