Jennifer Matthews: Three years ago, Harry Lee's life changed forever. It all started one morning, when his wife couldn't wake him.

Harry Lee: I wouldn't wake up, and so she called 911, and they came there and said in my sleep that I had had five strokes and a heart attack.

Jennifer Matthews: He started working with Edward Taub, using a technique known as constraint therapy.

Dr. Edward Taub: We restrain the good arm, the, as we say, less affected arm, for a target of 90 percent of waking hours.

Jennifer Matthews: Now, Taub has automated the therapy to make it more available. Patients perform eight tasks. For this one, Harry uses his affected hand to thread a string through these posts. Here, he traces letters. The computer keeps track of progress and encourages him. A therapist sometimes checks in.

With the old rehab, therapists spent up to seven hours a day with patients. But in a study, the automated program was slightly more effective. Taub says the new therapy could save time and money, while increasing the use of the weak arm by up to 54 percent.

Dr. Edward Taub: This is not a cure, but it is a substantial improvement.

Harry Lee: Probably 50 to 75 percent better than I had. There's no way I could even open the door with my left hand when I went into therapy.

Jennifer Matthews: Now, Harry is one step closer to having his life back. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.