Question

people with parkinson’s disease often suffer from tremors, or uncontrollable shaking. tremors vary widely in intensity and disruptiveness; some are barely perceptible, while others are so severe that they interfere with patients’ ability to feed themselves. the invention of an eating utensil designed to give tremor sufferers some help during mealtimes has been a tremendous boon for parkinson’s patients.

the spoon, called liftware, was created by anupam pathak, a skilled engineer with a background in rifle stabilization technology. pathak’s design was based largely on such technology. liftware first uses a motion sensor to detect all movements made by the user. a specially designed algorithm then determines whether each movement is intentional or caused by a tremor. finally, the head of the spoon moves in response to each tremor to compensate somewhat for the displacement the tremor causes. with the effects of their tremors mitigated in this way, parkinson’s patients are able to feed themselves with greater ease.

currently the most sophisticated tool of its kind, the liftware spoon has received accolades from parkinson’s patients who appreciate its usefulness and convenience. because of these positive reviews, pathak and his team are planning to develop other tools, including a soup spoon, a fork, and a key holder. it is their hope that liftware technology will help parkinson’s patients and other tremor sufferers lead healthier, happier, and more independent lives.

what is the meaning of boon as used in the passage?

aid or benefit

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "boon" in the passage, we analyze the context. The eating utensil (Liftware) is designed to help Parkinson's patients with tremors during mealtimes. Later, it's stated that the spoon helps patients feed themselves with greater ease and has positive reviews. So, "boon" refers to something that is an aid or benefit, as the utensil provides helpful support to the patients.

Answer:

aid or benefit