Google's research division announced Wednesday it had acquired Lift Labs, which builds "tremor-canceling devices" designed to improve quality of life for people suffering neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's or the more common essential tremor.
Google declined to disclose financial terms of the deal.
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The startup developed "Liftware," essentially a $295 spoon embedded with sensors and stabilization electronics that detect and counteract the movement of tremors. It can steady the motion by more than 70 percent, according to the company's studies. Other attachments are coming soon, including a fork and a key.
The team will join the Google X life sciences group.
"We're also going to explore how their technology could be used in other ways to improve the understanding and management of neurodegenerative diseases," Google said in a Google+ post.
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Lift Labs added: "We will continue to sell our Liftware system, and Google will enable us to reach even more people living with Parkinson's or essential tremor who could benefit from using tremor-canceling devices every day."
Learn more about the device in the video below:
—By James Temple, Re/code.net.
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