The story : Gwendolyn finds it extremely hard getting up in the morning, harder even than telling new acquaintances her name. She’s tried everything from wake-up calls to biorythmic feedback; in vain. Her new boss is understanding but the other air traffic controllers are starting to find her late arrivals annoying. If only that VC would go out on a limb and invest several hundred thousand dollars in the niche narket that is the ultimate alarm clock…

The Idea : The ultimate alarm clock would be a bed. An inflatable bed that, when the chosen time arrives, deflates in a matter of seconds leaving one lying flat on the floor, which is hard, uncomfortable. Even the most begrudging waker can’t resist. There is no snooze button, and it can only be re-inflated once there is no one on top of it.

This idea is the fruit of a very silly brainstorm with my son Paolo