A new spoon claims to help those suffering from Parkinson’s disease to eat. Affecting the nervous system, Parkinson’s can cause limbs to tremor, making simple tasks like eating laborious. Liftware is an electronic spoon that uses a microchip and sensors to detect the direction and force of a user’s tremor, before motoring the spoon in the opposite direction to cancel out the movement as best it can.
The results aren’t perfect, and it’s only suitable for those with a 2-inch-or-less tremor, but it’s a massive improvement over using a regular spoon. The actual spoon part of the device detaches from the handle for washing, and the handle can be charged in a dock. It’s said the battery will last for “several mealtimes.”
Lift labs, the company behind the product, infers its product is better than current eating aids like braces, which lock joints in place to force users’ hands to be still. It says its product allows the patient’s hand to shake, avoiding the discomfort sometimes caused by braces.
Liftware’s makers plan to offer different attachments
For now at least, Liftware is just an eating device, but its makers plan to offer additional attachments that can be fitted to the handle in place of a spoon. A fork, a soup spoon, and, perhaps most interestingly, a keyholder are all listed as “coming soon” on the company’s website. You can pre-order Liftware directly from Lift labs for $ 295, which although expensive seems a small price to pay for the convenience it offers. Delivery is currently slated for mid-December, and the company says it won’t charge until orders ship.
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