You could be forgiven for thinking that virtual reality is a gimmick, the preserve of the nerdy gamer or the techie that must have everything.

Its uses are far-reaching, however, as this incredible video shows.

In Eye Play the Piano, a young disabled boy wears a VR headset to play the piano using only his eyes.


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Japanese manufacturer Fove are hoping to distribute the headsets to other schools (Picture: Eye Play the Piano/YouTube)

The headset – a collaboration of Japanese manufacturer Fove and the University of Tsukuba – tracks the eye movement of its wearers, who blink on panels within the interface to trigger a preferred note. The note is then sent to the piano.



The video shows a student play the piano for the December 2014 Christmas concert at the University of Tsukuba’s Special Needs Education School for the Physically Challenged after only four months of practice.

Fove is hoping to raise 1.5million yen (£8,450) so they can send the hardware to 135 schools for physically-disabled children around Japan via their Just Giving page.

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