Transform screen time into wellness time with AI-powered garden care

Blink & Bloom is a revolutionary browser-based wellness game that turns your natural eye movements into engaging gameplay. Every blink waters virtual plants in your 3×3 garden, while healthy look-away breaks trigger magical rain effects that help your entire garden flourish. The game addresses the hidden crisis of digital eye strain affecting 90% of computer users by transforming unconscious health habits into rewarding gameplay.

Core Features

• Real-time blink detection: MediaPipe AI models provide incredibly accurate blink tracking
• Bug capture mini-game: Interactive snails require eye rotation exercises (up→right→down→left) + precise blinks to be captured
• Blink symphony rhythm game: Musical mini-game where you blink to the beat to create raindrops
• 9 plant garden grid: Watch seeds grow through 4 stages: Seed 🌱 → Sprout 🌿 → Young Plant 🍀 → Full Bloom 🌸
• Health-first design: Every mechanic based on vision science research to combat digital eye strain
• Complete privacy: All AI processing happens locally - no data ever leaves your device

🌱 How It Works

Starting is simple - allow camera access and begin your 3-minute wellness session. Your natural blinks water plants in a 3×3 garden grid, while look-away breaks (3+ seconds) trigger beneficial rain effects. Plants evolve through 4 growth stages, and detailed analytics track your eye health improvements over time.

We utilize:

• MediaPipe face landmarker: Tracks 468 3D facial points for precise blink detection
• Real-time processing: 30+ FPS computer vision with sub-30ms latency
• WebRTC integration: Secure local camera access - no data transmission to servers
• Hardware acceleration: Smooth 60fps animations through optimized Canvas rendering

We also explored other uses of the blink detection with some minigames:

Bug capture system

Animated snails appear every 30 seconds around your garden. To capture them:

• Perform eye rotation exercises: Look up → right → down → left → up
• When the snail glows golden, you have 2 seconds to blink and capture it
• Captures reward you with sparkle effects and protect your plants from harm

Blink symphony rhythm game

A musical mini-game that trains natural blinking tempo:

• Blink on-beat to create animated raindrops that fill your rain meter
• 45 BPM tempo promotes healthy, relaxed blinking patterns
• Score points for perfect timing, build combos for bonus effects
• Helps restore natural 15-20 blinks per minute rate

Code can be found on GitHub: https://github.com/nathanyaqueby/blink-and-bloom

👁️The Digital Eye Strain Crisis

Digital eye strain affects 90% of computer users, causing a cascade of health issues:

• Screen users blink only 5-7 times/minute vs normal 15-20 times/minute
• Insufficient tear distribution across eye surface
• Prolonged focus strain without adequate breaks
• Poor posture and accommodation stress
• Temporary focusing difficulties after screen sessions

How we solve them:

Blink & Bloom addresses these issues through proven wellness mechanisms:

1. Blink Rate Restoration

• Real-time monitoring of natural blinking frequency
• Each blink rewarded with satisfying plant watering animations
• Rhythm mini-game trains optimal 15-20 blinks per minute rate
• Regular blinking spreads tears evenly across eye surface

2. 20-20-20 Rule Integration

• Look away for 3+ seconds triggers rain effects across entire garden
• Promotes looking 20 feet away for 20+ seconds every 20 minutes
• Eye muscle relaxation prevents accommodation strain
• Natural break integration prevents prolonged screen exposure

3. Comprehensive Eye Exercise System

• Bug capture requires full eye rotation exercises (up→right→down→left)
• Strengthens all six extraocular eye muscles
• Promotes healthy head movement and posture changes
• 3-minute sessions prevent digital eye strain buildup

4. Measurable Progress Tracking

• Monitor blink frequency improvements over time
• Track mini-game performance and eye exercise completion
• Detailed analytics show personal eye health patterns
• Sustainable behavior change through positive reinforcement

Who will benefit from this?

• Office workers: Natural eye strain relief during long work sessions and video calls
• Students: Develop healthy screen habits for academic success and long-term wellbeing
• Gamers: Add wellness elements without disrupting flow states or competitive focus
• Remote workers: Maintain eye health during extended home office periods

📱 Technical Requirements

System requirements:

• Browser: Chrome 88+, Firefox 85+, Safari 14+, Edge 88+ (WebRTC support)
• Hardware: Any webcam (720p+ recommended), 4GB RAM minimum
• Connection: Internet for initial model loading only (10-50MB one-time download)
• Platform: Windows 10/11, macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon), Linux, Chrome OS

The optimal setup:

• Good front-facing light improves detection accuracy
• Stable positioning reduces noise and false positives
• HTTPS automatically provided by itch.io for secure access
• Desktop/laptop provides full feature support

👥 Meet the NeuroNudge Team

Nathanya Queby Satriani was responsible for implementing the MediaPipe integration and blink detection algorithms. She also crafted the garden aesthetics and intuitive interface design.

• GitHub: github.com/nathanyaqueby
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/queby/

Hemalathaa Arumugam Elumalai brought the crucial perspective of game design rooted in health research. With a focus on wellness psychology, habit formation, and user experience design, she conducted extensive research into vision science and digital eye strain prevention methods, ensuring that every game mechanic serves a genuine health purpose rather than empty engagement.

• GitHub: https://github.com/hemalathaa90
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hemalathaa-arumugam-elumalai-artificial-intelligence-engineer/