TDS–no it’s not a new compact car from Volkswagen. Instead, it’s the Tongue Drive System, a new user interface device created by Georgia Tech researchers to allow users to control various systems with their tongues.

Use of the tongue would allow for much broader and quicker interactions with systems–the current “sip and puff” setup which you’re likely to have seen apparently limits users to only four commands at a time. The Georgia Tech solution uses a magnet placed under the tongue to give you forward, back, left, right, single- and double-click abilities–essentially all the interactions a standard two-button mouse would give you. Sensors outside the cheeks determine the magnets placement and motion.

The researchers also talked about expanding the number of commands that could be given. I assume that the tongue is agile enough to mimic the kind of gestures that you do for instance with a pen on a table computer or PDA. I also wonder about using something like a cheek piercing to make the sensors a more permanent part of the wearer’s face, but right now I think they have to be wired up.


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