Already fully funded on Kickstarter with more than seven weeks left in the campaign, the Ruggie is a new alarm clock that utilizes a pressure sensor to turn off the buzzer. When the Ruggie alarm goes off in the morning, the owner must place two feet firmly on the memory foam mat for a minimum of three seconds to turn the alarm off.
Similar to the size of a standard bathroom mat, the Ruggie includes a LED display in the top right corner. This display is used for setting the time on the clock and the alarm time for the following day as well as setting the various types of alarm sounds pre-loaded with the mat. In addition, the LED display can double as a night light when getting up in the middle of the night.
Interestingly, the Ruggie can also be connected to a computer over USB in order to upload an audio file that will automatically play after the alarm shuts off. This could be useful for any type of reminder for work or perhaps just for playing your favorite song. The creators of the Ruggie recommend affirmations to encourage you to start your day off on a positive step.
Regarding power, the Ruggie operates on just three AAA batteries that should last for roughly a year with daily use. It’s also possible to machine wash the Ruggie, assuming you remove all the electronics from the interior of the rug before tossing it in the wash. The Ruggie is less sophisticated than a smartphone alarm though. It can only be set for a single time each day, not varied times throughout the week.
According to the project timeline on the Kickstarter page, the team developing the Ruggie are targeting a full production fun during the summer and want to ship the final product by September 2016. Estimated retail on the final product will be $99, but early backers can lock in a $79 price. As with all Kickstarter or Indiegogo projects, be aware that manufacturing delays often delay final delivery of the product by weeks, months or even years.
