Touchscreen controls are rapidly gaining ground in everyday use. From tablets and smartphones that use touchscreen controls as the primary input mechanism to full-size desktops that boast touchscreen displays, being able to reach up and touch the screen is, increasingly, simply how users interact with systems. For the disabled, however, this poses a difficult question about how they can interact with systems, and the answer to that particular question may come from the Griffin MouthStick Stylus, which will be on display at the HIMSS13 show in New Orleans running until March 7 in New Orleans.
The Griffin MouthStick Stylus was geared toward those with fine motor impairments, allowing such users to interact with touchscreen controls via a stick in their mouths. The stylus itself is comprised of four parts: a mouthpiece made of food-grade stainless steel along with silicone rubber sleeves for said mouthpiece, an aluminum gooseneck shaft that can be adjusted for things like height, and a tip made of conductive silicone rubber to allow for easy contact with the devices' screens. Basically, the mouthpiece is put in the mouth, then the rubber tip is dragged over the touchscreen itself, much like a fingertip would be. For operations requiring clicking or double-clicking, the stick can raise up the rubber tip and then lower in rapid succession, allowing for multiple clicks. The mouthpiece sleeves can be easily removed and reinstalled, thus ensuring that they will be regularly cleaned and sanitized for users' protection.
The styluses themselves will be available starting in the second quarter of this year--meaning that it could be anywhere from about three weeks to three months out--and will sell for $29.99 at Griffin's website, along with replacement mouthpiece sleeves and rubber tips. The Stylus units themselves were designed with the help of medical professionals, making them likely to work well in real-world environments.
It's not hard to see where the appeal for such devices would be. After all, surely even the disabled have an interest in tablets and smartphones as well, and a device like the Griffin MouthStick Stylus would have a lot of value for those users who can't quite get their fingers to cooperate to a level sufficient to operate a touchscreen.
It remains to be seen, however, just how well the Griffin MouthStick Stylus does the job. Earlier Griffin styluses have been well-received by their user base, so one that's just a little longer than normal and geared for use with the mouth should end up working well indeed. While the fact that it's coming out at all suggests that it's undergone quite a bit of testing with its target market, and has done the job sufficiently well to ensure a lot of users don't start screaming "refund," its performance on a wider stage will have to be seen to be fully appreciated.
Edited by
Brooke Neuman
