SMART PILLOW HELPS DEAL WiTH LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS

​Posted By Simon Montford on Dec 16, 2015

Pillow Talk is a smart pillow that connects to a wristband via an app. It works by live streaming the sound of your loved one's heartbeat directly to the pillow thanks to a tiny little speaker. I met Joanna Montgomery, founder of Little Riot, the company behind the product, at TechCrunch Disrupt in London last week. She was extremely passionate about her product, and provisionally agreed to speak at our LoveTech event that will take place in Edinburgh on 15th February 2016.

Little Riot's successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter raised £82,019, surpassing the campaign goal of £75,000. The first batch will go to supporters in May 2016. In addition to helping those who are in long-distance relationships, other target customers include military couples, as well as road warriors, and frequent fliers who spend a lot of time away from home. 

Having been in a series of long-distance relationships myself, I'm not convinced it would be ideal for couples who live within different time zones, especially if there's even the slightest lack of trust. This is because while one is sleeping, the other may be working, jogging or dining out for the evening with friends or work colleagues. This may lead to paranoia if one's significant other isn't available to share their heartbeat, or their heartbeat is somewhat elevated when they should be sleeping, if you know what I mean! 

Social media and dating apps have transformed the way we connect, establish and maintain relationships, but they have also been blamed for causing relationship breakups. It will be interesting to discover what Pillow Talk owners make of the product when they are dispatched next summer. Without trying it myself, it's difficult to know for sure if it will be just another novelty, or if it really will be capable of making people feel more connected. I hope it does work, because it would be great if it was able to help people in long-distance relationships maintain intimacy while separated by distance.