Today’s invention is a substitute pillow, consisting of an array of rods on the end of each of which is a small rubbery sphere (like a squash ball).
The rods are free to move vertically, each being supported by a spring and damper mechanism. This allows someone to sleep comfortably on the tightly-packed matrix, receiving full neck support, irrespective of whether they lie on their back or side. The spring rates might be controlled electronically to provide the optimal personalised stiffness distribution for comfort.
Several such pillows could be used to create an entire bed surface. The rods might also be vibrated to avoid the possibility of bedsores.
