Google has announced through a Google+ post that it is acquiring Lift Labs in a move that will push the company's presence in the biotechnology industry further.
Terms of the acquisition, including the price that Google paid for Lift Labs, were not disclosed.
Lift Labs will be joining the Life Sciences division of Google X, the moonshot factory of Google that is dedicated to the invention of major advancements in technology.
Another technology that is currently being developed at the Life Sciences division are contact lenses that can monitor a person's diabetes.
Lift Labs is the creator of the Liftware system, which is a spoon and fork that are designed to help people that are suffering from neurodegenerative tremors with their eating. The tremors are most often associated with people that have Parkinson's disease.
People suffering from essential tremors or Parkinson's disease find it difficult to lift a spoon or fork without fear that the simple motion will not end up in a messy and embarrassing situation. Most people take it for granted, but not the 11 million Americans that suffer from either of the conditions.
The Liftware utensils counteract the tremors of the person's hands by vibrating with several little swiveling actions. The vibrations also look to improve the condition of the user.
According to University of Michigan neurology professor Kelvin Chou, a collaborator with Lift Labs, a significant amount of social interaction is done through eating. The activity, however, almost always becomes a bad experience.
"It's embarrassing for them, and they feel like people are watching them all the time. I've had patients say 'Someone came up to me and said I should stop drinking.' Things like that," said Chou.
In testing Liftware, Chou found that there was less spillage when people suffering from tremors used the vibrating utensils.
Lift Labs founder Anupam Pathak said that the technology used in Liftware can be potentially used for several other handheld devices, as the struggle is found in all kinds of things.
"The key. Makeup applicators. Handheld tools. Once you start to lose the ability to function independently, there's a huge emotional toll. For a woman to be unable to put makeup on by herself, people will often just avoid going out in public," said Pathak.
Pathak will look to expand upon Liftware and its tremor-cancelling technology as he joins Google X, along with several employees, at the company's headquarters in Mountain View.
Google Life Science head Andrew Conrad said that he hoped the Liftware utensils will lead to the development of other technologies to aid people suffering from tremors, such as tools for monitoring a person's tremors.
