Have you ever thrown an alarm clock on the wall and smash it to pieces trying to wake up in the morning? I have. Guilty as charged!

This week’s Gadget Tuesday features SensorWake, the first olfactory alarm clock that wakes you up with the smell of your favourite food wafting in the air.

Its creator, Guillaume Rolland says, alarm clocks are terrible as a way of waking up in the morning and in the 21st century, there must be something we can do about it.

And he did.

It was a genius idea that, when you first heard about it, you’ll probably say to yourself, “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”

Rolland did think about it. He knows we have tried sound and light emission to get us jumping out of bed in the morning but these often leave us grumpy for half the day, if not the rest of it. He believes everyone should wake up happy, relaxed and peaceful.

So, the 18-year-old started working on a prototype in his garage and high school chemistry classroom. He studied aromas and the extraction of scents to come up with capsules that, when inserted into the alarm clock, will release a fragrance until it is strong enough to wake you up.

Afterwards, with the help of a marketing agency and a French engineering school, he created the product that was launched successsfully on Kickstarter, raising over US$130,000 of its initial US$54,000 goal.

The consumer testing conducted on over 100 people yielded a very positive result with testers reporting SensorWake will wake you up within two minutes, 99% of the time.

Now in its last phase of development, once it is ready to be marketed, all sleepyheads out there can get one for around US$119 and each capsule is sold for US$9, containing aromas such as Continental breakfast (espresso and croissant), American breakfast (bacon and orange juice), Candy Rush (peach and strawberry), chocolate, peppermint and even money (VIP lounge).

It’s a bit pricey but if you sleep like a log and keep going late to school or work, then this is a real lifetime investment. I mean, think about all the money you save not smashing your alarm clock to annoying little bits. Plus, it is estimated each capsule has 60 use in it. So, after the first big spend for the life-changing alarm clock, you’ll probably spend only US$9 every two months, excluding nap time.

For the environmentally-conscious, the capsules are 100% recyclable and free of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). SensorWake fragrances will not leave any residue on surfaces or clothes although you might go to work smelling like bacon.

The invention has already won awards from Google, as one of the top 15 world-changing inventions in 2014, and the Best Invention Award from World Intellectual Property Organization. To be honest, this is not at all surprising. I bet, even Noble Prize winners has troubles waking up in the morning, so this kid is a genius!

The food-scented alarm clock might not work for some who don’t find the smell of food in the morning particularly helpful to chase away their sleepiness. But for the rest of us, this might be what we’ve been waiting for our whole life ever since we were 7-years-old.

It certainly beats alarm clocks that makes you catch it or workout on it before you can turn it off. Or the one with a flying ke that you have to find and lodge back in the clock to stop it from waking up your whole neighbourhood.

And, oh, my favourite is the clock that sprays water on your face until you wake up. Fun. Yes, it won’t bother my roommates like the others but I don’t see how waking up wet in the face is any way to start your day. So, to the wall, my friend!

That last point is really why this invention is so mind-blowingly brilliant. Imagine what kind of day you’ll be having if you wake up to the smell of the ocean. Or money, if that’s what floats your boat.

This is also great for those who use their smartphones as alarm clock in the morning. You won’t throw your smartphone out the window but you would still wake up cranky and SensorWake can fix that!

Although it is still uncertain whether the product will be marketed worldwide, I don’t think it’ll take too long to catch up once it is released. So, I’ll be keeping an eye out for one of those next month because shipments will start in November.