Configurable motor mats

Abstract

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 decal 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 flexible 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A configurable motor-task mat system comprising:
 a flexible mat including an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface providing a substantially uniform and highly smooth surface; and   a plurality of adhesive-free decals each including a front surface and a rear surface, respectively, each of the respective rear surfaces including a smooth glossy surface, each of the plurality of adhesive-free decals including 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 flexible mat in a first configuration,   wherein 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,   wherein 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   wherein the distance dependent molecular adhesion force 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.   
     
     
         2 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible mat is manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomer, the lower side including a textured surface to allow the flexible mat to grip a surface on which the flexible mat is placed, and
 wherein the plurality of adhesive-free decals are manufactured from vinyl.   
     
     
         3 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 2 , wherein the flexible mat includes a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane, and
 wherein the plurality of adhesive-free decals are manufactured from soft, pliable vinyl.   
     
     
         4 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 1 , wherein the respective motor task includes at least one of a gross motor task, a sensory motor task and a visual motor task. 
     
     
         5 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 4 , wherein the information includes at least one of a letter of an alphabet, a word and a number. 
     
     
         6 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 5 , wherein the first configuration includes the plurality of adhesive-free decals organized on the flexible mat to cue the user to perform a first sequence of motor tasks while completing a first educational activity that provides a first lesson,
 wherein the plurality of adhesive-free decals are configured to be temporarily removed from the flexible mat and re-affixed to the flexible mat in a second configuration, and   wherein with the plurality of adhesive-free decals organized on the flexible mat in the second configuration the user is cued to perform a second sequence of motor tasks while completing a second educational activity that provides a second lesson, the second lesson being different than the first lesson, and   wherein the plurality of adhesive-free decals are configured to remain in the fixed location during use in the second configuration as the result of the adhesion established by the distance dependent molecular adhesion force between the rear surface of the decal and the upper surface of the flexible mat.   
     
     
         7 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 6 , wherein the flexible mat includes a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane, the lower side including a textured surface to allow the flexible mat to grip a surface on which the flexible mat is placed, and
 wherein the plurality of adhesive-free decals are manufactured from a soft pliable vinyl.   
     
     
         8 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 1 , wherein the respective motor task includes at least one of a gross motor task, a sensory motor task and a visual motor task,
 wherein the first configuration includes the plurality of adhesive-free decals organized on the flexible mat to cue the user to perform a first sequence of motor tasks,   wherein the plurality of adhesive-free decals are configured to be temporarily removed from the flexible mat and re-affixed to the flexible mat in a second configuration, and   wherein with the plurality of adhesive-free decals organized on the flexible mat in the second configuration the user is cued to perform a second sequence of motor tasks, the second sequence of motor tasks being different than the first sequence of motor tasks, and   wherein the plurality of adhesive-free decals are configured to remain in the fixed location during use in the second configuration as the result of the adhesion established by the distance dependent molecular adhesion force between the rear surface of the decal and the upper surface of the flexible mat.   
     
     
         9 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 8 , wherein, with the plurality of adhesive-free decals organized in the first configuration, the user is prompted to perform a first sequence of motor tasks to complete a first educational activity that provides a first lesson when the motor-mat is navigated by the user,
 wherein, with the plurality of adhesive-free decals organized in the second configuration, the user is prompted to perform a second sequence of motor tasks to complete a second educational activity that provides a second lesson when the motor-mat is navigated by the user, and   wherein the second lesson is a different lesson than the first lesson.   
     
     
         10 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 9 , wherein the second educational activity is different than the first educational activity. 
     
     
         11 . The configurable motor-task mat system of  claim 10 , wherein the first educational activity includes solving a mathematical problem, and
 wherein the second educational activity includes learning vocabulary.   
     
     
         12 . A method of providing occupational therapy using a motor-task mat that includes an upper surface, and a set of adhesive-free decals each decal included in the set of adhesive free decals including a front surface having a graphic and a rear surface, the method comprising:
 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, the first configuration 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   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, the second configuration 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,   wherein 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,   wherein 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,   wherein 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, and   wherein 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.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising including at least some of the first plurality of adhesive-free decals in the second plurality of adhesive-free decals. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising establishing the second configuration such that the second sequence of motor tasks is different than the first sequence of motor tasks. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the act of displacing further comprises replacing all the first plurality of adhesive-free decals with the second plurality of adhesive-free decals to establish the second configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising including at least one of a gross motor task, a sensory motor task and a visual motor task in each of the first sequence of motor skills and the second sequence of motor skills. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 including in the graphic at least one of a letter of an alphabet, a word and a number;   establishing the first configuration to provide a first educational lesson when the motor-mat is navigated by the user with the first plurality of adhesive-free decals positioned in the first configuration; and   establishing the second configuration to provide a second educational lesson when the motor-mat is navigated by the user with the second plurality of adhesive-free decals positioned in the second configuration, the second educational lesson being different than the first educational lesson.