Suffering from insomnia? Try Somnox, world’s first sleeping robot. Developed by a team of student entrepreneurs, the Somnox helps you get a good night’s rest in a natural way, softly guiding you into the realm of dreams with lullabies, huggable fabric and by mimicking human breathing. You essentially hug a breathing pillow, just as you would hug a partner, child or cat (to each their own), and slowly drift away to their breathing.
We visited the inventors of this warm and fuzzy technology at YES!Delft, Europe’s leading tech incubator. Engineers from the Technical University of Delft bring their tech-savvy ideas here and watch them transform from an idea or a sketch to a functioning prototype and then to a market-ready product. Many coffees, late nights and six iterations later, the founders – Julian, Stijn, Job and Wouter – are ready to launch their first market-ready product.
”We tested a whole range of possible functions which could help people sleep, from songs to lights, to even warming up the robot,” Julian tells me. Having a little radiator in my bed intrigues me, but I’m told this function didn’t make the final cut.
The robot’s breathing rhythm, soothing sounds and huggable fabric and shape are the main functions which help you fall asleep by drawing your attention away from unwelcome thoughts and stressors. Unconsciously, your erratic breathing slows down to the robot’s pace, and you forget your problems.
The peanut-shaped robot has already found itself in the beds of many sleep-deprived Dutch people willing to test it. The data from these studies confirmed that the current version is the very best for that extra nudge towards falling asleep. However, the robot is constantly being redeveloped in the search for a better version. More functions might be added in the future.
The target group are people who experience insomnia caused by stress and restlessness
”What about an app for the Somnox? Can you measure your sleeping pattern at night?” I wonder. I’m told something interesting: this option was considered, but the founders decided against it. The most important thing is that you feel rested and relaxed in the morning, and waking up to a whole set of data telling you how well you have or haven’t slept can actually be counter-effective. Julian tells me about their target group. ”Somnox is not a replacement for medicine for people who need it, but rather an option for people who experience insomnia caused by stress and restlessness.” I can imagine that reading through my sleep data like a true millennial wouldn’t help my stress levels. You can, however, personalise Somnox’s settings to your liking.
So when can you get your own Somnox? At the end of the year the founders will go live with Kickstarter, soon after which commercial versions will be available. ”And in five years I can buy one at the Media Markt?” I ask. ”Actually, we’ve already had a prototype there,” Julian laughs.
TU Delft TV, Dora Vansco
Read more: De starter: Robot in je bed
TU Delft TV / TU Delft TV is a collaboration between Delta and the Science Centre. The crew consists of TU Delft students.
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