Feeding Robot for the Disabled
From: Servo Magazine - 01/2008 - page 8

On a more specialized level is the My Spoon feeding robot manufactured in
Tokyo by Secom Co. Ltd. Designed to allow victims of spinal cord injuries,
muscular dystrophy, and other disabilities to feed themselves without a
caregiver's assistance, it offers interchangable controllers and utensils,
and a selection of operating modes to accommodate different disability
levels. It's not quite up to the flexibility of a humanoid hand in that foods
must be served from specific divisions of a meal tray, and they must be in
bite-sized pieces. 

Both users and therapists seem to be praising its effectiveness, and it was
even nominated as a finisher in the Top 10 Robots listed by Japan's Ministry
of Economy, Trade, and Industry. No price is given on the company's website,
whch probably indicates that it will run you a pretty nice chunk of change. 

But the main idea is to give the user a greater sense of independence, which
is not a bad thing. 

Links:
Secom
http://www.secom.co.jp/english/index.html

My Spoon
http://www.secom.co.jp/english/myspoon/index.html

Robotic spoon favourite for Robot of the Year award
http://blog.digitalhomemag.com/page/digitalhome?entry=robotic_spoon_favourite_for_robot

My Spoon robot feeds humans
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2006/12/my_spoon_robot_feeds_humans.html
http://www.ohgizmo.com/2006/12/05/my-spoon-robot-feeds-the-disabled-possibly-the-lazy/

Machines That Assist and Empower
http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/FR/TNKS/Nni20071129D28HH136.htm