Abstract: A method of synchronizing a heart rate parameter of multiple users includes generating a pacing signal at a specific frequency, measuring a physiological parameter of each of the multiple users, presenting to each user an output based upon the measured physiological parameter of the respective user, and presenting to each user an output based upon the generated pacing signal. The measured physiological parameter could include heart rate variability. In one embodiment, the step of presenting to each user an output based upon the generated pacing signal, include presenting a first user with a first output, and presenting a second user with a second output, where the second output is out of phase with the first output.

Abstract: Stimulation system for indicating stimulation signals to a user, provided with at least one heart beat sensor for converting measured heart beats into a signal, a processing circuit configured to process the measured heart beat signals, a user interface configured to indicate stimulation signals to a user, wherein the processing circuit is configured to calculate intervals between the detected heart beats and register a predetermined number of successive intervals, predict a time interval between a detected heart beat and a predicted future heart beat based on the registered intervals, and instruct the user interface to indicate a stimulation signal to a user non-simultaneously with the predicted heart beat at the end of the predicted time interval so as to change the heart rate and/or heart coherence of the user.

Abstract: An actuator comprises an electroactive polymer layer (402) and a stretchable electrode structure (403) disposed at a first side of the electroactive polymer layer and further a counter electrode layer (401) disposed on a second side of the electroactive polymer layer, wherein the ratio Yc/YEAP of the elastic modulus YC of the counter electrode layer and the elastic modulus YEAP of the electroactive polymer layer is at least 10. When compressed transversally by the electrodes, the electroactive polymer will expand tangentially and the actuator will relax into a shape wherein the interior of the electroded region is substantially recessed parallel to the plane of the device, while a substantial portion of the area increase is absorbed by out-of-plane bends arising at the electrode boundary (duck mode). The invention can be embodied as optically reflective or refractive devices with variable geometry.

Abstract: An actuator comprises an electroactive polymer layer (402) and stretchable electrode structures (410, 411) that are disposed on each side of the electroactive polymer layer (402). A softer passive layer (401) is secured to one of the stretchable electrode structures (410, 411). When compressed transversally by the stretchable electrode structures (410, 411), the electroactive polymer layer (402) will expand tangentially and the actuator will relax into a shape wherein the interior of the electroded region is substantially parallel to the plane of the device, while a substantial portion of the area increase is absorbed by out-of-plane bends arising at the electrode boundary (duck mode). The invention can be embodied as optically reflective or refractive devices with variable geometry.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator device (400) comprising an active layer (410) having directly or indirectly a skin layer (420) on top that can be touched by when in use by a user. The configuration of the active layer (410) can controllably be changed in an extension direction (x, y), and the skin layer (420) comprises a plurality of elevations (E) and intermediate recesses (R). Due to its structure, the skin layer (420) does not hinder conformation changes of the active layer (410) in the extension direction, while it provides favorable tactile characteristics of the actuator device (400). The active layer (410) may particularly comprise an electroactive polymer (EAP). The skin layer (420) may be composed of a plurality of grains isolated from each other, or it may comprise a thin surface layer (421) that is stiffer than the active layer (410).

Abstract: The invention relates to a display device (100-300) that comprises an image display unit (IDU) for displaying a visual image in combination with an adjacent topology display unit (TDU) that can controllably change the topology on a tactile display surface (TDS). Hence both visual and tactile information can be represented and can be related to each other by a control unit (CU).

Abstract: There is provided a fall prevention system that is suitable for being worn by a user, comprising a sensor for determining an indication of the risk of the user falling; two or more feedback devices for attachment to respective parts of the user's body, each feedback device being controllable to apply feedback to said respective part; and a controller configured to control the two or more feedback devices such that feedback is applied to a particular part of the user's body in response to the determined indication.

Abstract: A method of signal processing, includes obtaining at least one physiological signal from a system (9-12) arranged to monitor at least one user. Data at least based on data representative of at least one characteristic of electrical current drawn by at least one appliance (23,24,28) in an environment in which the at least one user is present is obtained. This data is used to determine an output based on the at least one physiological signal.

Abstract: This invention relates to a servo system for operating an exoskeleton adapted to encircle an object of interest and for supplying a force thereon. A servomotor is coupled to a power source and operates the position of the exoskeleton and thus the force exerted by the exoskeleton on the object of interest. A measuring unit measures a raw driving current signal Iraw supplied by the power source to drive the servomotor. A low pass filter applies a low pass frequency filtering on the measured a filtered current signal Ifiltered. A processing unit determines an actuated current signal Iactuated based on the servomotor setting parameters, where Iactuated indicates the contribution to Iraw from the servomotor when operating the position of the exoskeleton. The processing unit also determines a driving force current signal Iforce indicating the force exerted by the exoskeleton on the object of interest, where Iforce is proportional to the difference between Ifiltered and Iactuated.

Abstract: A method of adapting an environment of a terminal (2) includes: —receiving data (27) from an external source at the terminal (2); —receiving monitoring data from a system for monitoring at least one user in the environment; and —controlling at least one output device for providing an output perceptible in the environment, the output being adjusted in dependence on the monitoring data. At least one segment including data pertaining to at least one mental state is retrieved from the data (27) from the external source, and the adjustment in dependence on the monitoring data is effected at least partly on the basis of the data pertaining to the at least one mental state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a foldable tactile display (1) and a method of operating it. The foldable tactile display comprises a plurality of actuators (2), one or more sensors (3-6), and a computing unit (7). The computing unit is able to control the plurality of actuators in response to the received command signals and sensor signals. In an embodiment, the tactile foldable display is used in connection with multimedia content. The foldable tactile display may be in the form of a tactile blanket.

Abstract: Stimulation system for indicating stimulation signals to a user, provided with at least one heart beat sensor for converting measured heart beats into a signal, a processing circuit configured to process the measured heart beat signals, a user interface configured to indicate stimulation signals to a user, wherein the processing circuit is configured to calculate intervals between the detected heart beats and register a predetermined number of successive intervals, predict a time interval between a detected heart beat and a predicted future heart beat based on the registered intervals, and instruct the user interface to indicate a stimulation signal to a user non-simultaneously with the predicted heart beat at the end of the predicted time interval so as to change the heart rate and/or heart coherence of the user.

Abstract: A method of synchronizing a heart rate parameter of multiple users comprises generating a pacing signal (16) at a specific frequency, measuring a physiological parameter of each of the multiple users, presenting to each user (12) an output (20) based upon the measured physiological parameter of the respective user, and presenting to each user an output based upon the generated pacing signal. The measured physiological parameter could comprise heart rate variability. In one embodiment, the step of presenting to each user an output based upon the generated pacing signal, comprises presenting a first user with a first output, and presenting a second user with a second output, the second output out of phase with the first output.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for conveying an emotion to a person being exposed to multimedia information, such as a media clip, by way of tactile stimulation using a plurality of actuators arranged in a close vicinity of the person's body, the method comprising the step of providing tactile stimulation information for controlling the plurality of actuators, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to stimulate multiple body sites in a body region, the tactile stimulation information comprises a sequence of tactile stimulation patterns, wherein each tactile stimulation pattern controls the plurality of actuators in time and space to enable the tactile stimulation of the body region, and the tactile stimulation information is synchronized with the media clip. An advantage with the present invention is thus that emotions can be induced, or strengthened, at the right time (e.g. synchronized with a specific situation in the media clip).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining a physiological condition of a person, comprising sampling a plurality of heart beats of the person, extracting a series of cardiac R-R intervals from the heart beat samples, and providing a two-dimensional representation of subsequent R-R intervals, wherein two subsequent R-R interval forms an entry in the two-dimensional representation, wherein the method further comprises the steps of determining a centroid, an average radius and an average rotation frequency for the plurality of entries in the two-dimensional representation, determining a plurality of distances between the radius and each of the entries in the two-dimensional representation, and determining the physiological condition of the person using the radius in combination with the plurality of distances.

Abstract: There is provided a feedback apparatus for a game, the feedback apparatus comprising at least one electrode for attachment to a user of the feedback apparatus; and a control unit for measuring at least one physiological characteristic of the user via the at least one electrode; for determining whether the at least one electrode has been attached correctly to the user for a predefined electro-stimulation signal level based on the measured at least one physiological characteristic; and for providing an electro-stimulation signal at the predefined level to the user via the at least one electrode in response to an output from the game if it is determined that the at least one electrode has been attached correctly to the user.

Abstract: A method of providing a user interface for controlling a system (1;27) includes observing a presence of a body or body part of a user in a certain environment of a device (6,14-17;30). At least a perceptible part (28,34) of the user interface is made available to the user in association with a particular functionality for interacting with the system (1;27) controlled by the user interface in dependence on a rate of displacement of the body or body part of the user observed in the certain environment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical holographic device and a corresponding method for reading out a data page recorded in a holographic recording medium (106). In order to improve the bit error rate a reconstruction means (115) provided for reconstructing a dark and a light image from a separate checkerboard page comprising a pattern of dark and light pixels or from the detected imaged data page, and an image correction means (116) is provided for correcting said detected imaged data page by gain compensation using said reconstructed dark and light images.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical holographic device and a corresponding method for reading out a data page recorded in a holographic recording medium (106) and carrying data modulated using a block modulation code, according to which a data page is divided into a number of blocks and a code constraint is applied defining the number of data symbols in a block having a predetermined symbol value. In order to avoid for storing any alignment marks for determining the alignment of the blocks of the block modulation code, a device is proposed having alignment means (115) for determining the alignment of the blocks in a detected imaged data page by iteratively determining, for a different alignment of the blocks in each iteration, whether for said alignments said code constraint is fulfilled or not, and decoding means (116) for decoding the block modulated data from said detected imaged data page based on the determined alignment of the blocks.

Abstract: A method for measuring the laser power of a forward multiple beam generated by a laser diode array comprising at least two laser diodes, the method comprising a generation step, comprising generating the forward multiple beam; a separation step, comprising separating at least part of the forward multiple beam into individual beams (31, 32, 300, 301, 302, 303), the number of individual beams being equal to the number of laser diodes in the laser diode array, the arrangement being such that each individual beam comprises light originating from a single laser diode and a measurement step, comprising measuring the laser power of each individual beam by means of photo detectors (121, 122, 125, 126, 127, 128). The separation may be performed in space, by means of an imaging lens or making use of vignetting of the collimator lens, or in time.