Tactile exercise mat

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) and a method of operating it. The tactile exercise mat comprises a plurality of actuators ( 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 30, 31 ) distributed therein and a controller adapted to control the plurality of actuators. The controller is adapted to access predefined actuator configurations defining exercise configurations and to control the actuators in accordance with the predefined actuator configurations. In an advantageous embodiment, the controller is communicatively connected to one or more sensors for sensing the actual movement of the user.

1 . A tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) comprising a plurality of actuators ( 2 ) distributed therein and a controller adapted to control the plurality of actuators, wherein the controller accesses predefined actuator configurations defining exercise configurations for one or more users, and wherein one or more actuators of the plurality of actuators is controlled in accordance with the predefined actuator configurations. 
     
     
         2 . The tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  further comprising one or more sensors ( 3 ) distributed therein and communicatively connected to the controller. 
     
     
         3 . The tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is communicatively connected to one or more sensors attached to a user of the exercise mat, wherein the one or more sensors, when in use, are adapted to detect movement of the user. 
     
     
         4 . he tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further adapted to compare readings from the one or more sensors ( 3 ) to the predefined actuator configurations. 
     
     
         5 . The tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors ( 3 ) are adapted to determine the number, size or position of one or more users and input such information to the controller so as to control the plurality of actuators ( 2 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  30 ,  31 ) in accordance therewith. 
     
     
         6 . The tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors ( 3 ) are pressure sensors. 
     
     
         7 . The tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors ( 3 ) are light sensors. 
     
     
         8 . The tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 1  further comprising one or more light emitting elements ( 4 ). 
     
     
         9 . The tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry in the mat is bendable circuitry. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a tactile exercise mat ( 1 ),
 the tactile exercise mat comprising a plurality of actuators ( 2 ) distributed therein and a controller adapted to control the plurality of actuators, wherein the controller accesses predefined actuator configurations defining exercise configurations for one or more users, and wherein one or more actuators of the plurality of actuators is controlled in accordance with the predefined actuator configurations; and   
       wherein the exercise configurations correlate an area on the tactile exercise mat with a body part of the user, and wherein the tactile exercise mat is operated by actuating an actuator in the area of the tactile exercise mat correlated to the body part in accordance with the exercise configuration ( 12 ,  13 ). 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the tactile exercise mat ( 1 ) further comprises one or more sensors ( 3 ), and wherein the method further comprises comparing readings from the one or more sensors to the predefined actuator configurations ( 14 ,  16 ) so as to generate a difference measure, and outputting the difference measure to the user. 
     
     
         12 . A computer program product adapted to carry out the method according to  claim 10  when running on a computer.