A New Hampshire eighth grader with underdeveloped fingers couldn't use a VR controller normally, so he invented his own adaptive device that lets him play

Fourteen-year-old Scott Merrow had already found his own way to use traditional video game controllers. But when virtual reality gaming presented a new challenge, the New Hampshire eighth grader didn't give up. Instead, he set out to invent a device that could make VR more accessible for him — and potentially for others facing similar physical challenges.

Scott, an eighth grader at Auburn Village School in Auburn, New Hampshire, has symbrachydactyly, a condition that affects the development of the fingers. He affectionately refers to his left hand as his “little hand.”

Growing up with the condition, Scott naturally developed his own method of using conventional gaming controllers. He would divide the controls between his two hands, placing the controller in his lap and using different sections with each hand.


“I can't explain how it works, because I grew up with it. I don't know what it's like to have two hands,” Scott told Wmur.

That workaround was enough for traditional gaming. Virtual reality, however, brought a different problem. Most VR systems rely on two handheld controllers, making it difficult for Scott to use the standard setup.

Rather than stop playing, he decided to build something of his own.

What began as a school project eventually became a sophisticated adaptive VR controller developed with the help of his uncle, Brandyn Lewis, a mechanical engineer. The two worked through several prototypes, refining both the hardware and software at Lewis's shop at New Hampshire Ball Bearings.

Scott's latest prototype uses a 3D-printed sleeve that fits around his arm. Built into the sleeve is a pressure sensor that detects when Scott applies force. A computer interprets those changes and converts them into commands for the VR system.

In other words, Scott doesn't have to grip the conventional controller in the usual way. Pressure from his arm becomes the input, allowing him to trigger functions that would normally require buttons on the left-hand controller.

The breakthrough became particularly meaningful during testing. Scott was able to use the system to perform an action in a VR game that required the left-hand controls — successfully throwing a virtual paper airplane.

“Oh!” Scott exclaimed during the demonstration. “I threw it, by the way.”

The invention is still being refined, but it has already attracted significant attention. Scott entered the project in the Invention Convention, an educational program for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and earned second place in the New England regional competition. He is now preparing to take his invention to the national convention in Michigan.

His uncle has been impressed not only by the invention but by Scott's determination to keep working through the setbacks.

“I like being able to try to help him solve problems,” Lewis said, noting that Scott has put considerable effort into developing the device and has continued despite the difficulties.

Scott's mother, Kristine Merrow, has also watched her son become increasingly comfortable sharing his work. She said he can explain the invention and demonstrate how it works with remarkably little preparation.

His project has also resonated online. A post about his invention in the WMUR U Local Facebook group received nearly 7,000 likes, helping Scott reach an audience beyond his school and competition.

For Scott, however, the invention is about more than winning competitions. His experience has encouraged him to advocate for people in the adaptive community and to show other children that physical limitations don't necessarily mean giving up on something they love.

His message is simple: “Don't give up. Just keep trying. Just figure out another way. There's always going to be another path.”

And for a teenager who turned a personal challenge into an invention, that may be the most important innovation of all.