The Wireless Charger as a Gesture Sensor: A Novel Approach to Ubiquitous Interaction

Abstract: Advancements in information technology have increased demand for natural human-computer interaction in areas such as gaming, smart homes, and vehicles. However, conventional approaches like physical buttons or cameras are often limited by contact requirements, privacy concerns, and high costs.Motivated by the observation that these EM signals are not only strong and measurable but also rich in gesture-related information, we propose EMGesture, a novel contactless interaction technique that leverages the electromagnetic (EM) signals from Qi wireless chargers for gesture recognition. EMGesture analyzes the distinctive EM features and employs a robust classification model. The end-to-end framework enables it capable of accurately interpreting user intent. Experiments involving 30 participants, 10 mobile devices, and 5 chargers showed that EMGesture achieves over 97% recognition accuracy. Corresponding user studies also confirmed higher usability and convenience, which demonstrating that EMGesture is a practical, privacy-conscious, and cost-effective solution for pervasive interaction.