If you're more likely to take swipe at the snooze button than leap out of bed, then you might have pondered new ways to transform yourself into a morning person. For inventor Winson Tam, this meant reimagining the alarm clock as a comfortable rug that shuts up only when you plant your feet on it.
The discomfort of getting out of bed in the morning has motivated all kinds of solutions to getting the day started on time. Bedside clocks that emit your favorite scents, clocks that wake you up with a pot of freshly brewed coffee and clocks on wheels that actually run away are just a few examples.
But Ruggie is less conventional alarm clock and more of blaring welcome mat for the day ahead. Measuring 15.5 in x 23.5 in (40 x 60 cm), the rug is made from rebounding memory foam and felt with a touch sensor and bright LED display in the corner.
And it is merciless in its bid to get you up and at 'em. The alarm will only shut itself off if the user rests their feet on it for a full three seconds and there is no snooze button, it will continue buzzing until this requirement is fulfilled.
Three seconds on a soft and snuggly rug mightn't be enough to completely quash the allure of a sleep in, especially if it is sat right at the bedside, but it is certainly an imaginative approach. Perhaps particularly stubborn over-sleepers might station their Ruggies on the other side of the room to put some distance between them and their toasty warm sheets.
Ruggie is fitted with a USB port, through which users can connect a computer to configure the alarm. Options include setting their own custom sounds to wake up to, which might include motivational messages to get the day started on an optimistic note.
The clock runs on three AA batteries which are said to last one year of use. Tam has taken to Kickstarter to raise funds for commercial production, and has apparently tapped into a sizeable squadron of snooze hounds. With more than 50 days to go, he has attracted almost CAD$100,000 (US$70,000). Early pledges of US$110 are still available, which will have a Ruggie sent your way in September if the campaign runs as planned.
You can check out the pitch video below.
Source: Ruggie