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Ergo X Controller
Juliana Yagyu
Harrison High School
December 2018
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Abstract
Gamers can suffer from neck and back game after playing for long periods of time which

can lead to worse complications. At first, I planned to make a back brace to prevent back pain

for gamers. However, I learned that a back brace I intended to create may weaken the muscles of

a gamer and decided to modify a video game controller instead. The modified controller I made

is called the Ergo X Controller, it is designed to prevent neck and back pain in video gamers. To

prevent neck and chest pain, I split the controller into two pieces and extended its length. I put

the two pieces of the controller on a rectangular prism for the placement of the controller. For my

next steps I plan to modify the motherboard of the controller to make it work. If it works, then I

will conduct many trials to verify that it reduces neck and back pain.

Ergo X Controller
Discomfort in the neck and chest can be prevented but can often lead to worse

complications. Many video gamers suffer from neck and chest pain when playing for long

periods of time. I believe video game controllers cause tightness in the chest from the position

gamers hold it in. My brother and his friends play video games for long periods of time and my

product can help assure they will not suffer from neck and chest complications with a modified

video game controller. If I develop a modified video game controller then video gamers will

suffer less neck and chest pain.

My research question is will creating a modified video game controller prevent neck and

chest pain? My hypothesis is if I make a modified controller then it will prevent neck and chest

pain. My engineering goal is to create a controller that will prevent neck and chest pain. My

procedure is first 3D printing two split pieces of the video game controller along with a

rectangular prism to fit in between. Next, dismantling a regular video game controller and using
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the pieces for the 3D printed controller. Finally, the final step is trying to make the adjusted

controller work. Risk and safety includes handling the pieces of the dismantled controller with

caution.

Literature Review
Video games have become increasingly popular. However, playing video games for too

long can often lead to physical complications such as neck and chest prevent. For my project I

am making a modified video game controller to help prevent neck and chest pain in gamers.

Researches from professionals have shown that users of technology experience physical pain in a

variety of shapes and forms. I have found three studies that I used to gain knowledge on my

science fair topic.

Scientists have found pain in adolescents that are computer or video gamer users. In Pain

and musculoskeletal pain syndromes related to computer and video game use in adolescents,

questionnaires are given to adolescents in an experiment resulting in “39% musculoskeletal pain”

and “23% back pain” in “adolescents” from “computer or video games” (Pediatr 2006). Pediatr

found from the questionnaires that there is some pain in adolescents from video games. The

results from this experiment show a need for innovations to prevent back pain.

Although Pediatr has shown that there is pain from video games, is there more research

on pain from technology? In Musculoskeletal pain associated with the use of computer systems

in Nigeria, the Department of Medical Rehabilitation did an experiment to find if there was any

musculoskeletal pain from computer systems in Nigeria. The experiment’s data was also found

in a questionnaire with two parts of thirty five questions each. “Low back pain” and “neck pain”

was the “biggest compliant” from the study with “74% and 73%” along with a variety of other

pain from different areas in the body (Department of Medical Rehabilitation 2005). Bad
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ergonomics may be contributing to the pain in computer users and my controller is designed to

help video gamers with poor ergonomics that are at risk of pain in chest and neck.

From my last article The Surprising Effects From Using Technology it found that

technology has caused unexpected pain from many areas of the body as well. The side effects

consisted of “hand,” “neck” and “back pain” along with “hand wrist, back” and “neck fixes”

(Harvard Health Letter 2018). Not only that, but “hand numbness” and “tingling” was also

common (Harvard Health Letter 2018). This article shows that technology has caused neck pain

along with many other types of pain such as hand pain and back pain. My controller should help

prevent neck and chest pain in gamers. All three articles have shown there is pain from

technology and innovations to prevent the pain are necessary.

Method

I started with 3D printing a video game controller split into two pieces along with a

rectangular prism for the pieces to be put on top of. Then I dismantled a video game controller

that I put into the split controller. I attempted to program the motherboard to work but it did not

work.

I did not test the product because the product does not work yet. I made prototypes but

they were not successful. My first prototype was a back brace to prevent posture problems for

video gamers, but I learned that it would strain the muscles in the back therefore it would not

benefit video gamers. My other prototype of the modified controller did not work because it had

wiring complications with the motherboard.

In order to find out if the product will prevent chest and neck pain I need to test it on

many people in multiple trials. I did not test the product because the product does not work yet. I
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learned that the controller has a motherboard that needs to be carefully wired internally in order

to extend the size of the controller.

Procedure:
Step 1: Design a prototype of the video game controller to 3D print
Step 2: Print the prototype
Step 3: Take apart a video game controller to find out how a video game controller functions
Step 4: Try to modify the motherboard and other pieces to make the video game controller work

Data Analysis
I did not conduct tests because my controller does not work yet.

Discussion
Next steps begin with modifying the motherboard of a video game controller for the Ergo X

Controller. The step after that would be to test the controller on many people and perform about

thirty trials to ensure valid results. If the trials prove that the Ergo X Controller prevents

neck and chest pain, then I would try to add a timer to tell users of the controller to take a break

after certain periods of time. There are many steps I can take to continue the development of the

modified controller.

References
Zapata, A. L., Moraes, A. J. P., Leone, C., Doria-Filho, U., & Silva, C. A. A. (2006). Pain and
musculoskeletal pain syndromes related to computer and video game use in adolescents.
European Journal of Pediatrics, 165(6), 408–414. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-005-
0018-7
Adedoyin, R. A., Idowu, B. O., Adagunodo, R. E., Owoyomi, A. A., & Idowu, P. A. (2005). Musculoskeletal
pain associated with the use of computer systems in Nigeria. Technology & Health Care,
13(2), 125–130. Retrieved from http://proxygsu-
scob.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a
9h&AN=17108987&site=ehost-live
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The surprising side effects from using technology. (2018). Harvard Health Letter, 43(6), 4. Retrieved
from http://proxygsu-
scob.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a
9h&AN=128706330&site=ehost-live