We had the opportunity to be part of the team that introduced the gaze-input electric communication device for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. We observed them use it for communication with family, friends, and university students. This prompted us to study the social participation of a particular ALS patient. The patient was a man in his 40s who developed ALS in 2014. In May 2017, he was introduced to the OriHime Eye, an electric communication device that uses gaze input. OriHime

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... Eye was not only used for his daily conversation (such as requests for posture change, pain relief, or defecation), but also for communicating with his friends and acquaintances through social network services (SNS). Moreover, OriHime Eye was also used to communicate with attendants in alumni meeting, and to give a lecture to local residents. In addition, the lecturer remotely operated OriHime, a communication robot located at the university, using the OriHime Eye. He interacted with university students and commented on their presentations. These experiences could have positive impacts on psychological health, meeting the need for "wanting to talk" , in both the patient and the people around him. Hence, the patient' s expanded range of abilities might increase his quality of life (QOL). Furthermore, we believe that it is important to address the communication needs of ALS patients by using human and physical resources to maintain and improve their QOL.