Design and evaluation of a smart toy for home therapy for children with cerebral palsy

Abstract Continuous hand therapy is necessary for children with spastic cerebral palsy to maintain motor function, but repetitive exercises can be demotivating, particularly during home therapy, where the absence of a therapist limits feedback and personalization. Technology-based therapies for hand rehabilitation are emerging as promising solutions, but the potential of smart toys with self-adaptive play complexity and machine learning is yet to be explored. This research presents the Magic Monster, a smart toy designed to motivate children to perform hand therapy at home. The toy combines playful interactions with AI for calibration and self-adapting play complexity to personalize therapy. The Magic Monster was designed following an iterative design approach and evaluated through a nonblind, randomized, multiple-baseline, AB single-case study that followed the SCRIBE guidelines. Five children with cerebral palsy (7–12 years) participated in a three-week home-based intervention. The findings show that smart toys have the potential to enhance motivation and engagement, highlighting its interactive, accessible, and cost-effective characteristics as a therapeutic tool. These results suggest that smart toys like the Magic Monster can play an important role as at-home rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy, offering a customized and enjoyable alternative to traditional therapy methods.