Once when I was younger, I went to Xanadu, the house of the future in the Wisconsin Dells with my grandmother. Shaped like an above-ground version of the house where the Teletubbies live — all round and curvy — it included a geodesic greenhouse, porthole windows, computers (Commodores, mind you) to control the temperature of your bath water, an electronic hearth with a TV and sound system, shag carpeting, and a meditation room. I’m personally surprised we’re not all living in these heavenly homes.

I was reminded of Xanadu when I toured NextGen Home Experience during CES. The idea was to show off the latest in consumer electronics and connected home technologies in a “real” atmosphere.

But what really amazed me was the bed. Leggett & Platt have some nice beds — they can undulate like a snake in the winter. But that’s nothing compared to what they concocted for NextGen’s Starry Night Bed.

Let me count the ways:

One, vibration sensor and load cell technologies to measure how much you toss and turn, and how often you get out of bed during the night. According to a company press release, the same vibration sensor technology detects and monitors rhythmic breathing patterns that indicate relaxation. It compares these movements to a 30-day baseline measure of the sleeper and then provides tips to improve sleep quality.

Two, using some kind of liquid-based technology, the mattress can be set to pre-heat or pre-cool both sides separately. If you’ve ever slept with somebody who suffers from hot flashes, you’ll recognize this as a total selling point.

Three, the bed includes a surround sound system along with an LCD-based projector that can show movies on your bedroom wall. You can also surf wirelessly from bed controls to settle those late-night arguments about obscure facts that only Wikipedia can answer. There’s a built-in iPod docking station for recharging your device. And it includes 1.5 terabytes of disc storage to maintain your music and video collection.

Four, the bed actually detects snoring with a vibration-detection system and automatically moves the bed into a position that will help open nasal passages to reduce mild to moderate snoring. When the snoring stops, the bed returns to its original position.

This deluxe night-mobile is projected to be available in the first half of 2009 and to retail between $20,000 and $50,000, depending on your configuration. Sound expensive? Compared to getting apnea surgery, hormone treatment or a divorce, I think it sounds like a true bargain.

Posted on January 25th, 2008 by dian