A group of UF students is working to make gaming easier for one-handed players.
Taariq Imami, 22, along with a couple of friends, created three one-handed video game controllers in Fall. But this Spring, with the help of 10 others, they will design and manufacture 12 more.
As part of the Generational Relief in Prosthetics club, an organization that creates prosthetics for children and teens with deficiencies, Imami met an 8-year-old boy who asked for an Xbox controller he could hold in one hand after he delivered the boy’s prosthetic hand.
“I didn’t think of it being a problem until I went home and tried it out,” said the UF computer science senior, who then began looking into one-handed controllers.
The group of students, with the help of a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, have access to any materials they need.
Imami’s idea has received attention through a GoFundMe page, and he’s collected all the money needed to reach his goal of $750, as of press time.
Ben Rachman, 20, the president of Gator Gaming, said he understands why one-handed players struggle to enjoy video games, given the difficulty of using standard controllers.
“This just points toward a trend of more personalized electronics,” the UF economics junior said. “This would just represent another positive step in that.”
