A Serious Battle! EyeMoT Online Games That Even Children with Severe Disabilities Can Play Completely on Their Own

Fumihiko Ito
Iwate Prefectural University

What Is EyeMot?

EyeMoT is an eye-tracking training app we have been developing since 2015 for children and adults with severe disabilities. As of August 2025, it has recorded approximately 600,000 downloads and has been introduced in nearly all special needs schools and similar institutions.

Even children who find it difficult to navigate screens by sight can enjoy practicing eye-tracking game-like activities thanks to a “fail-proof” design. The app consists of about 30 different types of games and tools, ranging from basic eye-tracking training to advanced hiragana learning, and even includes online PvP games (fighting games). Through these game-based activities, users naturally acquire skills such as observing things, and eye-sight tracking. The system also serves multiple purposes—from assessment to learning support. Its key feature is that it prevents traumatic experiences from failed eye-tracking attempts, instead providing successful experiences that users describe as fun and gaining a sense of accomplishment.

Starting with “Balloon Pop” and “Sensory” Apps

EyeMoT’s “Balloon Pop” and “Sensory” apps are designed to provide crucial early success experiences during their introduction.　Even for individuals with severe disabilities who have difficulty grasping cause-and-effect relationships, these apps allow them to experience naturally that “when I look, something happens” and again that “feeling of accomplishment.”In “Balloon Pop,” balloons float gently across the screen, and when the user looks at one, it pops with a loud bang. The visual and auditory feedback when they pop is clear, providing an intuitive realization that “change happens just by looking.” The design helps children who might feel anxious about using the eye-tracking app feel safe and confident. “Sensory,” on the other hand, is an interactive sensory play space where the screen responds with sound, light, and motion as the user freely moves their line of sight while having the feeling of drawing with one’s own eyes. In the “drawing mode,” the user’s line of sight leaves colorful trails and patterns, turning eye movement into artwork and allowing the user to experience the joy of creative expression. Because the system always responds, regardless of accuracy, these modes create a “never-fail” environment that gently welcomes users into the world of eye tracking. Eye movement becomes art, and daily expression becomes creation—that is EyeMoT Sensory.

Serious Competition — Even with Severe Disabilities!

“Battle Coloring” is one of the few competitive eye-tracking games in the EyeMoT series where players can seriously compete to win or lose. This content can be operated using eyesight or switches, ensuring participation for everyone regardless of operational ability or physical freedom. It can be described as an “inclusive e-sport” where strategic depth, responsiveness, and psychological warfare are thoroughly designed as core game elements.

Players color in illustrations displayed on the screen using their own colors. The goal is to color more and faster than their opponent—but it’s not just about coloring anything. Deciding which areas to prioritize coloring, whether to take over areas colored by opponents, and how to use colors strategically—these split-second decisions and clever maneuvers determine victory or defeat.

For children with severe disabilities in particular, “being able to win” and “competing while using their own abilities,” even with minimal input like watching the screen or using a single switch, is extremely meaningful. Playing earnestly against parents or supporters, or battling online with friends nationwide, allows them to experience passion, excitement, and joy that go far beyond conventional rehabilitation. This is not a gentle tool for children who can’t play — it is a serious arena where every child can give their all. It is a stage that unleashes the passion within children with disabilities—the desire to win, to communicate, and to try.

What Parents Have Felt Through the Games

Families of children with disabilities who have participated in EyeMoT game tournaments have shared many emotional comments.

One family shared, “For the first time, our child said, ‘I want to win.’We were amazed that there is a place where even children with disabilities can truly compete.” They were deeply moved to see their child, who had always been “the one having to be watched over,” now actively choosing to compete.

Another family shared, “We will never forget the smile on our child’s face when he won a game or the tears of frustration when they lost — We’re proud as proof our child dared to take on a challenge.” Because the games are carefully designed so that even minimal input like a brief glance or a single switch leads to tangible results, children are recognized not as “kids who can’t operate devices, but as players who compete.” That change of perspective brings profound meaning to both children and their families.

Some parents also expressed gratitude for how the games connected children emotionally:“I cried when I saw our child competing online, cheered on by friends from all over Japan,” one said. “Our child who used to be expressionless now smiles or shows frustration when competing,” said another. Despite disabilities, it seems to have given hope to many families as a place where they can give their all and a stage for self-expression.

What If Screen Watching or Switch Control Is Not Possible?

Even children who cannot track with their eyes, or operate switches can participate in EyeMoT’s “Foot race” using a heart-rate sensor. In this mode, a heart-rate monitor worn on the chest or wrist measures the player’s heart rate in real time and converts it into “running power.” For example, when the heart rate rises steadily, the on-screen character starts to run toward the goal.

Heart rate rises simply from listening to music, being cheered on, or feeling excited about something enjoyable, making it easy for the individual to feel actively engaged. Even if the body cannot move, feelings like “my heart races when I’m cheered for” or “I want to try my best” manifest as energy within the competition.  The invisible “response of life” itself becomes the power to connect with the world. This heart-rate foot race is a new form of inclusive exercise—where everyone can participate and give it their all.

EyeMoT: A Tool for “Believing in the Child”

Through eye tracking – and switch-controlled games, EyeMoT helps children with severe disabilities visualize understanding and being able to accomplish things themselves. When a child pops a balloon, colors a picture, or wins a match using only their eyesight, these actions send a powerful message to those around them: “This child understands.” “This child has intent.”

Many children with severe disabilities are easily misunderstood as “not understanding” because they struggle to express themselves through words or movement. However, when their gaze or heart-rate responses are made visible through EyeMoT, the perspectives of teachers, supporters, and families begin to change. They start to feel, “I want to teach this child,” “I want to connect more.”

It’s not only the children who change—the world around them changes too. And that change leads directly to the child’s growth.

EyeMoT is a device of connection—a catalyst for these transformative encounters.