Ergonomic Tremor Control Spoon for Parkinson Disorder

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder, it occasionally begins with a barely perceptible tremor in just one hand and progresses gradually. It usually strikes the elderly and is caused by significant damage to nerve cells that impairs mobility and day-to-day activities. Initial symptoms may include involuntary tremors and shivering in the hands, making it difficult for the patient to do daily activities like eating from a bowl. With the help of the provided utensil, this work essentially provides a non-invasive method that enables the patient to consume the food. A working prototype for a stabilizing spoon was created with the goal of serving as a supplement for individuals who require aid when eating. The suggested system is constructed using sensor, Controller and actuator as a significant element. This was made feasible by the employment of a sensor that integrated accelerometers and gyroscopes to determine the direction and rate of tilt of the device’s handle. Two servo motors are set up orthogonal to one another to give two axes of freedom in order to develop a system The spoon was intended to maintain its utensil basin horizontal using this method. The work revealed that the spoon’s vertical and horizontal accelerations vary significantly depending on the type of food, with dry food showing a mean vertical acceleration of $15.1 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}^{2}$ and horizontal acceleration of $12.89 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}^{2}$, whereas wet food demonstrates higher variability in vertical acceleration (mean of $15.5 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}^{2}$) and lower mean horizontal acceleration $\left(8.95 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}^{2}\right.$). This indicates the spoon’s movement is more consistent with dry food and more erratic with wet food. The spoon is designed with precise dimensions $(27 \mathrm{~cm}$ in length, 9 cm in width, and 1 mm in thickness) and a total weight of 130 gm, which are optimized for comfortable and effective use by Parkinson’s patients. The measurements ensure the spoon’s stability and usability.