Creating an adapted piano controller associated with a music game for stroke survivors: The evolution of a prototype in collaborative design

Stroke rehabilitation often relies on repetitive tasks to promote neuroplasticity and motor recovery, which can lead to patient disengagement due to monotony. Introducing interactive and motivating gamified systems into physiotherapy is a strategy to address this challenge. This study presents the collaborative design and iterative development of a piano controller integrated with a music game to enhance stroke survivors’ rehabilitation. The system combines motor stimulation with engaging musical training, leveraging physical interaction through a custom 3D-printed piano controller and gamified elements to sustain motivation through usability tests with 35 healthy individuals and 3 stroke survivors, feedback-guided design, connectivity, and functionality refinements. The final prototype demonstrates portability, adaptability, and user-centric features, making it viable for clinical and home-based applications. Future work will focus on clinical trials to evaluate the system’s therapeutic impact and explore manufacturing for broader accessibility.