A new wearable device is exploring how quieter speech could provide another way for people with disability to control computers and other technology.
Developed by technology company Augmental, VOX is a wearable microphone designed to detect very quiet speech using vibrations produced when a person talks.
For people with disability who use voice control as an alternative to a mouse, keyboard or touchscreen, conventional voice technology can still create barriers. It generally requires users to speak aloud and clearly enough for a microphone to recognise their commands, which may not always be practical or comfortable.
VOX is designed to detect speech at much lower volumes than a conventional microphone. Augmental is also exploring how it could work alongside its tongue-controlled MouthPad, potentially giving users different ways to combine voice and mouth-based controls.
Quiet voice input could also have broader uses outside of accessibility, such as controlling technology privately or in environments where speaking aloud may be difficult.
Augmental is also researching whether the technology could eventually support increasingly quiet and potentially silent speech. However, this remains experimental and is not a capability of the current device.
VOX is currently being offered as a US$200 beta product, with the first units expected to ship in late 2026. It is not currently available in Australia.
While Australians can’t access VOX yet, the technology offers an interesting glimpse at how alternative input methods could develop, potentially giving people with disability more choice in how they communicate with and control digital technology.
Read more about the VOX wearable voice interface on the Augmental website.