Kevin R Burgess
EF1
It can,and should be used in a Tornado Warned area !
http://www.startlandnews.com/2018/01/grand-prize-storm-sleeper-invention/
Storm Sleeper
- Thread starter Kevin R Burgess
- Start date
It can,and should be used in a Tornado Warned area !
http://www.startlandnews.com/2018/01/grand-prize-storm-sleeper-invention/
rdale
EF5
It drowns out noises - like Tornado Warning alerts on your phone... I'm not sure that would be good in a tornado warned area. Not good at all.
Kevin R Burgess
EF1
Who leaves there phone,alone ?
Noises ?
It's for head protection,also
Noises ?
It's for head protection,also
rdale
EF5
I don't understand your first two questions. And no, a pillow by itself isn't going to protect you if you lay in bed during a tornado.
Joey Ketcham
EF4
This is probably the dumbest thing I've seen, and not a great idea to have something that would drown out the sounds of life-saving severe weather alerts.
Warren Faidley
Supporter
You did not see the fine print. It also serves as a casket. 
Sean Mullen
EF2
Chill, everybody.
It's a pillow. Not the Dreaminator.
From http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article197861089.html :
The Storm Sleeper started off simple. Using pillows and Royal-blue fabric purchased from Target, as well as hot glue and Velcro, Julia constructed a fort that covered her head. She included a pocket for a reading right and room for a portable speaker.
But the Storm Sleeper got a huge makeover after she was named a finalist this fall. A product development firm made a prototype of her idea that was presented to her at a surprise reveal for the top five finalists in Austin, Texas.
The new and improved Storm Sleeper has a microfoam base, a soft fabric covering and a Bluetooth system.
Seems like there would be room there for a weather radio, as well.
She did win the $250,000 grand prize, by the way.
It's a pillow. Not the Dreaminator.
From http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article197861089.html :
The Storm Sleeper started off simple. Using pillows and Royal-blue fabric purchased from Target, as well as hot glue and Velcro, Julia constructed a fort that covered her head. She included a pocket for a reading right and room for a portable speaker.
But the Storm Sleeper got a huge makeover after she was named a finalist this fall. A product development firm made a prototype of her idea that was presented to her at a surprise reveal for the top five finalists in Austin, Texas.
The new and improved Storm Sleeper has a microfoam base, a soft fabric covering and a Bluetooth system.
Seems like there would be room there for a weather radio, as well.
She did win the $250,000 grand prize, by the way.
Alex Elmore
EF2
Yes, it is a pillow, but I feel the reactions are valid. The point of the pillow is to block sound, which includes phone alerts, weather radios, tornado sirens, etc. I'm guessing the bluetooth may be so you can connect to your phone to hear alerts, but I personally wouldn't feel comfortable relying on that to wake me if I'm about to get hit by a dangerous storm. Research has shown that while nocturnal tornadoes occur less frequently than day time tornadoes, they are twice as likely to cause fatalities because most of the population is sleeping and unaware. If people are at risk of getting hit by a tornadic storm at night, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to reduce their ability of knowing it's coming more than it already is. The pillow may be large enough to fit a weather radio in it, but I don't feel it's likely that people would do that. If they would be willing to go to that extent, they might as well not use the pillow and let the storm, weather radio, and/or *insert noise-producing device here* wake them up and alert them.
Michael Towers
Supporter
Initially I scoffed and thought much ado about nothing, who's going to buy this...but apparently this may find a market...although more likely for uses other than blocking out "sounds of extreme weather". Same goes for its use for snoring, unless there's not a set of earplugs your significant other would wear or a comfy couch/spare bed in the house for the offending snorer to use then good luck getting the snorer to agree to be entombed in that thing. But the invention may find a niche and if it helps people that's a great thing...I just doubt its main use will be for the original purpose. A good set of earplugs would be much cheaper and likely more effective if the aim is to block any type of noise. I'll go out on a not too creaky limb...the number of people who use this to block out scary storm sounds will be very few...the number that get injured or die as a result zero.
Marc R. O'Leary
EF5
Good for her for innovating. Odds are this will be a product that ends up not serving it's original purpose, but becoming more mass marketed as a solution for the things mentioned by @Michael Towers; snoring, city dwellers, college dorms...
How many brilliant products have come as solutions to problems nobody had, or as straight up accidents?
FWIW, this would be awesome for my little dog, who HATES storms. Hey PETSmart...I'm lookin' at you! Give this girl a job/scholarship.
-Marc (Product Designer)
How many brilliant products have come as solutions to problems nobody had, or as straight up accidents?
FWIW, this would be awesome for my little dog, who HATES storms. Hey PETSmart...I'm lookin' at you! Give this girl a job/scholarship.
-Marc (Product Designer)
Dan Robinson
EF5
Add a phone charger USB port and a pocket to hold the phone, and it's all good. Also space for a fan (white noise/breeze) for those of us like me who need one. Another good market for this is mid-shift workers. When I worked mids, one of the hardest things to do was completely cover the windows. Even a tiny sliver of light making it though was enough to "break" the darkness.
ScottCurry
EF3
Now someone just needs to invent something to block out all of those annoying warning lights on my dashboard. Something that won't leave sticky residue behind like electrical tape does.
