| 摘要 |
Vestibular and tactile responses of a living subject, human or animal, are evoked by positioning in its vicinity a simulated breathing animal, or the like as a pacifying sleeping aid. The simulated animal includes a trunk portion having a variable volume "pleural cavity". A bladder affixed to the back portion cyclically expands and contracts to simulate breathing. A pneumatic pumping system alternately increases and decreases pressure in the bladder to actuate the front or stomach of the simulated animal. Head or other apendages (arms, legs, wings and the like) may be moved by such expansion and contractions. The animal thereby produces actual movement to create a vestibular response and the covering of sheepskin or the like creates a tactile response in the living subject. In a preferred form the bladder conforms generally to the pleural cavity by filling it with an air permeable foam body with the expandable bladder loosely fitting over the foam body to suppress sound of air cyclically entering or leaving the bladder or changing position within the torso. Air from the pumping system may be heated and allowed to bleed through the bladder wall in order to warm the area around the subject.
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