
With increased technological advancements, switches require updating with current times. To avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19, it has become important to not touch surfaces of buttons and keys that have been frequently used by other people. This calls for a need to innovate the switching technology for replacing a hand-operated switch, with a contactless switch.
So today, we will design a no-touch switch that works entirely on hand gestures. Our smart contactless switch includes a sensor that is capable of detecting hand movements and translates them into commands for controlling lights, fans and various home appliances.
Bill of Materials
Let’s start designing the smart switch by shopping for the following components.
Coding
First of all we need to install the required library in the Arduino IDE. Go to Select → Library Manager → Search APDS9960 → Install Adafruit APDS9960Â

After installing the library, add it into the code and then define the pin number for light and fan control. Next, create a setup function where you can initialise the sensor and set the pinmode output for light and fan control.Â


Then create a loop function to update the sensor readings and use your hand gestures as an input to control the pin. Also create a few if conditions for specifying the commands based on the type of hand gestures (up, down, left and right).Â
Up: Lights ONÂ
Down: Lights OFFÂ
Left: Fans ON
Right: Fans OFF

ConnectionÂ
Now upload the code to Arduino and connect the components as described in the circuit diagram. Then connect the AC wire with the common pin of relay module to control the lights and fans.


Testing for the Contactless Switch
Now power the device and relay. When you will move your hand in an upward direction, the relay will be moved and lights will switch ON. Similarly, a hand gesture in downward direction will switch OFF the lights.Â
Good Project. Thanks for sharing. Please share the circuit diagram and the details how you powered Arduino inside switch board. How you got 5V DC to power Arduino inside switch board.
I could see a display which shows Arrow in the video but it is not in the bill of materials.
You can use 5v dc adapter and fit it inside the board for that. Here I have used the phone charger having 5v out .
Can we use apds 9930 instead of apds 9960?
Code is not made for 9930
That’s OLED display
Can we use apds 9930 instead of apds 9960? Can you tell me please?
can somebody please tell me, how did that display came there in the project
There are two versions of CODE attached with the article one is simple other with OLED. The article is about a simplified version of a switch without OLED to reduce the overall cost of the project and to reduce the construction time. If anyone wants to expend extra money then he can add OLED and the code is attached with the article. The connection with OLED is the same as both are I2C based devices.