CES is all about innovation, and so are we here at MakeUseOf. So, when we spotted the Knuckles-5 at the CES 2021 virtual event, it immediately intrigued us how a drone controller became a joystick for accessible gaming.

The Knuckles-5 Drone/Gaming Joystick

The Knuckles-5 is a new, one-handed joystick for drones and computer games. Not only does it provide highly customizable controls for flying first-person view (FPV) unmanned aerial vehicles, you can also use it to play video games one-handed.

knuckles5 field test

Revealed at CES 2021, the Knuckles-5 is the brainchild of Kostiantyn Borysov, CEO of the company. Initially, his vision was to create a highly customizable drone flight stick. However, the development of the Knuckles-5 was to take an unexpected turn.

Why Should a Drone Joystick Also Control Video Games?

The question you should really ask is, why not? The device may one day control several drone types, from small pocket drones, to larger commercial UAVs. Kostiantyn explains his initial inspiration behind the project as a drone controller:

Having worked in this field for about seven years, I realized that numerous models of drone controllers do not fully utilize the abilities of the human hand...

However, the reason behind its new direction, use as a game controller, is somewhat more heartwarming.

Borysov was browsing the internet when he happened upon a plea from a father who wanted to make a one-handed game controller for his son. The boy in question only had use of one arm. Kostiantyn realized he already had the foundations of such a device; his drone controller.

Speaking of his lateral thinking, the Knuckles-5 CEO says:

I realized that our product would be the perfect solution for this boy and for many other people...We consider Knuckles-5 to be a small step in the evolution of controllers. And this step will help people to overcome barriers and make life easier.

The cynics among you might just call this marketing talk. However, a device like this would go a long way to providing help for those who cannot use a two-handed controller.

We checked in with Kostiantyn at the virtual event and he gave us an exclusive commentary on the status of the device's development:

At the moment, the functionality of Knuckles-5 is comparable (a little more) with the two-handed controller for the Xbox 360. But after the completion of testing control through the IMU (by inclining the controller), the functionality will expand even more.

He then discussed the wider implications of his device:

This redundant functionality serves not only to ensure full control in space simulators, in which the spacecraft has 6 axes of freedom + a lot of additional options. But also so that people with disabilities can choose a convenient way of playing in the joystick settings. At the moment, when many people are forced to stay at home for a long time, the ability to connect to the gameplay for such people would be a strong anti-stress factor.

Putting the Controls in Everyone's Hands

knuckles5 black and white variants in hand

By modifying his drone flight stick, Borysov is opening the world of video games up to people who, previously, could not access a vast majority of video game titles and platforms. Knuckles-5 explains:

Users who are only able to use one hand or who have limited hand movement will be able to set [Knuckles-5] up and fly drones or play computer games with the same ease and efficiency as other gamers, drone-racers and UAV pilots.

What a genuinely brilliant way to adapt your product to benefit not just more people, but also a target market that differs completely from its original intentions. This is the kind of innovation we love to see; innovation that includes everybody, and that actually makes a difference.