A Performing Arts ICH-Driven Interaction Design Framework for Rehabilitation Games

The lack of deep engagement strategies that include cultural contextualization in the current rehabilitation game design can result in limited user motivation and low adherence in long-term rehabilitation. Integrating cultural semantics into interactive rehabilitation design offers new opportunities to enhance user engagement and emotional resonance in digital rehabilitation therapy, especially in a deeper way rather than visually. This study introduces a framework comprising a “Rehabilitation Mechanism–Interaction Design–Cultural Feature” triadic mapping model and a structured procedure. Following the framework, a hand function rehabilitation game is designed based on Chinese string puppetry, as well body rehabilitation games based on shadow puppetry and Tai Chi. The hand rehabilitation game utilizes Leap Motion for its gesture-based input and Unity3D for real-time visual feedback and task execution. Functional training gestures such as grasping, wrist rotation, and pinching are mapped to culturally meaningful puppet actions within the game. Through task-oriented engagement and narrative immersion, the design improves cognitive accessibility, emotional motivation, and sustained participation. Evaluations are conducted from rehabilitation professionals and target users. The results demonstrate that the system is promising in integrating motor function training with emotional engagement, validating the feasibility of the proposed triadic mapping framework in rehabilitation game design. This study provides a replicable design strategy for human–computer interaction (HCI) researchers working at the intersection of healthcare, cultural heritage, and interactive media.