Strobe alarm clock

Strobe lighting (or in fact any flashing or moving light) is good at keeping us awake (which is why TVs, with their flashing moving lights, are not good for the body clock). It should be possible to harness this effect to make an alarm clock that quickly wakes us up. It may not need to be a bright flashing light (which could be abrasive) in order to achieve the effect; a subtle flashing light may work to slowing bring people to a pleasant state of wakefulness.