DeRUCCI’s mission is to let people sleep better
DeRUCCI utilises advanced materials, biosensing technology, artificial intelligence, sleep data analytics algorithms, AIoT edge computing, Tidal algorithms, and other advanced technologies in the DeRUCCI Smart Sleep Health System. These materials are used to provide data-driven smart health sleep system solutions for users, employing physiological, psychological, and sleep environmental factors. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, General Manager of Smart Sleep Hua Lei discusses smart sleep technology and how it improves people’s health.
What are the current trends and innovations in mattress design and sleep technology that are shaping the industry’s future?
By leveraging data-driven mattress products, we provide holistic sleep ecosystem solutions that focus on environmental, psychological, and physiological aspects to promote healthy sleep. Internet of Things (IoT) products have undergone decades of development and have now entered countless households. As one of the most crucial components of the IoT ecosystem, smart mattresses will become indispensable to the majority of users in the next decade, just like IoT itself.
Smart mattresses are entering a period of rapid growth. With economic development, rising consumer standards, and a shift in consumer attitudes, people are placing higher demands on sleep quality and emphasising the importance of achieving health and quality of life through sleep.
Can you discuss the impact of emerging technologies, such as AI and IoT, on the mattress and sleep technology sector?
Compared to regular mattresses, smart mattresses are becoming more intelligent. By utilising intelligent modules and employing scientific principles, along with unique algorithms, smart mattresses enhance the depth of the sleep cycle and improve overall sleep quality. Smart mattresses adapt to individual needs and sleep stages to achieve the best possible sleep-enhancing results. This unique sleep-enhancing technology is a significant advantage that sets smart mattresses apart from regular ones. Therefore, we believe that the next decade will be the golden decade for smart mattresses.
Can you give us an overview of DeRUCCI’s journey and its current focus on AIoT sleep solutions?
Founded in 2004, The DeRUCCI Group is a leading provider of sleep health systems solutions, encompassing research, design, production, sales, and services in the soft furniture industry. DeRUCCI is dedicated to the research of human health and sleep, integrating high-quality sleep research and technological innovation into its products for healthy sleep experiences. The company has been consistently ranked as the top premium mattress brand in China for five consecutive years, leading in the high-end mattress market. DeRUCCI was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in June 2022 (SZSE: 001323) and has an annual revenue of $796.2 million with more than 6,000 employees worldwide and 5,700 stores in 14 countries.
DeRUCCI introduced the concept of “DeRUCCI Healthy Sleep, Customized for You” at an early stage, emphasising personalised sleep products for customers based on their height, weight, body shape, and sleeping positions. This includes different mattresses, pillows, bed frames, and bedding to address the individualised sleep needs of customers. DeRUCCI collaborates with renowned international designers for its designs, including British designer Matthew Arquette, Danish designer Bjarke Nielsen, French designer Maurice Barilone, and Italian designer Agustina Sorrentini. These collaborations connect top-tier global resources, international design concepts, ergonomic principles, fashion artistry, and sleep environment studies into DeRUCCI’s bedding design. We also incorporate a variety of high-end materials, such as German-imported independent pocket springs and 3D materials, Japanese space resin balls, and Italian thin gel; and we are continuously enhancing product design, functionality, and quality.
DeRUCCI has developed its own proprietary AI algorithms and technologies. In September 2023, DeRUCCI launched our Smart Sleep Line of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) sleep health system solutions based on collaborations with research institutions and universities. DeRUCCI’s intelligent sleep health systems include AI mattresses, smart adjustable beds, AI rapid sleep systems, deep sleep pillows, smart pillows, and Optimal Sleep Medicine Centers.
What motivated the company to delve into the realm of AI and sleep technology?
We were motivated to delve into AI to address the growing demand for improved sleep health because of the multiple stresses that have occurred from COVID-19 and worldwide economic challenges. We have already launched 12 smart mattresses in our new Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) digital smart health product line.
The new DeRUCCI T11 Pro Smart Mattress is our flagship consumer product and the AIoT digital health smart mattress. The T11 Pro adjusts to the individual for optimal sleep; actually, warning the user about potential health issues before they are aware of them. It features patented AI technologies with 23 flexible sleep/health AI sensors that instantly track subtle changes in position, body temperature, heart rate, and health, with 18 flexible support airbags that respond to movement and position; supporting the head, spine etc designed by human-machine engineering. It employs big data, AI software algorithms, smart software/hardware adjustments, sleep monitoring; and even connects to AIoT home appliances.
Can you provide insights into the development and innovation behind the Smart Sleep products offered by DeRUCCI?
In 2022, DeRUCCI established its Smart Sleep Business division, and since 2023, the company launched its new AI smart mattress line. DeRUCCI has pioneered the development of smart mattresses with its AI Tidal Algorithm. Leveraging the company’s research in ergonomics, AI, and big data and analysing factors, such as BMI, sleeping positions, pressure distribution, height, and firmness, DeRUCCI’s AI algorithm enables the mattress to adapt to pressure curves in real-time on a person’s shoulders, waist, hips, legs, and other areas during sleep for a more than 20 per cent improvement in spinal health. The AI technology analyses and makes adjustments independently on both sides of the mattress without interfering with the other partner, allowing the bed to adapt to an individual’s needs and care.
DeRUCCI’s AI Smart Mattress understands you. During sleep, it records physiological indicators, such as heart rate and respiration with accuracy levels matching medical equipment standards reaching a testing rate of 95 per cent. It calculates sleep stages with an accuracy rate of 93.4 per cent when compared to polysomnography (PSG). It also scientifically evaluates sleep quality and sleep health effectiveness, reducing tossing and turning for a deep sleep that can enhance immunity, providing quantifiable data and reference values for consumers. The mattress also offers far-infrared graphene thermal warmth for the feet ensuring a more comfortable sleep during the cold winter months.
How do you ensure the quality and performance of the Smart Sleep technology?
We approach this through three key aspects:
On the research and development front, we collaborate with renowned domestic and international universities to ensure the advanced performance of our technology.
On the product side, DeRUCCI has a CNAS-certified laboratory in China, which conducts testing on various technical indicators related to mattresses.
On the service side, we utilise our self-built cloud platform to remotely upgrade mattresses.
The claim that the AI Rapid Sleep Systems combat insomnia is compelling. Can you share more insights into how this has been achieved?
DeRUCCI provides medical-grade, non-pharmacological solutions designed for insomnia and other sleep health issues. With pulsed magnetic therapy and one year of digital medical services, the system can achieve a 69.7 per cent insomnia cure rate; with Smart Pillows for snoring relief providing an 89 per cent effectiveness rate and the Optimal Sleep Medicine Center for personalised monitoring and reporting also improving sleep health.
To achieve this advanced system, we have collaborated internationally with top research institutes and universities to research insomnia and other aspects of sleep health, integrating this scientific research into DeRUCCI’s AI sleep technology products. Our research partners include Northwestern Polytechnical University, Chinese Sleep Research Association and Chinese Sleep Big Data Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Beihang University, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
How are individual needs and preferences considered in DeRUCCI's AI-driven products?
The DeRUCCI T11 Pro Smart Mattress incorporates advanced engineering to address the individual needs and preferences of the individual. Features include:
Adaptive adjustments: dynamically adjusts the support of the head, shoulders, waist, hips, and legs based on a user’s different body types and sleeping positions.
AIoT connections: combines sleep monitoring results with home appliances to create a smart bedroom.
Sleep monitoring and sleep reports: monitors the user’s heart rate, breathing, snoring, and body movements during sleep, analysing the changes in physiological sleep parameters, evaluating sleep quality, and generating sleep reports based on sleep managers.
Sleep health management and chronic disease risk warnings: uses AI and big data technology to analyse a user’s potential chronic disease data, combining a user’s geographical location, age, and sleep monitoring indicators.
Temperature regulation: uses 10 layers of graphene heating technology to adjust the temperature of the mattress to harness the far infrared (FIR) capabilities of graphene.
Snoring intervention function: monitors snoring and connects to the smart bed’s slow rise and fall, which reduces snoring and improves sleep quality.
What kind of feedback and user testimonials have you received so far for the Smart Sleep Line?
We place a strong emphasis on product quality and customer satisfaction, with customer contentment being our utmost priority and goal. We are delighted that the majority of our users have provided positive feedback. For example, a couple with significant differences in body types had minor disagreements due to their mattress. Because they chose our smart mattress that intelligently adjusts the firmness on both sides to perfectly conform to their body contours, both individuals found the most suitable sleeping experience.
Similarly, a second-time mother, whose body underwent changes after childbirth found her previous mattress uncomfortable, leading to her frequent insomnia. Our adaptive adjustment feature in our smart mattress sensed changes in her body and provided the right support, so she no longer experiences sleep disturbances due to inadequate mattress support.
Our customers, including overweight people, fitness enthusiasts, as well as business professionals, have all provided very positive feedback about our products. We are committed to continuously providing high-quality products and services to our customers in the future.
What sets DeRUCCI apart from other players in the smart sleep technology market?
DeRUCCI conducts extensive research in ergonomics, sleep environment studies, and sleep medicine. It is through this in-depth research that DeRUCCI creates the technologies required to create superior products.
DeRUCCI also incorporates a “six sense” sleep culture: the six senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness are incorporated into bedding products through sleep music, relaxing scents, and more to encourage healthy sleep. The company also promotes this through music, videos, advertising, and social media and engages in public service campaigns, including “World Sleep Day” and the “DeRUCCI Global Sleep Culture Tour.”
The key product in the smart line, the T11 Pro Smart Mattress, also offers several significant advantages when compared to other smart mattresses, including “Adaptive Adjustment Precision,” utilising a multi-airbag support system for more precise adaptive adjustments to provide users with a more personalised sleep support experience; “Comprehensive Sleep Experience” with sleep environment adjustments, sleep posture firmness adjustments, and sleep monitoring with reports; and “Health Risk Warnings” through integration with big data and sleep monitoring for a chronic disease risk warning system that can proactively alert users to potential health risks.
What is the vision and future direction for the Smart Sleep division?
DeRUCCI’s mission is to let people sleep better. Our future direction involves integrating global sleep health resources, increasing research investments, and providing data-driven sleep health ecosystem solutions.
DeRUCCI will develop more intelligent modules and employ more advanced scientific sleep principles for its smart sleep line to enhance sleep health incorporating the products further into the smart home.
What message would you like to convey to consumers who are considering investing in smart sleep solutions from DeRUCCI?
We have always been committed to product innovation to provide our customers with a superior sleep experience. With the advancement of technology, mattresses are no longer just products that make people sleep well; rather, enabling healthier sleep is the greater value of a mattress. Therefore, we have integrated AI technology, IoT technology, internet technology, and biosensor technology into our mattresses. This transformation has turned the mattress from a static product into a dynamic one that can adapt to a person’s body, protect the spine, reduce tossing and turning, and thus extend deep sleep.
Beyond technological innovation, we have also integrated sleep ecosystem resources, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) and sleep doctors, to offer our customers more personalised sleep solutions. Everything is geared towards helping customers sleep better and healthier.
Can you discuss the importance of collaborations between technology companies and research institutions in advancing sleep science?
DeRUCCI is driven to continuously innovate, incorporating an in-depth understanding of consumer needs through its extensive research. Research is an essential component of our products, which is why DeRUCCI has conducted extensive international AI, IoT, and sleep medicine research with universities and institutions. The company has also made substantial research and development investments in hardware, human engineering, and services, integrating the world’s best craftsmanship, materials, and designs; and pioneered the application of cutting-edge materials to ensure competitive product performance.
What are the potential environmental impacts of producing and disposing of smart sleep technologies, and how can the industry address these issues?
DeRUCCI is a socially responsible company that places a strong emphasis on the environment. We ensure that the products we manufacture adhere to green environmental standards through ESG report reviews, ISO 14000 environmental system certification, ISO 9000 quality certification, and certifications, such as China Green Furniture and China Environmental Furniture.
In our smart technology design, we primarily use biodegradable and recyclable Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) materials to replace springs. Additionally, the integration of smart technology effectively reduces the reliance on materials to address mattress comfort, adaptability, and temperature control issues. It creates a spatial structure using air and leverages smart technology to provide customers with more health services based on data, reducing the need for medical resources and individual healthcare expenses.
Are there any common misconceptions about sleep technology that you think should be clarified for the public?
The adjustment unit is more than just inflating and deflating airbags. The adaptive adjustment feature of our mattress is designed to conform closely to body contours. The core element is based on our human engineering big data model. We feed this model with extensive data and use algorithms to create an adjustment pattern that aligns with human ergonomics. This approach allows us to achieve a personalised sleeping experience for each individual.
During sleep, there is no need for a deep understanding of details like deep sleep, light sleep, or breathing – it’s too complicated. Sleep consumes one-third of our time, and during this process, it serves a restorative and rejuvenating function. It is also the source of our energy for the day ahead. Therefore, the more we understand about sleep, the more effective solutions we can find to improve the quality of our sleep. This is one of the simplest ways to enhance our overall quality of life.
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