For most people, meal time is something to look forward to. But for the millions of people with hand tremors and irregular hand movements caused by Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, spinal cord injuries, or just old age, using utensils can turn an enjoyable meal into a frustrating experience.
Liftware hopes to resolve that frustration. The company’s two products, Liftware Steady and Liftware Level, are both specialized eating utensils consisting of a handle and a detachable utensil head (available in soup spoon, normal spoon, fork, or spork options). Liftware Steady’s handle has an on-board computer that detects tremors and then adjusts the utensil head to move in the opposite direction, while Liftware Level has internal motors that can adjust its position to accommodate larger movements such as hand or arm twists. As a result, both devices keep their utensil heads level in the face of unintentional movements.
Liftware was founded in 2010 and was acquired by Verily, Alphabet Inc.’s life sciences research division, in 2014. We reached out to Anupam Pathak, PhD, founder of Liftware and Technical Lead at Verily, to ask him about Liftware’s beginnings, its technology, and its future.
Liftware’s Smart Utensils Cancel Out Hand Tremors and More (Interview) [Medgadget]