L.I.P.S. open-source – A new open-source project, L.I.P.S., aims to give people with severe mobility limits—especially those who rely on mouth-based control—a sip-and-puff computer interface at a fraction of typical commercial prices.
For many people. minor adjustments in how they use a computer can be the difference between “workable” and “painful.” Trackballs instead of mice. Split keyboards. Mechanical keys that demand very specific force. But for people with severe movement issues such as quadriplegia. the gap is wider—and the fallback can be a sip-and-puff device controlled with the mouth.
Commercial options exist, yet they often come with “absurd price tags.” That’s the problem DanielYordanov is trying to solve with L.I.P.S., a project that can be built for only a couple percent of what the big commercial options cost and is fully open source.
What makes L.I.P.S. more than a simple mouth-controlled trigger is that it behaves like a pointer, not just a button. The lips and chin can be used to point the mouthpiece. which means the hardware can treat facial movement as cursor movement. To do that. the design relies on a hall-effect joystick for pointing information. plus one or more pressure sensors to detect the breathing interface for “clicks.”.
DanielYordanov offers single- and dual-sensor versions. The build approach scales the button count: at minimum it can create a four-button mouse. And because the device can distinguish long and short pulses—and also combinations of breaths—it can translate that into richer controls than a basic click.
The project also leans on the software side to make the interface practical for daily computer use. With operating-system features like an on-screen keyboard, L.I.P.S. can provide digital freedom for users who need an alternative control method. The promise is straightforward: real capability for someone who needs mouth-based input. at a tiny fraction of the cost of a “real” medical device.
Even with DIY roots, configuration and end-user control are designed to stay approachable. A webserial portal runs on the CH552, and it can be previewed on the official website. The materials for builders are also publicly available: the code. ki-cad. and STL files are hosted in DanielYordanov’s GitHub repository.
If you want to see how the interface came together, the project’s design process is also documented in an embedded video on the official page. The uploader credits DanielYordanov with the tip, and the piece invites others to share additional hacks that improve life—disabled or otherwise.
In a community where small, inventive tools can reshape what “possible” means, L.I.P.S. lands on a familiar emotional chord: the idea that accessibility shouldn’t require a high price just to get started.
LIPS sip-and-puff open source hardware CH552 accessibility quadriplegia hall-effect joystick pressure sensors assistive technology on-screen keyboard GitHub