Robots do everything for us now.
They direct us to new locales. They autocorrect so much that we forget how to spell “forget” anymore. They even suggest restaurants when you ‘n bae can’t make a decision on Friday night. (Or any other night for that matter, if we’re being honest.) It’s just too bad that they can’t perform basic bodily functions for us, ya know? Like sleep, for instance.
“Alexa, put me into a delta wave state immediately, please.”
Or… can they?
Thanks to Somnox (still a kickstarter, so don’t get too excited), a rod shaped robot may offer us all the sweet release of sleep soon. That’s right. While other technology keeps you awake, maiming your circadian rhythm with its awful blue light, Somnox does the opposite. And how? Well, several ways – starting with rhythmic simulated breathing patterns. Because we’ve got these things called mirror neurons in our brains, we tend to match the patterns of those around us. Ever notice how it’s easier to get calm around calm people? Or how anxious types rile us up? Ever sleep better with a partner next to you? That’s ’cause you’re matching their respective rhythms. And this bed-bot takes total advantage of that, contracting and expanding like a slumbering pup or lover, so that you can mirror it and fall asleep seamlessly.
But that’s not all.
You can also set it to play whatever you want. (Well, within reason; I’m pretty sure this pillow droid’s not equipped with Pantera or Nine Inch Nails.) For example, if the lifelike movements of this breathing, bean aren’t enough, some white noise might help add that extra level of restfulness to your nights. And it has exactly that. Or, if you wanna go full, sleeping neonate with it, it even offers (wait for it…) lullabies.
Alright, so now that I’ve totally roped you in, here’s the bad news I hinted at earlier. This literal dream machine is indeed still in its kickstarter phase. That means you can’t nab one ASAP. (I know, it would’ve made for an awesome holiday gift, too, right?) That said, for the low price of pledging half a G now, you can get some Z’s… in July 2018. As for me personally? I’d rather wait until it’s actually on the market and cheaper. Because an investment like that’d definitely have me losing sleep.
And I mean the kind R2D-snooze can’t give me back.