The robotic hand that rocks the cradle

Crying babies need to be rocked to sleep – and parents lose countless hours of shut-eye because of it. But what if the baby’s cot could rock itself? Step forward the Snoo…

Many new parents would agree: one of the biggest shocks to the system – apart from the enormous responsibility of caring for a new life – is lack of sleep. Consistently poor sleep can put a strain on the strongest of parental partnerships and can lead to serious health issues such as post-natal depression.

Even if your new bundle of joy is that rarest of things – ‘a good sleeper’ – it is inevitable that parents of newborns will have interrupted nights, just like many generations before them. Can we look to 21st-Century technology to help soothe this age-old problem?

The futuristic-looking Snoo – a cot that automatically rocks your baby to sleep – is one such possible technological solution. It’s an attempt to recreate the sensations, noises and cocooning environment of the womb. But is it any match for human interaction? Read more

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