Gaming has always been designed to be an inclusive community, where anyone can pick up and play; either casually or hardcore. But some people, like Jess Searle, have difficulty navigating regular controllers. You see, Jess has a certain type of cerebral palsy that makes it challenging for her to utilize the standard console controller with joysticks.
So her brother, Billy Searle, a student that graduated from Loughborough Design School, set out to fix that. After Jess walked a mile despite her condition for charity in 2016, Billy created a spherical controller prototype that would help her improve dexterity. The controller, called Mylo (after the mile walk) is connected to a cell phone or tablet via BlueTooth and allows Jess to experience gaming in new and interactive ways while also helping her control her motions for fluidly.
On the controller are five light up buttons, a gyroscope, and and accelerator that reacts to her movements for more responsive gameplay. It even speaks and listens to you, so it tests all of the senses in order for the user to get the most exposure possible to help them control their condition. It’s brilliant and inclusive, which makes it an amazing step forward in making the gaming community just a little bit closer.
But this isn’t just a controller designed for players with cerebral palsy. It’s for anyone who wants to play games with friends who may have difficulty controlling their actions or just want to have fun together. After all, that’s what gaming is all about.
