January 8, 2008 It's not the first thing that springs to mind when you think consumer electronics, but this high-tech bed from Leggett & Platt is nonetheless making its mark at the 2008 International CES. The Starry Night™ Sleep Technology Bed packs in a range of entertainment hardware to play with when you are not asleep including Internet connectivity, an iPod docking station, a 1080p projector and a surround sound system with four eight-inch subwoofers. And when you do drift off, there's plenty of technology left over to help you make the most out of your rest - dual programmable temperature control, a diagnostic system that monitors body movement and breathing pattern, plus anti-snore technology which detects vibration caused by snoring and tilts the bed to encourage you to stop.
Utilizing vibration-detection technology originally developed for military purposes, the anti-snoring system is designed to help alleviate mild to moderate snoring by automatically moving the mattress by seven degrees and then returning the bed to its original position when the snoring stops. Fortunately the separate mattress layout means that you wont have to suffer for the sins of your partner.
The mattress can be set to “pre-heat” or “pre-cool” on both sides of the bed (ranging from 68 degrees to 117 degrees Fahrenheit) and the body monitoring system aims to improve sleep over longer periods by measuring your movements during the night and comparing them to a 30-day baseline. Using this data and information gathered on breathing patterns (which indicate relaxation) the system then provides hints on how to improve your sleep quality.
The surround sound system incorporates four eight-inch subwoofers and a ribbon tweeter backed by 2,500 watt RMS amplification. There's also a 1080p LCD based projector with a 6000:1 contrast ratio and 2,000 lumens nestled in the headboard, wireless RF remote via Microsoft's Media Center, DVR functionality and 1.5 terabytes of disc storage.
The system uses a solid state hard drive for fast data transfer, has 4GB of ddr2 ram and both the diagnostic and entertainment features are connected to the life|ware™ home automation system, allowing you to control other electronic components in the bedroom and throughout the house and programmed to create custom multi-media experiences.
Due for consumer release in the first half of 2009, Starry Night™ will retail between USD$20,000 - $50,000 depending on the customizable features.
