Liftware is as stabilising handle intended for people living with essential tremors (ET) and Parkinson’s disease. Essential tremors and Parkinson’s affect ten million people worldwide and for those affected, using a utensil without spilling its contents is almost impossible. The Liftware enables those affected to eat more easily by counteracting the tremor with a stabilising movement. It comes with a selection of different attachments that work with the device, this is an example of a soup spoon attachment that can be used with the Liftware starter kit.

In 2010, with the aid of a US National Institute of Health start-up grant, engineer Anupam Pathak founded Lynx Design (now Lift Labs) to explore how to create utensils designed for people living with essential tremors. As a graduate student, Pathak had worked for the US-based Army Research Laboratories on developing stabilising weapons for soldiers in combat, before realising that the technology could also be useful for people diagnosed with essential tremors. In 2013, Liftware was launched. The object is an example of an innovative design product that directly benefits the lives and well-being of its users. As millions living with essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease worldwide it has the potential to be life-changing for many.

The Liftware handle uses algorithms to distinguish between a users’ tremors and their intended movement, producing a counteractive motion to reduce shaking up to 70 percent. The device contains a motion sensor and a small on-board computer that helps distinguish hand tremors from general hand movements. The device then directs two motors inside the base unit to move an attached utensil in the opposite direction of the tremor, which helps the user to more easily bring the utensil to their mouth without spillage. Liftware automatically turns on when the utensil is connected to the stabilising handle, and when placed face down it is put to sleep temporarily.

This device was acquired as part of the Shekou Project, an international partnership between the V&A and China Merchant Shekou Holdings (CMSK) to open a new cultural platform called Design Society in Shekou. The Liftware kit with attachments was included in the inaugural exhibition, ‘Values of Design’, in the V&A Gallery at Design Society in a section exploring how design can address disabilities.