Augmental, co-founded by Fluid Interfaces alum Tomás Vega and collaborator Corten Singer, received the Best Pitch award at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Foundation's pitch competition; the contest, which focused on the topic of Health Technology, was hosted at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Oscar Rosello, Head of Design at Augmental, is also a fellow Fluid Interfaces alum.

The Augmental team was recognized for their work on MouthPad^, a smart oral splint that enables hands-free, human-computer interaction using tongue, jaw, head, and breathing gestures. The device combines the most common assistive control interfaces, augmented by the unexploited, intrinsic dexterity of the tongue, empowering people living with impaired hand control to live more independently. 

Vega said, "The MouthPad^ has its roots in my thesis, Byte.it, supervised by Pattie Maes, where I explored hands-free device control through jaw-teeth microgestures. Then, in Joe Paradiso’s class, I built a ‘smart lollipop’ that allowed me to control computers with my tongue. Realizing the mouth’s untapped potential in human-computer interaction, especially for those with limited mobility, inspired me to launch Augmental."