By now, most people are familiar with sunrise alarm clocks – they're the ones that gradually wake you up by simulating a sunrise. Well, Los Angeles-based Mode Modern has taken that concept and applied it to a pillow. The Sunrise Smart Pillow does more than just lighting up in the morning, however.
The user sets the alarm time using an iOS/Android smartphone app – they can choose to have the "sunrise" start anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes before that time.
As they sleep, a motion sensor in the pillow measures how much they're moving around, and deduces whether they're currently in a state of deep or light sleep. It starts bringing up its two rows of LEDs so that the user will wake when they're in light sleep, making for a less jarring waking experience.
The LEDs start out in a warm amber color, then gradually transition to a brighter yellow as the alarm time approaches. Once it's officially time to get up, the pillow's speakers play music streamed from their phone. Utilizing the app, the user can also receive a sleep score for the previous night. Additionally, if they were woken up by a mysterious noise in the middle of the night, the mic-equipped pillow can play it back.
When it comes to going to sleep, the pillow can play back audio books or nature sounds, along with ambient-sound-masking noises such as a simulated fan. The user can also put the LEDs in reading light mode – the lights will automatically shut off when the motion detector determines that the user has fallen asleep.
The pillow itself is made from memory foam, and has a removable/washable cover.
If you're interested in getting one, the Sunrise Smart Pillow is currently the subject of quite a successful Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of US$99 will get you one, if all goes according to plans. The estimated retail price is $299.
Source: Kickstarter
