Support apparatus and method with shear relief

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an apparatus and/or method involving respective sets of interleaved pressure cells, which operate to inflate and deflate independently of one another. The pressure cells further provide shear relief by deflecting along a direction of movement, such as along a shear direction of an upper surface coupled to the pressure cells. Such deflection may, for example, be implemented with elongated pressure cells and along a direction that is perpendicular to a length thereof. Shear relief in this regard may be facilitated by undercut regions of the respective pressure cells, at which location the pressure cells are coupled to an underlying surface and which is smaller in dimension relative to an overlying portion of the pressure cell.