A University of Central Florida graduate student has created an adaptive gaming controller that helps people with disabilities play video games.Aaron Cendan doesn't just design games, he now designs controllers. Cendan noticed the joystick on a controller was a problem for some people, so he designed a controller without a joystick. "You are putting a lot of stress on (your thumb), and in a game-playing environment, you are doing this constantly for hours on end potentially," Cendan said.The new design didn't just help those who wanted to ditch the joystick, but those with disabilities.The controller Cendan put together feels like you're typing or playing the piano, utilizing buttons instead of the joystick.Cendan's customers send in pictures of their hands so he can get the spacing of the buttons just right.The buttons come from arcade machines. Cendan works with an artist from Brazil to custom-design the pictures on the controller.Cendan said helping people do what they love is amazing, and in return, he gets to make gaming more entertaining and inclusive.

A University of Central Florida graduate student has created an adaptive gaming controller that helps people with disabilities play video games.

Aaron Cendan doesn't just design games, he now designs controllers. Cendan noticed the joystick on a controller was a problem for some people, so he designed a controller without a joystick.


"You are putting a lot of stress on (your thumb), and in a game-playing environment, you are doing this constantly for hours on end potentially," Cendan said.

The new design didn't just help those who wanted to ditch the joystick, but those with disabilities.

The controller Cendan put together feels like you're typing or playing the piano, utilizing buttons instead of the joystick.

Cendan's customers send in pictures of their hands so he can get the spacing of the buttons just right.

The buttons come from arcade machines. Cendan works with an artist from Brazil to custom-design the pictures on the controller.

Cendan said helping people do what they love is amazing, and in return, he gets to make gaming more entertaining and inclusive.