Rehand

The problem

Pediatric hemiplegia affects fine motor control, balance, and grip strength. The clinical path is well-mapped — physical therapy, repetition, gradual progress — but the experience of it isn’t. Children rehearse the same six movements every day, and most rehabilitation tools feel medical: hard plastic, neutral colors, indistinguishable from a clinic.

Engagement collapses. Without engagement, recovery slows.

What I designed for

Three things that aren’t usually designed together:

• The movement has to do real therapeutic work.
• The object has to invite a child’s hand.
• The feedback has to make the child feel a small win.

The four modules

Each module isolates one motor pattern and dresses it in a familiar, slightly toy-like form:

• Press — a soft dome that gives a satisfying click on full compression. Builds palm and fingertip strength.
• Revolve — a winged top that rewards twisting. Trains wrist dexterity.
• Balance — a horizontal bar that wobbles unless carefully held. Strengthens grip stability.
• Knead — a coiled “U” handle for sustained squeezing. Builds endurance.

A handle on the base makes any module portable; an embedded LED ring responds to motion, giving real-time, color-coded feedback.

Visual & material direction

I wanted the device to feel closer to a wooden toy than a medical accessory — soft pastels, no labels, no sharp corners. The form vocabulary was inspired by classic preschool toys, but proportions and material weight follow rehabilitation guidelines.

Outcome

A complete product line of four modules with full industrial design, brand identity, and interaction documentation. Designed for a hospital pilot study; advanced to subsequent prototype development.