Pair-Less Bluetooth for Touchless Interaction

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the need for touchless interactions with technology in public spaces. By leveraging mobile phones which are equipped with Bluetooth wireless transmitters, we enable touchless and app-less interactions between people and technology. The Bluetooth signal broadcast from everyday devices such as smart phones is used by Bluetooth receivers, such as wireless earbuds, to pair the devices and communicate data. In this work, on the other hand, the broadcasted Bluetooth signal is detected, along with any change in the signal caused by rotating one's phone or waving one's hand by the phone. These intentional gestures with one's phone in the presence of an equipped Bluetooth receiver are interpreted as 'words' of a communication language. Without the need to pair devices or download any software, the communication language enables touchless interactions between a user holding a phone and a computing system in a public space