Patent Application
20220323821
This invention relates generally to motor mats. More specifically, at least one embodiment relates to a configurable motor mat system.
Structured body movement such as yoga provides widely recognized benefits for an individual's state of mind. Similarly, occupational therapists recognize that the right amount and the right types of movement can benefit children by improving their focus. For example, a structured set of movements can help calm children down, help them become more alert, more organized and/or more regulated in their behavior. All of the preceding can improve the learning process and increase learning.
Some occupational therapists employ motor tasks with children to achieve one or more of the preceding positive outcomes. A motor mat provides a path or route that prompts the user to complete different types of motor tasks. That is, the motor mat provides a motor pathway or path. For example, the motor tasks can be geared toward organizing, alerting and/or calming children. In general, a motor path prompts movements that include any one of or any combination of a sequenced mixture of gross motor tasks (jumping, hopping, etc.), sensory motor tasks (spinning, balance, etc.), and visual motor tasks. Often, motor tasks are employed with children when they are transitioning between different types of activities and/or between different physical locations.
A motor path typically provides a desired motor sequence to be performed by the user. That is, the motor path provides a sequential set of visual cues concerning the activity/movement that should be completed at each spot along the way. The visual cues can include text, shapes or other graphics elements that cue the participant to step, hop, crab walk, spin, etc. in a predefined sequence of movements.
In outdoor environments, motor paths are sometimes provided by a set of visual cues hand-sketched with chalk on a hard surface or the application of adhesive backed stickers to an outdoor surface. Indoor motor paths are typically provided by gluing adhesive backed decals to a floor or wall. However, these motor paths create a permanent and unchanging set of visual cues that fail to provide students with any variety over time. That is, these motor paths cannot accommodate children at different stages of development. Consequently, they do not even assist the same child as the child's skills progress over time. In addition, any time an adhesive backed sticker or decal is used, the motor sequence can only be modified by removing the sticker or decal by scraping it from the surface. Because permanent adhesives are used, this often requires that the surface be cleaned with a cleaning solvent to remove any adhesive remaining on the surface when the sticker or decal is removed.
Historically, hook and loop fastener systems such as VELCRO brand fastening systems have been used to temporarily attach materials to one another. However, these attachment systems are unhygienic and not suitable for use on floors or other surfaces where dirt and contaminants can collect.
Therefore, there is a need for apparatus, systems and methods to provide configurable motor pathways that allow a variety of different motor paths to be established using the same motor mat system. According to various embodiments, a configurable motor mat system includes a set of adhesive-free decals for use with a portable mat to provide multiple unique motor pathway configurations. Each motor activity can be established for temporary use, later be removed, and then replaced with a different motor activity or sequence of motor activities. Some embodiments provide the preceding in a combination of materials such that the adhesive-free decals are securely fixed in a location on the mat to allow users to perform dynamic activities such as walking, jumping and spinning without breaking the bond between the decal and the mat. According to one embodiment, the preceding is achieved via a distance dependent molecular attachment between the underside of the decal and the upper surface of the portable mat.
In some aspects, a configurable motor mat system includes a flexible mat manufactured from thermoplastic polyurethane, and a plurality of adhesive-free decals each manufactured from vinyl. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of adhesive-free decals includes information provided in a graphic, respectively, the information conveying an instruction concerning a respective movement by a user, the plurality of adhesive-free decals configured to remain in a fixed location via a distance dependent molecular adhesion when placed on the flexible mat. In a further embodiment, an attachment force provided by the distance dependent molecular adhesion is sufficient to maintain each of the adhesive-free decals in their respective fixed location when subject to repeated foot traffic, and the attachment force provided by the distance dependent molecular adhesion is releasable by grasping an edge of the respective adhesive-free decal with fingertips and peeling the respective adhesive-free decal away from the flexible mat.
In various embodiments, a configurable system for engaging users in motor-tasks also includes educational material. These systems allow for a temporary skill path to be setup to engage selected motor tasks of a student's while also educating the user during the navigation of the motor activity. The configurable nature of the system allows a first sensory/educational motor task to be employed and then reconfigured to provide a second sensory/educational motor task having a different configuration than the first. The difference in configuration allows for differences in the motor-tasks that are tested between the two configurations. The different configurations also allow for different educational activities to be included in the two configurations relative to one another.
In another aspect, a configurable motor-task mat system includes a flexible mat having an upper surface and a lower surface and a plurality of adhesive-free decals each including a front surface and a rear surface, respectively. The flexible mat includes an upper surface providing a substantially uniform and highly smooth surface. Each of the respective rear surfaces include a smooth glossy surface. Each of the plurality of adhesive-free decals include information provided in a graphic, respectively, on the front surface, the information conveying a cue concerning a respective motor task to be performed by a user with the rear surface of the respective adhesive-free decal placed in contact with the upper surface of the flexible mat and the plurality of adhesive-free decals affixed to the motor-task mat in a first configuration. The plurality of adhesive-free decals are configured to remain in a fixed location during use in the first configuration as a result of an adhesion established by a distance dependent molecular adhesion force between the rear surface of the decal and the upper surface of the flexible mat. The distance dependent molecular adhesion force is sufficient to maintain each of the adhesive-free decals in their respective fixed location when subject to a lateral displacement force, and is releasable by grasping an edge of the respective adhesive-free decal with fingertips and peeling the respective adhesive-free decal away from the flexible mat.
In still another aspect, a method of providing occupational therapy using a motor-task mat and a set of adhesive-free decals is provided. In various embodiments, the motor-task mat includes an upper surface, and the set of adhesive free decals each include a front surface having a graphic and a rear surface. According to one embodiment, the method includes placing the motor-task mat on a flat surface, positioning a first plurality of adhesive-free decals included in the set of adhesive free decals in a first configuration on the motor-task mat, displacing at least some of the first plurality of adhesive-free decals relative to their positioning in the first configuration to position a second plurality of adhesive-free decals included in the set of adhesive free decals in a second configuration on the motor-task mat. According to one embodiment, the first configuration is selected to provide a first sequence of motor tasks when the motor-mat is navigated by a user with the first plurality of adhesive-free decals positioned in the first configuration and the second configuration is selected to provide a second sequence of motor tasks when the motor-mat is navigated by the user with the second plurality of adhesive-free decals positioned in the second configuration.
According to this embodiment, each of the first plurality of adhesive-free decals are configured to remain in a fixed location during use in the first configuration because of an adhesion established by a distance dependent molecular adhesion force between the rear surface of each of the respective adhesive-free decals included in the first plurality of adhesive-free decals and the upper surface of the motor-task mat. Each of the second plurality of adhesive-free decals are configured to remain in a fixed location during use in the second configuration because of the adhesion established by the distance dependent molecular adhesion force between the rear surface of each of the respective adhesive-free decals included in the second plurality of adhesive-free decals and the upper surface of the motor-task mat. An attachment force provided by the distance dependent molecular adhesion force is sufficient to maintain each of the adhesive-free decals in their respective fixed location when subject to a lateral displacement force. The attachment force provided by the distance dependent molecular adhesion force is releasable by grasping an edge of any of the respective adhesive-free decals affixed to the mat with fingertips and peeling the respective adhesive-free decal away from the motor-task mat.
As used herein, the term “motor-task” and the phrase “motor task” refer to an activity that exercises the user/student's ability to perform gross motor tasks, sensory motor tasks and visual motor tasks either alone or in combination with one another. Those of skill in the art will recognize based on the disclosure herein that: gross motor tasks include activities such as jumping and hopping; sensory motor tasks include activities such as spinning and balancing; and visual motor tasks include tasks that include a coordination of movements based on the perception of visual information.
As used herein, the phrases “motor path” and “motor pathway” refer to a set of visual prompts for motor tasks that an end user is to complete. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize based on the disclosure herein that, in some embodiments, motor paths and motor pathways can provide visual cues for completion of the motor tasks in a pre-defined sequence. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize based on the disclosure herein that, in some embodiments, motor paths and motor pathways provide visual cues for completion in a sequence that is provided to the end user in real time by an occupational therapist, teacher or other instructor (for example, provided through verbal instructions, hand signals, flash cards).
As used herein, the terms “education,” “educating” or “educational” refer to the subject or act of teaching a student to learn any one or any combination of the alphabet, numbers, vocabulary and mathematics. Those of skill in the art will understand based on the disclosure provided herein that educational activities assist a student in learning how to read, write, speak and solve mathematical problems. According to various embodiments, the apparatus, systems and methods described herein benefit the user/student by combining motor-task skill training and education.
The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
This invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing”, “involving”, and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
Referring to
In various embodiments, each of the plurality of decals 104 is manufactured from a thin durable material. According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of decals 104 is manufactured from a thin vinyl material. The front surface of each of the plurality of decals 104 includes a graphic element. For example, each of the respective graphic elements provides a visual cue that indicates a movement or clue concerning an activity or action that a user should take. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of decals 104 include a left directional arrow graphic, a right directional arrow graphic, a right foot graphic representing a right step activity, a left foot graphic representing a left step activity, a frog graphic representing a hop activity, a crab graphic representing a crab walk activity, a tornado graphic representing a spin-around activity and a jump graphic representing a jump activity. According to these embodiments, the graphic elements can include any one of or any combination of alphanumeric text elements and design elements.
Although the decals are illustrated as quadrangle shaped items with the graphic element surrounded by a border, other configurations can be provided depending on the embodiment. For example, the decals can be manufactured with dimensions that are limited to the size and shape of the graphic element itself. According to these embodiments, each different graphic element has a shape that is defined by an outline of the graphic element. According to one embodiment, the decals are manufactured with shapes custom to each graphic design using a die cutting operation.
In various embodiments, the decals 104 include a front surface where the graphic element is printed and a substantially uniform smooth rear surface. The vinyl from which the decals 104 are constructed provides a soft, pliable item with a rear surface that is highly polished and so smooth that it acts like a flat suction cup when placed in contact with another very smooth surface. That is, the rear surface of the decal includes a smooth glossy surface. In contrast, the ink applied to the front surface to provide the graphic element results in a comparatively much rougher surface that does not bond to other surfaces in the adhesive-less manner of the rear surface described below.
In operation, the mat 102 is unrolled and placed on a flat surface such that the upper surface 101 of the mat defines a flat planar surface. A set of decals is selected and organized to create a desired motor pathway that includes a desired sequence of motor activity to be performed. The set of the decals included in the plurality of decals 104 are placed rear side down on selected locations of the mat 102 to provide the desired motor path, for example, as illustrated and described with reference to
The configurable nature of the system 100 is a result of the adhesion between the decals 104 and the mat 102 without the use of any adhesive. With the rear surface of the decal pressed into place on the upper surface of the mat 102 the air between the two surfaces is removed and a limited strength vacuum may be formed to secure the two surfaces to one another. Further, the uniform, smooth nature of the rear surface of the decal and the upper surface of the mat 102 results in a dispersive adhesion force that creates an attraction at the molecular level between the two surfaces. The adhesion force is provided by the van der Waals forces which are distance dependent interactions at the molecular level between the two planar surfaces. In particular, the molecular bonding and suction of the rear surface of the planar-shaped decals 104 and the upper surface of the mat 102 provides a relatively high strength bond resistant to lateral displacement. The strength of the adhesion force is improved where the mat 102 is located on a smooth solid flat surface such as a floor that removes any ripples, folds or other discontinuities in the planar upper surface during use. Because the adhesion forces are distance dependent, the decals 104 are easily removed by grabbing an edge with the fingertips and gently peeling upward.
The configurable nature of a motor mat system 120 is further illustrated in
The set of decals 121 is selected to allow an occupational therapist, teacher or other instructor to provide a first activity that can be completed by one or more users with the motor mat system 121. According to the illustrated embodiment, the left foot decals 122, 124, 126 and right foot decals 123, 125 are aligned with one another along the longitudinal axis of the mat 102 in an alternating sequence left step/right step/left step, etc. The directional arrow decal 127 indicates the starting point of the path. The user moves along the path by taking a left step to the first decal 122 followed in sequence by a right step to the second decal 123, a left step to the third decal 124, a right step to the fourth decal 125 and a left step to the fifth decal 126 before stepping off the mat 102. The lateral alignment of the set of decals 121 along the longitudinal axis of the mat 102 creates a series of aligned steps that provides a balancing activity. For example, the sequence of movements provided by the configuration of the motor mat system illustrated in
Referring now to
The user moves along the motor path by taking a right step to the first decal 132 followed by a movement to the left as indicated by the left directional arrow 133, a hop as indicated by the frog decal 134, a movement to the right as indicated by the right directional arrow 135, a spin as indicated by the tornado decal 136 and a crab walk to the end of the mat as indicated by the crab decal 137. Following completion of the motor path as illustrated, the decals 131 can be peeled off of the mat 102 and organized together or with additional or alternative decals to create a completely different motor path.
As described above, the upper surface 101 of the mat 102 provides a substantially uniform smooth surface. In these embodiments, the upper surface 101 improves the qualities of the surface on which the rear surface 105 of the decals 104 is placed for an adhesive-free dispersion adhesive bond. Referring now to
According to some embodiments, motor mat systems can provide motor paths by including an array of alphanumeric symbols that provide an educational component. The use of the alphanumeric symbols located on the mat can provide an educational aspect to a motor path created with the system. That is, learning can be accomplished in combination with activities that involve any of gross motor tasks, sensory motor tasks, and visual motor tasks. Referring now to
Referring to
Elements of gross motor tasks, sensory motor tasks and visual motor tasks can be included through real time instruction and/or the inclusion of one or more motor-task decals, for example, the plurality of decals 104 as illustrated and described with reference to
The motor mat system 100 can quickly be setup for temporary use at any of these locations. A series of motor paths can be configured one after another. These motor paths can be customized based on age, mathematical skill level, vocabulary skill level, reading skill level or other characteristics of the end users.
Referring now to
As illustrated in
Referring now
Referring to
Elements of gross motor tasks, sensory motor tasks and visual motor tasks can be included through real time instruction or the inclusion of one or more motor-task decals, for example, the plurality of decals 104 as illustrated and described with reference to
The preceding can be achieved even where the selected array does not include any motor-task decals. However, motor-task decals may also be included in the array where they can be located among a set of number decals. For example, a tornado decal may be placed between the number one and the plus sign. According to some embodiments, a decal can include both a math number or symbol and a motor-skill graphic such as a frog graphic representing a hop activity, a crab graphic representing a crab walk activity, a tornado graphic representing a spin-around activity and a jump graphic representing a jump activity. This can provide the student with a visual cue to perform a motor task while simultaneously solving the math problem. Referring again to
The configurable nature of the motor-skill/educational mat system 500 provides a dynamic medium to present a wide variety of math problem solving exercises to students in combination with motor tasks in addition to the examples described above.
Referring now
Referring to
Elements of gross motor tasks, sensory motor tasks and visual motor tasks can be included through real time instruction and/or the inclusion of one or more motor-task decals, for example, the plurality of decals 104 as illustrated and described with reference to
The configurable nature of the motor-skill/educational mat system 600 provides a dynamic medium to present varying educational problem solving exercises to students in addition to those described above in combination with motor tasks. For example, a student can be challenged with a word recognition motor-skill/educational path. Here, the occupational therapist or other instructor can set the array of decals on the mat 602 and sequentially call out represented words. This can challenge the student to identify the word by moving to the location on the mat 602 of the corresponding decal (i.e., one of the plurality of decals 604). Another educational exercise asks the student to move from decal to decal to put together a sentence. Here, the plurality of decals 604 can include both nouns and verbs. In yet another exercise, an instructor can position a set of decals to form a sentence. The student is then asked to move from decal to decal while reading the sentence aloud to mark their progress. Motor tasks can be integrated as described above through verbal instruction and/or the addition of motor-task decals placed on the mat 602.
Referring now to
The motor mat system 700 is employed to engage a user's visual perception skills. For example, starting at a selected one of the plurality of start arrows 772 the user balances themselves as they walk a single line from the associated start arrow to the associated end marker.
Referring now to
According to some embodiments, a set of decals included in the plurality of decals 804 can be selected and organized to create a desired motor-skill/educational array within the grid on the mat 802. The set of the decals included in the plurality of decals 804 are placed rear side down at selected locations on the upper surface of the mat 802 to provide the desired array. According to one embodiment, a motor-skill/educational array can be deployed on the mat in combination with verbal instructions to guide the user for movements within the grid. According to these embodiments, the squares within the grid provide a reference coordinate system that allow the occupational therapist or other instructor to provide a student with instructions that include a directional element. These embodiments allow the instructor to assist a student learning spatial relation skills. Depending on the layout of the decals and any associated verbal instructions, the path traveled by the student can include left, right, up and down directions as the user moves across the mat. The instructions can also include specific movements to integrate gross motor tasks (jumping, hopping, etc.), sensory motor tasks (spinning, balance, etc.), and additional visual motor tasks in the path traveled by the student.
For example, the rows 888 and columns 889 can be labeled with row and column numbers or letters. Here, the instructor can provide a verbal instruction such as “step” or “jump to 4B.” In addition, to verbal instructions motor task decals can be located in selected squares such that the student performs the motor skill when they first arrive on the square in the grid. For example, where a tornado decal is placed at 2C, a student instructed to move to 2C arrives at the square and spins in place. The grid can be used in a similar fashion even where the rows and columns are unlabeled. For example, verbal instructions can be provided to move left two squares, move right one square, move up or move down.
The configurable nature of the motor-skill/educational mat system 800 provides a dynamic medium to present varying educational problem solving exercises to students in addition to those described above in combination with motor tasks. For example, a student can be challenged with word recognition motor-skill/educational navigation of the grid. Here, the occupational therapist or other instructor can set the array of decals on the mat 802 and sequentially call out represented words. This can challenge the student to identify the word by moving to the location within grid where the corresponding decal (i.e., one of the plurality of decals 804) is located. Another educational exercise asks the student to move to locations in the grid with word decals to put together a sentence. In yet another exercise, an instructor can position a set of decals to form a sentence. The student is then asked to move from decal to decal within the grid structure while reading the sentence aloud to mark their progress. Motor tasks can also be integrated as described above through verbal instruction and/or the addition of motor-task decals placed on the mat 802. As is described above, the grid structure and configurable nature of the motor-skill/educational mat system 800 allow and endless set of motor tasks and educational task to be combined in a format that challenges the student's directional skills and spatial relation skills.
Although the embodiments are described above as being primarily directed to occupational therapy and educational applications, the mat systems described herein can be employed for other activities. For example, in further embodiments, configurable mat systems as illustrated and described herein are employed for games or other entertainment. These embodiments can include a flexible mat having an upper surface and a lower surface where the upper surface provides a substantially uniform and highly smooth surface. The associated adhesive-free decals can include a front surface and a rear surface that provides a smooth glossy surface. In these embodiments, a graphic with information is provided on the front surface. In various embodiments, the graphic can include various designs, colors and text alone or in combination. The mat system can be placed on a flat surface and configured with a selected configuration that can be employed by one or more users in a game and/or an entertainment activity. According to one embodiment, the mat is manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomer, where the lower side includes a textured surface to allow the mat to grip a surface on which the mat is placed, and the adhesive-free decals are manufactured from vinyl.
Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63174395 | Apr 2021 | US |
