The spoon-steadying technology, developed by Lift Labs, was recently acquired by Google.
Parkinson’s Disease affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide, the most well-known of them being boxer Muhammad Ali and American actor Michael J Fox. The neurological disease affects the central nervous system of (mostly) adults, causing uncontrollable tremors, rigidity, and shaking. While there is medication available that can help control these symptoms, there’s no known cure for the disease yet.
Most sufferers of the disease requiring full-time care to perform even the simplest of tasks, like changing, walking, and even eating.
Anupam Pathak, CEO of Lynx Design (now Lift Labs) saw his own friends struggle to eat with their hands shaking continuously, and had his team develop Liftware—the spoon-stabilising gadget anyone suffering with these symptoms can carry around in your pocket wherever you go to eat.
The basic premise of Liftware is simple – it uses sensory technology on the handle to keep the main scooping part of the spoon as stable as possible. It works really well, reducing the effect of tremors by up to 70 percent, they claim. Watch the video to see just how helpful it can be:
Introducing Liftware from Lift Labs on Vimeo.
The spoon can be easily disassembled and carried around in a pouch that comes with the spoon when you buy it, along with a portable USB charger and dock.
Liftware is currently only available in the US, and the USD $295 price tag includes a soup spoon, with the fork and everyday spoon attachments sold separately. They’ve said that they also have newer attachments in the works, including a key holder.
Lift Labs was also recently acquired by Google to work at their Google(x) Life Sciences at Mountain View, California, where their headquarters are situated.
Liftware has many amazing testimonials up on their site, like this one:
Berta uses Liftware from Lift Labs on Vimeo.
Hopefully, with the acquisition, Liftware will be able to serve customers in other countries, as well as become a lot more affordable for the people who really need it.
The Alternative is an online media publication focused on sustainable living and social impact.
