Movement of the Tongue During Target Reaching on a 2-Dimensional Surface

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• The tongue's complex physiology and intraoral location hinder the quantification of its dynamic movements.
• Existing methods for studying tongue motion are limited, necessitating novel approaches for accurate analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a discreet wireless intraoral wearable device for studying tongue motion.
• To analyze tongue movement trajectories during functional tasks involving cursor control on a computer screen.

Main Methods:

• Ten healthy participants engaged in target-reaching tasks using tongue movements to control a computer cursor.
• A novel wireless intraoral wearable device was utilized to capture detailed tongue movement data.
• Movement trajectories were quantitatively assessed by comparing them to straight lines using maximum perpendicular distance error.

Main Results:

• Tongue movements demonstrated a tendency to direct the cursor closer to a straight line in anteroposterior and mediolateral directions.
• Practice led to a significant reduction in movement error along the mediolateral axis compared to anteroposterior and angular movements.

Conclusions:

• The developed intraoral device effectively quantifies dynamic tongue movements during functional tasks.
• Tongue control shows potential for accurate cursor manipulation, with learning effects enhancing performance, particularly in mediolateral movements.