14-Year-Old New Hampshire Gamer Crafts 3D-Printed VR Controller for Disabled Hand

Scott Merrow, an eighth-grader from Auburn, New Hampshire, was born with symbrachydactyly, a condition that limits finger development, making conventional game controllers unusable for him. After adapting a traditional controller by splitting its controls between his hands, he confronted a new obstacle with VR systems that require a left-hand grip. Collaborating with his uncle, Brandyn Lewis, a mechanical engineer, they iterated through three designs, culminating in a 3D-printed sleeve that houses a pressure sensor linked to a computer that interprets the force as button presses.

The functional prototype allowed Scott to successfully perform in-game actions, such as throwing a virtual paper airplane. The device secured second place in the New England region of the Invention Convention and will travel to the national competition in Michigan. Scott’s family has praised his perseverance and he now shares his experience online, encouraging other children with similar challenges to keep experimenting.