RehaSpeeder: A Gesture-Based Rehabilitation System That Supports the Free Definition of Movement Inputs for Enhanced Personalization and Motivation in Hand Therapy

Full recovery from hand injuries is often a tedious and lengthy process involving recurring therapy sessions and mostly boring and repetitive exercises. This work presents RehaSpeeder, an adaptive rehabilitation system designed to support personalized hand therapy through the use of freely configurable gestures captured by the Leap Motion Controller 2. Unlike many existing solutions that rely on fixed exercises, RehaSpeeder allows patients and therapists to define custom hand poses, enabling greater flexibility and alignment with individual therapeutic goals. The system was developed in close collaboration with experts in physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and the core requirements were derived from structured interviews. In total, 20 distinct functional and design requirements were identified across five categories: usability, configurability, functional features, feedback, and in-game objectives. The resulting prototype combines gamified elements with intuitive, contactless control to enhance patient motivation and engagement. Although limited by the technical constraints of the sensor—such as the inability to track dynamic motion sequences—RehaSpeeder demonstrates the potential of personalized gesture-based interaction in rehabilitation settings. Future work will focus on integrating real-time movement analysis, adaptive difficulty, and enhanced feedback systems to further improve therapeutic outcomes and extend applicability beyond hand rehabilitation.The concept demonstrates the potential of adaptive, gesture-based serious games and highlights how wearable interaction technologies can support personalized therapy.