Project:AlarmClock
From London Hackspace Wiki
Alarm clocks are shit. I want to build one that actually works at a cost that isn't absurd.
Criteria
- Does not rely on being irritating, should be designed for gradual wakeup. No "find the puzzle piece I ejected into orbit" solutions.
- Uses the time signal to set itself, should be aware of DST as a result.
- Stores settings on flash so they're not lost in power cuts.
- Has a programmable wake-up sequence.
- Settings for week and weekend.
- Mains powered.
Ideas
- Dawn light, use a full-spectrum bulb. Turns on at the start of the wakeup sequence, gradually gets brighter.
- Allow for plugging in an external lamp instead of a built in lamp?
- Alarm starts to make noise at start of wakeup sequence, gradually getting louder. Possibly with breaks.
- "Cut off" time, at which point the thing goes mental and forces you to get up if you've not turned it off.
- Does this even need a snooze if you go for gradual wakeup?
- A wireless off button that lives in another room.
- Maybe unnecessary if it's designed for gradual-wakeup?
- Maybe just for "Cut off" mode.
- Programmable noises for wakeup sequence. USB upload? SD card?
- Some form of sleep cycle monitoring.
- Change the alarm to start going off at the correct point in your cycle.
- Preferably via a method that doesn't require something in the bed with you, or a wristband. Possibly a PIR type sensor, or a camera.
- For bonus points, allow data export for data porn. Maybe save to the SD card with the sound files on.
- If we have data export, I'd love to get the data about the time between alarm activation and shutoff over time.
- And if we're doing data logging over time, add temperature logging in the room. Especially if you can associate that with the quality of the sleep cycle.
- If we have data export, I'd love to get the data about the time between alarm activation and shutoff over time.