Latest news with #DreamRecorder
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
AI device can ‘translate' your dreams and play them back for you
Your wildest dreams can become virtual reality — if you can remember them. Dutch design studio Modem has introduced its latest project, Dream Recorder. Aptly named, the device allows users to see visual interpretations of their own dreams by harnessing the latest in technology — a video AI model that translates phrases into pictures. Advertisement Sentimental sleepers looking to enshrine their dreams in one of the device's seven memory slots only need to hit the record button and describe their dream aloud. From there, the Dream Recorder will display a brief low-definition, impressionistic-style visualization of the memory narrated, meant to evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort. 'Dreaming is one of the rare experiences shared by all people. Everyone dreams, which makes it powerful territory to explore. The fascination has always been there,' Modem co-founder Bas van de Poel told Newsweek. 'What's changed is the technology,' he continued. Advertisement 'For the first time, we have tools capable of giving shape to the subconscious, turning the invisible into something we can see, and maybe even begin to understand.' Smartwatches, sensors and apps are aplenty in today's wellness-oriented world, but van de Poel said that 'those tools stop at documentation,' while the Dream Recorder 'doesn't just log your dreams; it translates them.' That translation comes with a catch, though. You can't just buy the Dream Recorder — you have to build it yourself. Advertisement The Dutch company's device is DIY by design, meaning all of the code is open-source, the enclosure is 3D printed and the shopping list — which runs prospective purchasers around $333 — is readily available online on the company's GitHub page. Savvy programmers are also invited to contribute their own thoughts, code or AI insight to the project's lead developers. Modem even includes step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos for relatively easy assembly. Modem Advertisement While the device is a unique product of contemporary technology, its creators also had a vision for it to provide a sense of peace not often found in the digital age. 'It's not designed for endless accumulation, but for reflecting on the meanings of your dreams as they echo into waking life,' van de Poel said, explaining the device's limited memory slots, which are capped at 7 days. 'No distractions, no feeds; just a quiet moment to reflect and reconnect with your subconscious,' he concluded. Though only 11% of Americans reportedly always remember their dreams, new sleep research occurs constantly. One such study, published early 2025 in the journal Communications Psychology, showed that some specific types of people are more likely to recall their dreams. The 3D printed device is small, lightweight and designed to sit on your bedside table — and also has a clock function. MODEM Those who maintain positive outlooks about dreaming, are prone to daydreaming, spend longer in light sleep stages, live in warmer weather, and are younger, are all typically able to remember concrete details from their dreams, according to the study. Lead study authors also said that dreams can offer insight into mental health, psychological conditions and hopefully, future studies of human consciousness.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
People horrified at latest tech development designed to turn your dreams into 'vivid cinematic reels'
A new tech development designed to turn your dreams into 'vivid cinematic reels' using AI has left people all across the globe horrified. A company called Modem Works announced last month that it was releasing Dream Recorder, a 'magical bedside open-source device' that 'captures your subconscious.' After you wake up, all you have to do is describe what you dreamed aloud 'in any language' and you can then 'watch it come to life as a dreamscape in the aesthetic of your choice.' It uses AI to turn whatever you say into a short film, so you can relive what was in your head overnight. 'Play back your dreams and reflect on their meanings as they echo into waking life,' reads a description on its website. The device can be made using a 3D printer at home and programmed with Modem Work's downloadable open-source software, per Dexerto. The total cost comes to just over $300. Immediately, the internet seemed divided over the product. While some were 'intrigued' by the idea and thought it was cool, many were freaked out by it. A company called Modem Works announced last month that it was releasing Dream Recorder, a 'magical bedside open-source device' that 'captures your subconscious' 'Nah I don't want anyone to know how weird my dreams are,' one user confessed. 'This scary as hell. Why is this a thing?' asked another. 'I'm both terrified and intrigued,' someone else wrote. 'THIS IS THE SCARIEST THING IVE EVER HEARD,' read a fourth post on X (formerly Twitter). 'I don't know what I be dreaming and I don't want to know,' said a fifth. A different user added, 'We really living in a Black Mirror episode.' 'Oh hell nah leave me and my dreams alone,' penned someone else. 'No thanks, experiencing them once is enough torture,' replied another person. After you wake up, all you have to do is describe what you dreamed aloud 'in any language' and you can then 'watch it come to life as a dreamscape in the aesthetic of your choice' It uses AI to turn whatever you say into a short film, so you can relive what was in your head overnight Others, however, praised the new technology. 'Wait this is actually really cool,' gushed one supporter, while another agreed, 'This is actually pretty sick I wonder how accurate it'll be.' 'I've been waiting for this,' said someone else. 'This is wild wild! I would love to play back my dreams and recant them as movies,' read another post. 'One of the coolest things I've seen on the timeline,' shared a different person. 'I can finally visualize me and my dog flying through clouds in a pink car,' joked another. Modem Works co-founder Bas van de Poel told Newsweek of the device, 'Dreaming is one of the rare experiences shared by all people. 'Everyone dreams, which makes it powerful territory to explore. The fascination has always been there. 'For the first time, we have tools capable of giving shape to the subconscious, turning the invisible into something we can see, and maybe even begin to understand.' He explained that it is designed to 'transcribe your words and pass them through a video AI model, translating your dream into ultra-low-definition, impressionistic dreamscapes.' 'As soon as you wake up, you simply touch the device, speak your dream aloud, and watch it take shape as a dreamscape,' he concluded.
Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Newsweek
You Can Now Build 'Portal to Your Subconscious' To Turn Dreams Into Videos
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ever wish you could play back your dreams before your eyes when you wake up in the morning? One design studio has introduced a "magical bedside device"—known as the Dream Recorder—that you can build yourself to translate your dreams into a visual art form. The Dream Recorder is "a portal to your subconscious" that captures your elusive dreams and "plays them back as vivid, cinematic reels," according to its website. Bas van de Poel is the co-founder of Modem, the Dutch design studio behind the Dream Recorder device. Modem has worked with clients including OpenAI and Google Deepmind. The studio has also done research papers with institutions such as the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and UC Berkeley in California. Asked what inspired the creation of the Dream Recorder, van de Poel told Newsweek: "Dreaming is one of the rare experiences shared by all people. Everyone dreams, which makes it powerful territory to explore. The fascination has always been there." However, "what's changed is the technology," van de Poel said. "For the first time, we have tools capable of giving shape to the subconscious, turning the invisible into something we can see, and maybe even begin to understand." A person holds the Dream Recorder device. A person holds the Dream Recorder device. Modem Understanding your dreams could be useful due to the effect that they could potentially have on your subsequent daytime behavior and performance, said an August 2024 study in Consciousness and Cognition. The study added: "Since waking life has a noticeable effect on the content of dreams, some researchers have supposed that this dream content may have some reciprocal effect on subsequent waking life, in parallel to or as part of memory consolidation." However, "it must be remembered that the true function of dreams is still unknown, and there is not enough evidence to confirm with confidence what function dreams may serve, if they indeed serve any function at all," the study added. The co-founder of Modem said that, while there are sleep trackers and plenty of apps that allow you to type out your dreams, "those tools stop at documentation." Van de Poel added that the Dream Recorder is different because "it doesn't just log your dreams; it translates them." To use the device, you just need to press the record button on it and describe your dream aloud in your preferred language, which is then transformed into a short-form reel, rendered in a preselected visual style. The back of the Dream Recorder device is seen. The back of the Dream Recorder device is seen. Modem The device "transcribes your words and passes them through a video AI model, translating your dream into ultra-low-definition, impressionistic dreamscapes," van de Poel said. Your rendered dream is played back on the device's screen. The recorder is "built on existing video-generation models and can be updated to support any service that provides API access," the Modem co-founder added. "This is paired with on-device post-processing using FFmpeg [software], which gives the generated dreams a nostalgic, analogue feel." Designed with a DIY spirit, the co-founder said: "The entire device is fully open source, including the code, hardware documentation, and the 3D-printable glow-in-the-dark shell. Download everything from GitHub and gather the off-the-shelf components, and assemble it yourself. No soldering is required." The device has space to store seven dreams at a time, essentially seven slots for a week of dreaming. "It's not designed for endless accumulation, but for reflecting on the meanings of your dreams as they echo into waking life," van de Poel said. "We chose a bedside device form factor because it's intuitive and familiar, offering a more intentional way to begin the day," he added. "As soon as you wake up, you simply touch the device, speak your dream aloud, and watch it take shape as a dreamscape. No distractions, no feeds; just a quiet moment to reflect and reconnect with your subconscious." Do you have a technology-related story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Euronews
28-06-2025
- Euronews
This AI company can visualise your dreams. Here's how it works
A Dutch company says it has developed a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) to record dreams. Modem Works, an Amsterdam-based think tank and design studio, claims the Dream Recorder can capture dreams in 'ultra-low definition' and in any language. 'Wake up, speak your dream aloud … and watch it come to life in a dreamscape in the aesthetic of your choice,' the website for the project reads. How does it work? Modem Works says the project is 'Do-It-Yourself by Design.' It asks prospective users to download the open-source code, gather the hardware, 3D print the Dream Recorder's shell and assemble everything. Once assembled, users can double-tap to start a recording of themselves recalling their dream, and once finished, the dream will be generated. Another tap will play the generated dream and up to seven others that will be stored on a small 8-gigabyte processor. The company published the open source code on Github, a platform where coders share their projects, along with a list of the products they would need and where to buy them. The parts listed for the Dream Recorder include an HDMI screen, the 8-gigabyte processor, a micro SD card and a USB microphone. The approximate cost for all the parts to build a Dream Recorder is roughly €285, the developers wrote. The device would also require paying for the application programming interface (API) from OpenAI and AI video generation company LumaLabs to help generate the images for the dream. The developers estimate it would be less than $ 0.01 or $ 0.14 per dream, respectively, depending on the quality of the image. The Dream Recorder is the latest attempt to map out dreams with AI. In 2023, Japan's ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories developed an AI system that uses MRI scans to visualise and record dreams with a 60 per cent accuracy. Another pre-print study from the National University of Singapore and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2023 came to the same conclusion.
