Pushin' On: UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System Digital Newsletter Volume 36 | Number 2 | Page 4

TECHNOLOGY WATCH Xbox Adaptive Controller You might have noticed the commercial this past holiday season. It featured a group of children rushing to see their friend with a disability conquer a game and dance in celebration. He did it using Microsoft’s new Xbox Adaptive Controller. The Adaptive Controller is built from the ground up through partnerships with the AbleGamers Foundation, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, SpecialEffect, Warfighter Engaged, and many community members to meet the needs of gamers with limited mobility. The result is a central hub for devices that help make gaming more accessible. • Play on Xbox One consoles and Windows 10 PCs with familiar features such as Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, Copilot, and a 3.5mm stereo headset jack. • Connect external devices such as switches, buttons, mounts, and joysticks to create a custom controller experience that is uniquely yours. Button, thumbstick, and trigger inputs are controlled with assistive devices connected through 3.5mm jacks and USB ports. • RAM® Mounts partnered with Microsoft to create inclusive gaming mounting solutions for Küschall Superstar At the moment, carbon fiber wheelchairs are the top of the line when it comes to manual wheelchairs. It’s because the material is strong and light weight. One of the lightest has a frame weight of about 12 pounds. If you haven’t heard of graphene, you will! It’s the strongest and lightest material known to man. So why not wheelchairs? Küschall has it covered. The Küschall Superstar is truly the first of its kind! Made of space-age, unbelievably strong and light graphene, the frame weighs in at an amazing 3.3 pounds. Designed with the dual goals of improving performance and limiting injury, its Direct Drive system moves the wheels closer to the user, while a custom-tailored backrest and seat with integrated cushion guarantee proper posture. The seating position can be easily adjusted to adapt to the activity, built-in LED lighting provides added safety. The Superstar offers superb power transfer through the entire frame, which means the Superstar responds rapidly with every movement. It also has an impressive road dampening properties for a smoother ride. And it looks fantastic! Currently in the pilot phase, the company hopes to have the chair on the market by 2020. 4 uab.edu/sci the Adaptive Controller. There are all-in-one kits for wheelchair track mounting, and there are universal mounts that can be strapped to your leg, arm or abdomen. • Use the Xbox Accessories app on Xbox One or Windows 10 to further customize your experience through button remapping and profiles. Create multiple controller profiles in the app and instantly switch between three of them with the built-in Profile button.