Hand Gesture Controlled Computer

A touchless, Arduino-based system for controlling your computer using hand gestures—ideal for games, media, and accessibility.

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Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Demo
• Hardware Requirements
• Circuit & Connections
• Installation
• Usage
• Gesture Reference
• Troubleshooting
• License

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Overview

This project presents a hand gesture-controlled computer system using an Arduino Uno, two HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors, and one PIR motion sensor. The system enables touch-free interactions by interpreting specific hand movements and motions as control commands.

• Ultrasonic sensors measure hand distances to trigger gestures for scrolling and media navigation (forward/backward).
• PIR sensor detects motion for play/pause functionality.
• The Arduino processes sensor data and communicates with a Python script via serial communication.
• The Python script (using PyAutoGUI) simulates keystrokes to control system functions.

This cost-effective solution enables intuitive human-computer interaction with applications in accessibility, smart environments, and touchless computing.

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Features

• 🎮 Control games (e.g., Subway Surfers) with arrow key gestures
• 🎵 Play/pause, next, and previous media tracks
• 📜 Scroll through web pages and documents
• 👋 Activate play/pause with motion detection
• 💻 Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux

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Demo

Project Poster

Video Demo

WhatsApp.Video.2025-05-26.at.20.54.57_99b9ef75.mp4

WhatsApp.Video.2025-05-26.at.20.55.18_14b5ec57.mp4

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Hardware Requirements

• Arduino Uno ×1
• HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor ×2
• PIR Motion Sensor ×1
• Breadboard & jumper wires
• USB cable for Arduino

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Circuit & Connections

Ultrasonic Sensor 1 (Left):

• VCC → 5V (Arduino)
• GND → GND
• Trig → Pin 6
• Echo → Pin 7

Ultrasonic Sensor 2 (Right):

• VCC → 5V
• GND → GND
• Trig → Pin 8
• Echo → Pin 9

PIR Motion Sensor:

• VCC → 5V
• GND → GND
• OUT → Pin 10

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Installation

1. Hardware Setup

• Assemble the sensors and connect them to the Arduino as shown above.

2. Arduino Code

• Upload the provided Arduino code to your Uno using the Arduino IDE.

3. Python Environment

• Install Python 3.7 or later.
• Install required packages:

  pip install pyserial pyautogui
  

4. Python Script

• Edit gesture_controller.py to set the correct COM port for your Arduino.
• Run the script:

  python gesture_controller.py
  

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Usage

• Place your hands in front of the sensors as per the gesture table below.
• The system will detect gestures and trigger the corresponding computer actions.

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Gesture Reference

Gesture	Action	Distance Range
Both hands close	Scroll Down	≤ 20cm both sensors
Both hands medium	Scroll Up	20–50cm both sensors
Left hand close	Previous/Back	Left ≤ 10cm, Right ≥ 30cm
Right hand close	Next/Forward	Right ≤ 10cm, Left ≥ 30cm
Motion detection	Play/Pause	PIR sensor activation

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Troubleshooting

• No response?
  Check your COM port and wiring.
• Gestures not detected?
  Ensure sensors are powered and unobstructed.
• Python errors?
  Confirm all dependencies are installed and permissions are set. To help users find the correct port for their Arduino, add a clear instruction section in your README. Here’s a concise statement you can include:

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Finding Your Arduino Port

Before running the Python script, make sure to check and update the serial port (COM port on Windows or /dev/tty* on Mac/Linux) in your script.

• Windows:

  1. Open the Arduino IDE.
  2. Go to Tools > Port.
  3. Note the port labeled with your Arduino board, e.g., COM3 (Arduino Uno)[2][4][6].
  4. Alternatively, open Device Manager and look under Ports (COM & LPT) for the Arduino port[4][6].

• Mac/Linux:

  1. Open the Arduino IDE and check Tools > Port for a port like /dev/cu.usbmodemXXXX[2][4].
  2. Or, open Terminal and run:

     ls /dev/tty*

     Look for a device such as /dev/ttyACM0 or /dev/ttyUSB0[4].

Update this port in your Python script:

ArduinoSerial = serial.Serial('COM3', 9600)  # Replace 'COM3' with your actual port

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License

MIT License

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Built with ❤️ during my fourth semester as a hands-on learning experience. Feel free to fork, contribute, or use this as a learning base.