A Smart Wand for Gesture-Based Home Automation
Imagine controlling your home devices with just a flick of your wrist like a magician. Our project aims to design a gesture-based smart wand that acts as a remote control for various home devices and accessories that control home devices. By integrating motion sensing, machine learning, and infrared (IR) communication, our wand recognizes specific hand movements—such as drawing a lightning shape or a “W” shape—and translates them into commands for smart home appliances.
Our system consists of a wand transmitter and multiple receiver modules. The wand uses an MPU6050 motion sensor to capture movement data, which is then processed by an embedded convolutional neural network running on an STM32F103 microcontroller. Once a gesture is recognized, the wand transmits a corresponding IR signal to the receivers, which then decode the signal. When a specific signal for the specific receiver is captured, an output device such as turning on a light, opening the curtain, or opening the air conditioner activates. Each receiver module, also built with an STM32 microcontroller, interprets these signals and drives the appropriate response.
What makes our project unique is the combination of gesture recognition and smart home control. Our wand provides a hands-free, touch-free experience—ideal for accessibility, convenience, and entertainment. The custom-designed PCB would fit the thin shape of a wand, and the choice between USB-C and battery-powered operation makes the wand portable.
By the end of our project, we aim to have a fully functional prototype that can accurately recognize six distinct gestures and trigger different devices in a smart home setup. This interaction method could enable a magical way to control technology in everyday life.