The Nighthawk controller is designed to enhance playability using only one hand, making it accessible for gamers who have lost a hand. It features a combination of conventional and nonconventional inputs, including motion tracking glasses and a touchpad, aimed at improving the gaming experience across various genres. The team behind the controller aimed to create a comfortable and familiar design that retains complexity for modern games, while being inclusive for all types of gamers.

1. Nighthawk
3 For The Money
Matthew Booker Justin Houston Ben Speer
Matthew Muren Derek Stiteler

2. Abstract
The nighthawk controller took features that
would enhance playability with the use of only one
hand. By using both conventional and
nonconventional controller inputs the Nighthawk
controller is the perfect controller for any genre.
The final design includes a touchpad, a keyboard,
a pair of motion tracking glasses, and the core of
the controller itself.

3. Introduction and Design Purpose
Our goal for this controller was to allow
those of us who have lost a hand, either
through disease, accident, or service to one’s
country, to still be able to enjoy the games they
did before. We wanted the controller to be
something that felt natural, comfortable, and
easy to use, to allow either console or PC
gaming.

4. Inspiration- Matthew Booker
My inspiration came from the Wiimote, as this
is already a proven one handed controller, I
wished to see what made it so.

5. Inspiration- Ben Speer
I wanted to be able to create a controller allowing people to
enjoy complex button inputs such as as FPS games with
ease. One feature we took from my original design was
touchpads as well as using the controller as a joystick as
you would see in old Atari controllers.

6. Inspiration- Justin Houston
I wanted people to be able to continue to look around in a
game world without having to do complex motions in order
to do so, be it with buttons on a controller, or using your
whole body as the camera, instead you can simply turn
your head and look where you want to look.

7. Inspiration- Matthew Murren
I wanted people to be taken back to a
simpler feel for a controller while still
incorporating the need for complex multi
axis controls. Same as if you were to take
an older model vehicle and restore it to its
former glory. But now it has a navigation
system and Bluetooth functionality. I feel
the answer is not always what could we
invent, but more of what worked before
and how can we improve.

8. Inspiration- Derek Stiteler
I wanted to bridge the world of having a
solid game controller that would please
both console and PC gamers. Using
programmable keys for RPGS from a
keyboard to a trackpad for precise
maneuvering and finishing it with
comfortable key layout.

9. Design Method
The first thing we looked for was a controller to
use as the base design. After looking over each
design we decided on the orginal Nighthawk
designed by Matthew Murren.

10. Design Method (Cont.)

11. Design Method (Cont.)
After we had a base controller to mold, we than
began to look over the features we wanted to
use. One of the first things to grab our eye was
was the glasess aiming mechanic designed by
Justin Houston.

12. Design Method (Cont.)

13. Design Method (Cont.)
We then went looking at some of the other
components we could take and add. One of the
things that we all liked was the triangle
formation of the buttons on The Slab, designed
by Derek Stiteler

14. Design Method (Cont.)

15. Design Method (Cont.)
After we had the Red/Green/Yellow button configuration
figured out, we needed to figure out how we could add
more buttons, but still only use one hand.That is where the
Riimote came into play, designed by Matthew Booker. We
took the grip, the button layout, and the use of function to
have a secondary layout from this controller.

16. Design Method (Cont.)

17. Design Method (Cont.)
Now that we had the controller pretty much
fleshed out, we looked to the last controller,
The Wonder Controller, designed by Ben
Speer, and took the use of the touchpad, and
use of a trigger and added the final touches.

18. Design Method (Cont.)

19. Schematic Diagrams

20. Schematic Diagrams (Cont.)

21. State and Defend Design
Assumption - Matt M
I believe that our simple yet functional design is
the key to success. Our design gives the customer
a classic feel for a controller familiar to the older
audience, while still incorporating the complexity of
todays games. The design allows control of the
game with one hand which allows amputee
gamers to be included competitively.

22. State and Defend Design
Assumption - Matt B.
I believed that the use of a joystick type model (Patent US
4414438) for the final product would be advantageous for
several reasons. It is a compatible design for either hand, it
will be reminiscent of older arcade games and therefore will
expand the target audience, and a joystick can be applied
in most games, modern or old school.

23. State and Defend Design
Assumption - Derek
I believe creating a controller that is easy to
understand and use is a very important aspect
to the design. Being able to appeal to all
different gamers and to ones who were never
catered to before when it comes to controllers
and make it the best we possibly can.

24. State and Defend Design
Assumption - Justin
We wanted to be able to give the player the
same amount of control over their games,
whether or not they have 1 or 2 hands, blind in
one eye, or whatever else. We wanted our
controller to help continue the gaming passions
of those who have more difficulty playing then
others.

25. State and Defend Design
Assumption - Ben
I wanted to create a controller that was playable with only one
hand. I wanted this controller to feel comfortable and natural even
though playing one handed is not in itself that way. “It stands to reason
that players responded more positively to the Xbox 360 because it was
a familiar format, while the Wii’s controller altered the traditional dual
handed gameplay by forcing players to hold the pieces of the controller
separately” (Crouse) By keeping some of the format somewhat familiar
such as the button layout towards the top, I feel that players will
appreciate and feel more comfortable playing with the Nighthawk
controller.

26. Destiny - with the Nighthawk
Destiny is an Massive Multiplayer Online First Person
Shooter. All controller input would be functional on the
Nighthawk controller. The red, yellow, and green buttons
would act as crouch, switch weapons, and jump. T, C, and
B buttons would input for shoot, Aim down sights, and
reload. The glasses would serve as character looking input
while the controller itself acts as character movement input.
If the player holds the stick down you have access to
sprinting by moving the stick forward, grenades by pressing
C, and melee by pressing T.

27. Destiny - with the Nighthawk (cont.)

28. Minecraft - with the Nighthawk
Minecraft is not a very complex game which means playing with the
Nighthawk controller is even better. Character movement is by moving the stick
around where looking is used by the glasses to track motion. The hotkey menu
could actually be accessed using the touchpad instead of having to use left and
right bumpers for console. T and C buttons would be to place blocks and
destroy or mine blocks. Green would be jump red would be drop items. The
controller would allow button mapping for this game so you could customize the
controls to what fits you better.

29. Minecraft - with the Nighthawk (cont.)

30. Elder Scrolls Online - with the Nighthawk
The Elder Scrolls Online is a Massive
Multiplayer Online Role Playing
Game.The Nighthawk’s joystick would
control the movement of the player and
the glasses would control the player’s
sight/camera, this would work in the
third and first person. Sprinting would
work by holding down the joystick. The
red, yellow and green buttons would
act as jump, switch equipped weapon
and an interact /pick up button.

31. Elder Scrolls Online - with the Nighthawk
(cont)
The power functions
would be activated with
the T,C, and B buttons.
Super attacks would a
combination of T and C.
Blocking is cont by
holding down the joystick
and pressing B.

32. Create a Simple Prototype

33. Conduct a play testing sessions

34. Conduct a play testing sessions (Cont.)
Reminded me of playing in an arcade, or of a flight
simulator.
Was surprisingly comfortable in my hand, if not a bit wider
than I expected.
There were very few things I couldn’t do with the button
layout. Crouching was one of them.
May need to put the select button up with the pause
button. Some games don’t support going from pause to
select.

35. Post Mortem - What happened correctly
We did come up with a pretty well rounded
design, that fit all the needs we saw were
necessary for making a controller to be played
one-handed. Multiple game genres were found
to be playable so it was not genre locked like
some other controllers only useable for racing
games etc.

36. Post Mortem - What happened incorrectly
We did not anticipate how much time would go
into coming up with a base for our design. We
wanted to take the best features from each of
our own individual ideas and incorporate them
into one final version of the controller.

37. Post Mortem - What we would do differently
We could have spent some more time
making a more efficient prototype for testing.
This would have given us a better feel of how
the controller would actually work and feel in
our hands. We could have done a little more
research also into some current ideas for a
controller to be playable by one hand.

38. References
Keera Studios. (n.d.). Retrieved August 13, 2015, from http://keera.co.uk/blog/2014/05/27/interacting-haskell-games-
using-wiimote/
Mommy's Best. (2012, May 1). Retrieved from http://mommysbest.blogspot.com/2012/05/swordfight-is-good-art.html
Griffith, A. (2013). Destiny Post-E3 Screenshot Analysis · LevelSave. Retrieved from http://levelsave.com/destiny-e3-
screenshot-analysis/
How to Make Minecraft Videos - Minecraft Wiki Guide - IGN. (n.d.). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from
http://www.ign.com/wikis/minecraft/How_to_Make_Minecraft_Videos
Patent US4414438 - Video game controller. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2015, from
https://www.google.com/patents/US4414438
Crouse, J., & Kalyanaraman, S. (2010). Wiimote Possibilities: The Effects of Types of Game Controller and Character
Perpective. ebscohost.

39. References (cont.)
Oculus Rift CV1. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Flat_Steve/media/OculusRiftCV1v2_zps4d22b00c.jpg.html