Have you ever woken up from a dream you wanted to remember, only to feel it vanish like fog in the morning light? A scene, a feeling, a fleeting glimpse of something otherworldly – gone before you can name it. Dream Recorder was made for that exact fragile moment. Initiated and developed by design and innovation studio Modem in collaboration with creative technologist Mark Hinch, industrial designers Ben Levinas and Joe Tsao, and illustrator Alexis Jamet, this magical, AI-powered bedside device listens as you speak your dream aloud, then transforms it into a short, impressionistic video. It’s a gentle bridge between the subconscious and the waking world, letting you revisit what was once lost to sleep.
It sounds like a dream (no pun intended), but it’s real – and incredibly handy for the wistful waker. Upon waking, press the record button and describe your dream out loud – surreal scenes, cryptic symbols, vivid feelings and all. Dream Recorder’s AI spins your sleepy monologue into a lo-fi, atmospheric video in the visual style of your choice. It’s not a literal replay, but a poetic one: a cinematic dreamscape that mirrors the feeling of dreaming itself.
Instead of scrambling to scribble into a dream journal, you can store a week’s worth of dreams and play them back when you’re ready. It’s dream journaling for the AI age: intuitive, visual, and effortless.
Dream Recorder also respects your rest. Completely standalone and app-free, it keeps your bedroom distraction-free. No buzzes, no notifications. Just a soft glow-in-the-dark shell, waiting patiently for your next subconscious adventure.
The best part about the Dream Recorder is you could get it on your nightstand today if you’re handy with code and electronics – the device is entirely open source. Simply download the code, gather all the off-the-shelf hardware components, 3D print the shell, and assemble using the instructions, all of which can be downloaded on GitHub. There’s no soldering required, making this device a bit less intimidating for those who want to give it a try.
Dreams often hold our brightest ideas, forgotten memories, and unspoken truths. And now, with the Dream Recorder, they become a bit more tangible when we want to remember them most.
To learn more about the Dream Recorder and be on your way to building your own, visit dreamrecorder.ai.
Photography courtesy of Modem.
