Liftware, the Google-owned makers of an electronic spoon designed to help people with hand tremors to eat, has launched its second product into the marketplace.
Called the Liftware Level, the new eating utensil is again intended to assist people with uncontrolled hand movements. On one end of the utensil is a strap which can be attached to the user’s hand to prevent dropping.
The smarter bit is at the other end, however, where the Level helps users avoid spilling their food by recognizing the orientation of their hands and then actively counterbalancing their movements by contorting its flexible structure.
In other words, it keeps your food … level.
To achieve this active cancellation tech, the Level utilizes motion sensors and a built-in chip. That gives it one-up on alternate rival implements, which have tended to rely on manual functionality. According to Liftware, using the Level’s smart tech it is possible to reduce tremor-related spillages by more than 70 percent.
The device is currently available for pre-order on Liftware’s website, with a starter pack priced at $195. Additional fork and spoon attachments are available as well.
While we won’t know for sure until we’re able to see how the Level works for ourselves, Liftware is certainly involved with some exciting work in this space. Despite this being the company’s second product, it is the first that will be released since its acquisition by Google; putting the might of the world’s biggest search giant behind it.
In addition to the Level, Lift Labs have also developed a related iOS and Android app called Lift Pulse, which works as a “journaling app” to record motion data from hand tremors using a phone’s built-in accelerometer sensor.
The amount of detail available about the Level is still limited, but with tools like Lift Pulse on hand it’s not impossible to imagine that this could lead to an eating implement capable of being customized to the unique needs of individual users.
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