These days, it seems like almost every gadget is getting “smart”. Generically, this label means that a product is capable of doing more than past versions, often independently. The smartphone is the most popular use of the term, but all sorts of new technologies are getting tagged with the label – music players, kitchen utensils, there’s even a smart bra in development (it detects breast cancer). Now, another unlikely item can be added to the list as Leggett & Platt (L&P) have developed what they call the “world’s smartest bed”.
The company claims their Starry Night™ Sleep Technology Bed is “a pioneering combination of technology and bedding to create an environment that is intelligent, intuitive and comfortable”. That’s right, the Starry Night also follows another current trend in technology in that it “creates an experience”. The bed incorporates enough features and devices that a person may never have to (or want to) leave the bed again. It gives users a home theater and a sleep clinic packaged together. Of course, it’s also one heck of an expensive package. While Starry Night beds are not currently being sold in stores (a tentative release is scheduled for sometime in 2009), the beds are expected to retail from $20,000 to $50,000 depending on what features a person chooses. And there are a lot to choose from.
On the entertainment end, the Starry Night incorporates all the major technologies. The headboard is equipped with a 1080p LCD projector that casts a 10-foot screen on the wall, and boasts 6,000:1 contrast ratio and 2,000 lumens. On the audio end, it includes a surround sound system with four eight-inch subwoofers that rise up from the corners of the bed. The Starry Night also provides Internet connectivity and a wireless keyboard (the screen is projected onto the wall), as well as a docking station to recharge an iPod. The bed’s computer system has disc storage space of 1,500 gigabytes (which is enough to hold 400,000 songs or up to 2,000 hours of video), along with 4 gigs of ddr2 ram. All the electronic components of the bed are controlled either with the “Good Morning” touch screen located on the side of the bed or an included remote.
Despite all the media capabilities, this is still a bed at heart and the comfort features are where it really packs a punch. Each half of the bed is its own separate environment, so individuals on both sides can enjoy unique, personalized experiences. Using liquid-based Peltier technology, the mattress can be set to cool or heat from 68 degrees to 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with giving couples the option of setting different temperatures, L&P claims this technology can help save money on gas and electric bills. The bed also incorporates the company’s exclusive Joey™ Coil innerspring system, wherein the coils increase in firmness based on the weight supplied (so John Goodman would get the same amount of support as, say, Jessica Alba).
But perhaps the best feature of the Starry Night is the fact that it actively tries to help individuals improve their quality of sleep. The bed uses vibration sensors and load cell technologies to analyze how much a person tosses and turns, how often they get out of bed and their breathing patterns. Each morning when a person wakes up, he or she can review their sleep patterns on the “Good Morning” screen and read tips on getting a better night’s sleep. As an added bonus, the vibration detection system notices when a person is snoring and alters the snorer’s position until they stop. With luxury features like the snore stopper, the Starry Night is enough to make any bed-sharing duo drool. While not much could ever justify spending so much dough on a bed, if a couple were going to buy a bed rather than put a hefty down payment on a house – the Starry Night would be the one to get. Whether or not that makes it “smart” is up in the air.
