Lift Labs is joining Google after it was acquired for an undisclosed sum

Sep 11, 2014 09:06 GMT  ·  By

Google has made another interesting acquisition after snatching up Lift Labs for the Google X labs.

If you haven’t heard about Lift Labs, that’s OK, because they’re not exactly well known. They recently came into the spotlight thanks to one device that they build to help people with Parkinson’s or essential tremor.

The company created an equipment called Liftware that compensates for the hand’s tremor and help people eat without having to worry about putting food all over themselves.

“We have news -- we’re excited to be joining Google[x], Google’s moonshot factory. 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,” reads the announcement Lift Labs made on Google+.

Liftware comes with multiple attachments, such as a spoon, fork and even a key for those having a hard time getting the key into the lock to get in the house. The device is compact and portable and comes with rechargeable battery. It cancels about 70 percent of tremor, thanks to various different algorithms that have been tested for over two years.

Google X swallows up Lift Labs

The team from Lift Labs will be joining Google X, the part of the Internet giant that handles the most ambitious projects which they call moonshots. They’ve so far come up with driverless cars and the Wi-Fi beaming balloons, as well as the delivery drones that were unveiled a few weeks ago. The smart contact lens to help people with diabetes also come from the same labs and they’re currently getting produced by Novartis in Switzerland.

Google is no stranger to sciences that are related to quality of life. The company is a known backer of Calico, which is a firm that seeks to help expand the human life span. Calico recently announced a $1.5 billion project in partnership with biopharmaceutical firm AbbieVie for a joint research lab that will focus on fighting age-related illnesses.

Lift Labs will continue to build its existing products and develop new technologies following the acquisition and it’s a bit unclear exactly how Google plans to help out other than providing the scientists with the necessary funds to continue their work.

The company also has a few mobile apps that help measuring tremors over time and seeks to help recommend what could help reduce tremors more in various situations, such as sleep, exercise or a lower level of stress.