Of course, there are individuals who struggle with making the right food choices and others who have difficulty digesting specific foods, but there’s another group of people who contend with an even more basic challenge that most individuals would never even imagine—getting the food into their mouths.
About 10 million Americans, and millions more around the world, suffer with a condition called essential tremor (ET), “a neurological condition that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs or trunk.” People often associate such symptoms with Parkinson’s disease; however, tremors from Parkinson’s tend to occur when one’s hands are at rest. Essential tremors, in contrast, happen when the hands are in use, which can be especially trying for people attempting basic activities like eating.
For instance, there’s nothing complicated about scooping applesauce with a spoon and lifting it into one’s mouth; it’s an act most two-year-olds have mastered. This same action becomes exceedingly difficult, however, when one’s hands shake violently and uncontrollably. Food simply will not stay on the utensil under those circumstances. As a result, those with ET may be forced into an infant-like existence in which they either grab what food they can with their trembling hands, or they ask others feed them.
Certain companies have noticed this pressing need and have developed somewhat effective solutions to this basic human problem. For instance, some have created weighted utensils, which lessen the intensity of the tremors. While helpful, these utensils still do not work for individuals whose tremors are especially severe. Fortunately one company has leveraged cutting- edge research to develop a very innovative, high-tech solution
Gyenno Technologies is a Chinese company that is “inspired by extraordinary technology” that “makes our daily life better.” While the firm may be best known for wearable technology, specifically its “One” wristband, a smartspoon Gyenno has developed may make the biggest impact on individuals’ lives.
The Gyenno Spoon is a “smart tableware device” that is capable of “offsetting 85% of unwanted tremors.” How does such a small device make such a big difference? In short, it does so through a unique blend of advanced mechanics, complex algorithms, and internet connectivity. More specifically, the spoon contains “two intelligent real-time, high-speed servo control systems,” the kinds that “are generally only used in large robot systems.” The spoon’s specially designed operating system directs these control systems based on the user’s unique tremor patterns, which it uploads to the Cloud. There, a self-generated algorithm signals the spoon to counterbalance according to the user’s specific needs.
Hopefully the preceding paragraphs have helped explain what the Gyenno Spoon is and how it works. No verbal description, however, can compare to seeing the Spoon in action. Watch the less-than-one-minute video found at this link and first see how difficult it is for those suffering with hand tremors to eat using a conventional spoon; then see what a huge difference a Gyenno Spoon makes. The transformation is inspiring.
You might be thinking, “It looks and sounds great, but how much does it cost?” Gyenno CEO Kang Ren says that his company is currently selling the device for $300. At first that seems like very significant money for a spoon; however, given the product’s sophisticated technology and high-end construction, the markup probably isn’t all that much. More importantly, however, when one considers the challenges the tool enables its users to overcome, as well as the independence and dignity it affords them, the Gyenno spoon becomes an exceptional value.
So far Gyenno has not sold many Spoons, but given the millions of people who suffer from ET and other types of hand tremors, there appears to be great market potential that promises to deliver significant stakeholder value by offering users empowerment and respect. As a result, Gyenno Spoon serves a heartfelt helping of “Mindful Marketing.”