A new method of recording and reconstruction of upper-limb kinematics has been developed in order to analyze the mechanisms of motor recovery in disabled patients. It has been applied to the analysis of non constrained gestures in normal subjects and in patients with an hemiparesis following stroke. The results show evidence of new motor strategies and new co-ordinations developed to compensate for the motor impairment. In the future, this method could be applied to gesture recognition and synthesis and for the development of enhanced learning environments in rehabilitation.