Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

Considering that we spend about one third of our life sleeping, the importance of a comfortable bed and moreover mattress becomes a necessity. However, studies showed many persons, including women going through menopause, suffer from night sweats, followed by an intense cooling period during the evaporation of the humidity. In result, the sleep cycles are interrupted and not as efficient for resting. Several cooling mattress are available on the market but most of them are based on liquid or air circulation system which require the use of a compressor and produce generally an important background noise. Though some other products advertise the cooling effect of some specific fibers, no quantitive information are provided and their impact is relatively limited since it cannot induce direct temperature change of the mattress surface. By using thermoelectric modules integrated into the mattress cover and connected together thanks to flexible conductive yarns, Riley's would want to develop a new generation of thermoregulating mattresses. The presence of temperature sensors would allow an automatic adjustment of the mattress overall temperature. This leading-edge development would allow Riley's to maintain a leader position in the bedding sector and hold a determining advantage against his international competitors. Moreover, the local production of such an innovative product can boost the bedding sector and result for the Canada in a leading position in a sector in need for differentiation.