I find that if I have to get up and go to a different room to stop an alarm, I am generally awake enough not to return to bed.
The idea, then is an alarm application on a smartphone which goes off, and lets the user press mute. They then have 2 minutes to go to another room in order to switch it off. If you fail, a very loud and un-muteable alarm goes off for some 30s or so.
Location detection: several options:
GPS - most phones have GPS in them, but it may not be sensitive enough or work inside buildings.
Wifi signal strength - assuming you have a router, the signal strength will be higher/lower in the target room.
Scan a barcode in the target room - using a standard barcode on the back of some item, e.g. a book, in the target location.
The second unstoppable alarm is intended as a threat, particularly effective if you live with other people and do not want to disturb them. Alternatives from the long line of alarm threats are possible; I think there was one which donated some amount of your money to charity if you didn't get up in time.-- imagin8or, Sep 21 2011 I find that if I have to get up and go to a different room to stop an alarm, that alarm will never sound again.
Not sure about GPS resolution.
WiFi signal is subject to too many variables other than location.
The barcode thing would just result in moving the book to the room I'm sleeping in.
Perhaps a more carrot based solution is in order (as opposed to stick based solutions). May I suggest the 'wake up, go to work and you will be paid' incentive. If you're not familiar with this process, get a job.-- Twizz, Sep 21 2011 //barcode on the back of some item, e.g. a // milk carton-- lurch, Sep 21 2011 Or--for much less than the cost of a smartphone--you could just buy two battery-powered alarm clocks, one near to wake you, the other in the next room to make you get up. It's worked for me for years now.-- Alterother, Sep 21 2011 How about an alarm that uses accelerometer data from the phone to make you do 20 jumping jacks before the alarm goes off? That way you have to move around alot, and you can't just throw the phone. It could yell lines from Full Metal Jacket at you.-- DIYMatt, Sep 21 2011 We used to have a spherical clock with a motion sensor that would roll away from you when you reached for it. We lost ours when we moved and I haven't bothered to look for another. The thing didn't have advanced object avoidance programming, but if I set it up the right way at night it would roll off the nightstand and head out the door for the living room, or until captured by a dog.-- Alterother, Sep 22 2011 //lost// Or perhaps it escaped.-- mouseposture, Sep 23 2011 Even today, packs of feral alarm clocks roam the wilds of Maine...-- Alterother, Sep 24 2011 You should have had it neutered.-- mouseposture, Sep 24 2011 I dunno about analog clocks, but the potential neuteree in this case is a digital clock (or the feral descendants thereof).-- Alterother, Sep 24 2011 I'm sorry, you've lost me. I thought we were talking about clocks.-- Alterother, Sep 24 2011 random, halfbakery