Ben Heckendorn's one-handed Xbox 360 controller

Just when we think our man Ben Heckendorn has floored us for the last time with his insane(ly amazing) console hacking projects, he pulls another stunning hat trick on us. Built by request for a serviceman injured in Iraq, Ben's single handed Xbox 360 controller places the four right-thumb buttons and right bumper at the middle and ring fingers, the right trigger at the pinky, and the left at the index -- but the most inspired bit is the left stick placed beneath on an extension, to be used as a fulcrum while the whole thing rests on a leg or other surface. And despite it all, it still has rumble. Just brilliant. Something tells us these one-handed controller hacks could be big sellers if mass produced. Ben, you laying down the patents yet?

[rwebbart @ Dec 4th 2006 1:47AM]

Brock

How do I know you are not an idiot?......just saying :)
(that's a joke by the way)

Anyway, this is great, but I would think that a foot controller would be easier to control the second stick. I don't know how long it would take me to learn to use 2 analog sticks with the fingers on one hand. Maybe I just don't understand how it works.....

[Alcaron @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:14PM]

Ok if there had been ANY other reason than that for creating I'd say its stupid, but given the reason. Nice work.

[Dave Haskins @ Aug 25th 2007 10:35AM]

had blood vessels burst in brain six years ago lost movement left side how do I buy one of these controllers for myself?Thank you

[Cowboy Bob @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:16PM]

now amputees can play the 360! :o

[Aaron @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:20PM]

Sweet!

Now I don't have to pause to drink my beer!

[wade @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:32PM]

Please contact me if A right hand controller could be made. I also lost A hand... Thanx

[Bman21212 @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:17PM]

Yea, they should definite make a bunch of these. One of my best friends has only a right hand, so something like this would be huge.

[Dave @ Apr 17th 2007 11:10PM]

I need a right-hand version would buy in a heartbeat (priced fairly).

[mom @ Aug 14th 2008 4:24AM]

Did you get a reply? My son, 27 has an injury that left his left arm useless.

[Andrew @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:34PM]

They should bundle this with Dead or Alive Extreme 2

[Crazylink @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:44PM]

I was just about to mention that.

[Ray @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:36PM]

I'm sorry the serviceman lost his hand, but wouldn't it be easier if he just bought a Wii? The Wiimote sans attachment is perfect for single handed use.

[Tim @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:48PM]

@ Ray
You're an asshole.
"Oh you like Pizza, injured war hero? Here eat a pile of dirt, it's so much more convenient."

[flamer's grill @ Dec 4th 2006 5:38PM]

condescending prick. maybe he owned an XBox 360 before he lost his hand, and likes playing it.

[jeff @ Aug 19th 2007 4:39AM]

i lost my left arm and i have a wii all the good games need the numbchuc

[jarg @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:37PM]

Hooah! Anything for our servicemen!

[FrankTheCrank @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:40PM]

This is awesome...now I can play XBOX 360 while I smack my ham!! Nice.

Just think of how many of these they could sell, since everybody who owns a 360 is a ham smacker.

[Farris @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:46PM]

This really is an amazing story. Is there a way we can get a petition for a major news organization to do a story on Ben and this project (with some of his others for a background on him). Sounds like a story the NBC Nightly News would do just before signing off for the night.

[Brian Sexton @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:54PM]

Sure, you could start a petition, but you could also try picking up a telephone or writing a letter.

[Brian Sexton @ Dec 3rd 2006 5:52PM]

Ryan Block wrote:
"Ben, you laying down the patents yet?"

Hopefully not, because the patent system has been twisted into something evil and stupid that now--contrary to its original purpose--grants patents for obvious and incremental things and creates a legal foundation for prohibiting and punishing innovation, especially by small organizations and individuals, who tend to lack the resources to defend themselves against even the most dubious patent claims by big businesses.

[Zadillo @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:20PM]

Fair enough, but I'd argue that something like this is exactly what the patent system SHOULD be for; an independent inventor who invents something really useful and unique and new. Ideally this would help Ben protect his invention and design, and be able to license the patent out to other manufacturers so he can make some money from his hard work. I think it would be perfectly legit for him to patent this.

[patrick @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:30PM]

That's cool, if I had the smarts and time to do something like that I wouldn't even charge the guy for it. When it was complete I would just send it to him with a note of thanks for all he did and what he gave so that others could sleep safe at night.

Semper Fi

[Justin France @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:53PM]

"so that others could sleep safe at night."

Uh - who...Iraqis? Afghans? Don't think that many of them are sleeping safely.

Maybe Americans - although you're just as likely to get struck by lightning in bed than be a victim of terrorism.

This isn't the mid-20th Century, these service people aren't protecting anyone's homesoil, just their governments interests. Blech.

[Totalfixation @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:32PM]

WOW this is really something I kinda like even though i have two hands. I think it seems like there could be a market for this.

[Andrew @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:33PM]

Lol I love the "Ben was here" on the controller internals (3rd? pic down) and his jab at Sony.
"Wouldn't want to accidentally make a Sixaxis"

[Phil @ Dec 3rd 2006 6:40PM]

I was listening to the Buzz out Loud podcast last week, and there was a caller saying that he had some physical disability and pretty much had use of only one hand (left hand if I remember correctly). This sounds like it could be perfect for that guy.

[Ray @ Dec 3rd 2006 7:49PM]

That's a harsh analogy. Playing the Wii instead of playing the Xbox360 is nowhere as bad as eating dirt instead of eating pizza.

It was just a suggestion. Besides, when the serviceman requested the modified controller, the Wii probably wasn't out.

[Victor Cornelius @ Dec 3rd 2006 7:00PM]

I am a sick troll, and I sincerely deserve to be spammed: [e-mail]

[patrick @ Dec 3rd 2006 7:07PM]

@Justin France

I will try to explain it so you can understand me although I'm not sure if I can stoop to your level of intelligence. You say that you are more likely to get struck by lightning than killed in a terrorist attack? Try telling that to the families of the over 3,000 people killed in the 9/11 attack. And the soldiers are protecting our home soil by preventing something like that from happening again.

[Farris @ Dec 3rd 2006 8:18PM]

Not only do the other guys have valid points, but this isn't a political blog. It's a tech blog.

It really bothers me how every time there is a mention of military anything, someone chimes in with their extremely biased opinions. Personally, I don't like the war, either. But I'm not ranting about it in a comment on a technology blog. Wait, yes I am. Okay, I'm done.

[aussiedude @ Dec 4th 2006 7:01AM]

Completely agree, todays wars are very different to the wars of the past. WW1 or WW2, those wars were fought because they had to be fought to certain extent (WW1 was the most justified in my opinion of all modern wars), and it seems that each and every new war which comes along the fighting and basic formula (and the corrupt and evil things which the armies of all involved do) of the war is the same. But the reasons behind the wars are becoming more and more politically based. I read a lot of stupid things said on this website and rarely comment on it because of it, but your comment is probulary one of the most sensible comments that I've read on this site to date.

PS: I interpreted what you said as meaning that the only real people that benefit from US lead wars is the US government and those who the US government want to protect, and I must say that I agree, I hope that the US will leave Iraq soon so that Australia can get out too, we are in there because the US is, if the US leaves - so do we.

[Kevin @ Dec 4th 2006 10:07AM]

The U.S. government killed those people.

P.S. neat controller.

[sdfjkl @ Dec 3rd 2006 7:16PM]

Great for porn surfing.

[patrick @ Dec 3rd 2006 8:31PM]

I wasn't expressing my opinions on the war or politics, I was just expressing my appreciation of what service men and women do in general.

[Mr. T @ Dec 3rd 2006 9:35PM]

Justin France..

Saying that America shouldn't be fighting in Iraq because we're more likely to be struck by lightning than be a victim of terrorism is fallacious. Maybe the reason that statistic is true (assuming it is) is -because- America is in Iraq. I'm not even necessarily saying that's the case, but it's certainly a possibility � ie, you can't prove something when your supporting evidence assumes your thesis is true (in this case, your thesis being that the war in Iraq was unnecessary).

To take it to an extreme, it's like saying that since no Americans were ever killed by Nazis on US soil, we should never have fought in Europe during World War II.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Dec 3rd 2006 9:41PM]

Perfect, This gives him one free hand to macker his bait while watching HD-DVD.

[Sinbios @ Dec 3rd 2006 10:08PM]

Why, I certainly hope he only has ONE right hand... :D

[Sinbios @ Dec 3rd 2006 10:09PM]

Sorry, the above was supposed to be in reply to:

> Yea, they should definite make a bunch of these. One of my best friends has only a right hand, so something like this would be huge.

But didn't work for some reason :S

[Farris @ Dec 3rd 2006 10:16PM]

Sorry for the confusion Patrick, but I was responding to Justin Frank's comment, not yours.

[patrick @ Dec 3rd 2006 10:24PM]

Oh sorry about that Farris I didn't know my fault ;)

[Michael @ Dec 3rd 2006 10:48PM]

I'd be curious to know how it plays and what it's balance and weight distribution is like. It's a great thing he's done here and there should be more game accessories for disabled people like this. But I wonder how pratical this particular design is or if there would be a better one. Maybe something that uses foot peddles as well.

[Ben Heckendorn Actual @ Dec 4th 2006 2:05AM]

I am already surprized at the reaction from this. Checking my stats, it hasn't been Slashdotted yet so I'd better shore up the battlements.

Indeed, there's no reason why I would do this except for a person who needed it, although I came very close to putting a DOA Beach Volleyball reference in the story, figured I shouldn't out of respect (But just wanted you to know it came to mind) Crazy and silly as some of my projects seem, there's always a reason or request behind them.

Personally I can't believe that people haven't done this sort of thing before, it seems so OBVIOUS. I think the best bet, after slogging through this rather tricky assembly, would be to make a universal controller(s) (since analog sticks all work at the same resistance, see my PSP stick hack) and then wire specific system controllers to it. This would allow much more flexibility and ergonomics of the design without having to deal with the PCB, analog shoulder button assemblies and bulky stuff like that. I'd basically design one and then mirror it for the opposite hand, bam, 2 designs.

Well enjoy, spread the word, wouldn't mind cranking out more of these if I can simplify the process a bit. I also agree with a poster here, the market isn't large enough probably for mass production, but it's larger than a single person can probably handle (story of my life)

[Lonnie McClure @ Dec 5th 2006 6:12AM]

(WW1 was the most justified in my opinion of all modern wars)
- aussiedude

I'm curious what version of history you've been studying. Perhaps you have confused WWI with WWII.

[insertname @ Dec 4th 2006 7:02AM]

That comment was directed at Justin France's comment.

[Harbinger @ Dec 4th 2006 4:25PM]

This is perfectly useless until 3am when the exotic dancers get onto UNO on Xbox Live.

[peter Maher @ Apr 16th 2007 7:27AM]

i also have lost the use of my left arm and hand after a drunk driver ran me and my harley over and then left me for dead,my son is 17 and my daughter is 13 and i would like to be able to enjoy some xbox time with them, but with one arm its just to hard,if someone could put me in touch with the guy who makes them ,i would be gratfull yours sincerly pete maher and kids ,Queensland Australia ,email [e-mail]

[jeff @ Aug 15th 2007 12:33AM]

i lost my left arm do you make a right handed controller or just the left one please shoot me an e-mail at [e-mail]

[Jonathan @ Oct 3rd 2007 9:57PM]

I saw a xbox 'duke' controller he modded to use on the 360. ANd I was just wondering if a usb adapter can be used to use original xbox controllers on the 360.

[Shaun @ Dec 6th 2007 4:38AM]

I was wondering if these controllers could be bought? A friend of mine is loosing his left arm to cancer and would greatly appreciate this. He's missed his GCSE's and is having to repeat two years at school so we really want to give him something to keep his love of gaming alive. Please email me at [e-mail] with a price if their for sale. Thanks.

[don @ May 23rd 2008 1:52PM]

I have one arm (just a right) and until I get my robo left arm I would kill for a 1 handed console controller. The wii is kinda already on most games, but ps3 and xbox are literally impossible for me with the shoulder buttons being used so readily these days... until then i'm stuck with pc games and nintendo ds (touch screen games)