A spoon for parkinsonists
The "smart" LiftWare spoon will help with eating
In some cases, patients are simply unable to cope with performing the simplest actions like eating: it does not give a strong tremor in the hands.
Fortunately, Lift Labs has created a LiftWare device that will help people suffering from tremor at the dinner table.
A "smart" LiftWare spoon (here and below the developer's image).LiftWare is a "smart" spoon.
Sensors (including an accelerometer), a microcontroller, miniature motors and a rechargeable battery are built into the handle. Electronics in real time detects the displacement of the spoon due to trembling and compensates for these movements. In other words, the operation of the system resembles the functioning of a stabilizer in modern digital cameras.
Despite the shaking of the hand, LiftWare allows the food cup to remain in a relatively stable position. As a result, a person can bring a spoon to his mouth without spilling the liquid and without dropping the contents.
Testing has shown that LiftWare can compensate for up to 70% of involuntary hand movements.
According to the idea of Lift Labs, in the future it will be possible to connect replaceable nozzles to the LiftWare handle. It can be, for example, a fork or a knife. The small size allows you to take a "smart" cutlery, for example, to a restaurant, for which a case is included in the package.
The company has already raised $1.8 million from investors. It is assumed that LiftWare will be the first product in a series of devices that will make everyday life easier for people suffering from tremor. So, it is already planned to release a nozzle for door keys, which will help to get into the keyhole.
Well, you can order a LiftWare spoon right now: it costs $295.
Prepared based on the materials of VentureBeat:
Lift Labs raises $1M to save people from the embarrassment of eating with Parkinson’s disease.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru20.09.2013