yasunori.jp

Yasunori Toshimitsu | 利光泰徳

Pocket Sunrise

A gentle morning with a pocket-sized sunrise.

ポケットに入る太陽で、やさしい朝を。

日本語

Simulate a “sunrise” with high-brightness LEDs to support a natural awakening. It gradually becomes brighter in the morning, allowing you to wake up naturally.
By projecting the high-brightness LEDs onto walls or ceilings, we’ve significantly reduced the size while maintaining the same functionality as commercial products.
It’s open-source, so feel free to make one if you’re interested.

Introduction Video

GitHub

GrabCAD

Backstory

I had never designed a PCB before, so I thought if I’m going to practice, I might as well make something useful for myself… and that’s how I came up with this device.
I was always interested in sunrise alarm clocks, but commercial ones usually have large light-emitting parts, making them inconvenient to carry and taking up considerable space on the bedside. I thought that using high-brightness LEDs might achieve the same effect in a much smaller form factor, so I decided to create one.

Currently living in Germany, sunrise in winter is after 8 am, so I need to wake up while it’s still dark outside. Since I started using this light, I’ve been able to wake up naturally from the gradual brightness even before my smartphone alarm goes off. (Though I still go back to sleep when I feel like it…)

It was my first time using the PCB design software KiCad, but there are plenty of helpful tutorials on YouTube, and it’s easier than I imagined since footprints for standard electronic components are readily available. Having made the PCB, I thought I might as well create a nice enclosure, so I used a 3D printer and managed to finish it to a point where it feels like a “product”.