Smart kitchen utensils aim to assist Parkinson’s patients with tremors

If you’re familiar with the medical conditions Parkinson’s Disease, which affects approximately seven million people worldwide, and Essential Tremors, in which tens of millions of people worldwide suffer from shaky hands, then you’re aware that certain health conditions make it extremely difficult to hold a utensil and eat without spilling.

A company called GYENNO is merging the worlds of IoT, health, and big data to help patients who suffer from these two conditions offset their unwanted tremors.

The company is launching a Smart SPOON and FORK which counteract hand tremors from Parkinson’s Disease and other conditions by keeping the utensil steady. The utensils will also collect data in the cloud to monitor the patient’s tremors and learn more about them for better assistance. In addition to the spoon and fork, the company has also developed the GYENNO Smart CUP, an interactive cup featuring an LCD screen, which also provides user feedback.

How it works

The three gadgets integrate sensors along with data about certain health conditions and sophisticated algorithms.

Smart Spoon and Fork are equipped with an ergonomic grip that senses tremors and uses robot technology both up and down and side to side to counteract the tremor and keep the food on the utensil. According to GYENNO, the utensils are capable of offsetting 85% of unwanted tremors.

“Having hand tremors is very debilitating and the GYENNO Smart Spoon and Fork can make life much easier and less stressful for millions of people worldwide suffering from the problem. And by collecting data on the tremors, the SPOON improves its stability and doctors and scientists can learn more about these conditions,” said Kang Ren, CEO, GYENNO Technologies.

The Smart Cup is another tool GYENNO has unveiled and it comes with a built-in LCD screen that provides continuous feedback to users about how much liquid they’ve consumed, along with reminders about how often to drink and the temperature of the liquid.

“Dehydration is a serious medical condition and particularly risky for young children, older adults and athletes. The GYENNO Smart CUP helps you stay properly hydrated all the time,” said Ren. “The CUP alerts you with vibrations or flashing lights if the liquid has been sitting too long or may be too hot.”

The GYENNO Smart Spoon and Fork are sold as a set (which work with an accompanying smartphone app) and will be available this month on Amazon for $299.The Smart CUP will be coming to Amazon soon and will sell for about $70 to $100.