Nintendo Sound Clock's Developer Interview Vol. 14: Exploring the Design of Alarmo - Initial Discussion
Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo - A Unique Alarm Clock Experience
The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is a collaborative project between Nintendo's game and hardware developers, designed to offer a unique audio experience that seamlessly blends game music dynamics with hardware functionality.
The project, led by Tetsuya Akama from the Technology Development Department, and produced by Yosuke Tamori from the Entertainment Planning & Development Department, started as research into motion sensor technology. The developers aimed to create a product that would support people during their sleep, but it was only after building many prototypes that they decided to focus on alarm clocks.
One of the standout features of the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is its motion sensor. This "radio wave sensor" uses the reflection of radio waves to measure the distance from and speed of an object. The sensor can detect movements even in dark rooms and through obstacles, and it doesn't need to film videos, thus protecting privacy compared to cameras.
The sensor helps prevent oversleeping by repeatedly trying to wake the person while they're in bed. It can recognize very subtle movements, detecting whether a person is starting to sit up in bed to determine if they're awake, and even dividing the bed's area into left and right to detect the direction you roll over. The alarm clock also keeps track of how long a person sleeps and how long it takes them to get out of bed after the alarm goes off.
To make the alarm clock fun and responsive, the developers considered various features such as sound effects that go up in pitch when you move your body and a fanfare that plays the moment you get out of bed. However, they found that controlling the user interface with hand gestures was cumbersome, so they abandoned the idea. Instead, they opted for unique alarm sounds from selected Nintendo games to wake users up.
The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo provides a pleasant or fun way to wake up and helps create a relaxing environment before sleep. The dynamic soundscapes influenced by game music principles, the integration of hardware and software design, and the game-inspired audio customization all contribute to an engaging, evolving sound atmosphere, rather than a repetitive or tiring alarm tone.
In conclusion, the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is a testament to the synergy between game audio design expertise and hardware development. It leverages gaming music’s emotional dynamics and immersive audio techniques to create a unique and innovative alarm clock experience.
- The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo, a collaboration between Nintendo's game and hardware developers, supports unique gaming-inspired audio experiences with hardware functionality.
- Instead of using hand gestures to control the user interface, the developers of the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo decided to use unique alarm sounds from selected Nintendo games to wake users.
- The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo can integrate with smart-home devices, creating a seamless connection between gadgets, technology, and sleep management.
- If you're a fan of Nintendo and need some nostalgia to wake up, the Nintendo Switch, along with its accessories, can be connected to the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo to playiconic NES game music as your alarm tone.