Gesture-based systems and methods for aircraft cabin light control

A gesture-based system, comprising:

• an armrest in an aircraft cabin of an aircraft;
• a sensor coupled to the armrest and oriented orthogonal to a ground surface in the aircraft cabin;
• a controller in operable communication with the sensor, the controller configured to:
• receive, via a processor and through the sensor, exclusively touchless gesture data from a user, wherein the touchless gesture data is a first and only data received from the user;
• compare, via the processor, the touchless gesture data to a predetermined gesture, the predetermined gesture being created by transitioning a hand from a first position to a second position, wherein if the first position is a closed fist, the second position is an open palm, and wherein if the first position is the open palm, the second position is the closed fist;
• determine, via the processor, whether the touchless gesture data matches the predetermined gesture;
• and
• command, via the processor, an electrically activated device to change from a first state to a second state, wherein the gesture-based system is configured to allow a passenger to activate the electrically activated device in an entirely touchless fashion.

An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, via the processor and through a sensor in an armrest of a seat in an aircraft cabin, exclusively touchless gesture data from a user, wherein the touchless gesture data is a first and only data received from the user;
• comparing, via the processor, the touchless gesture data to a predetermined gesture, the predetermined gesture being created by transitioning a hand from a first position to a second position, wherein if the first position is a closed fist, the second position is an open palm, and wherein if the first position is the open palm, the second position is the closed fist;
• determining, via the processor, whether the touchless gesture data matches the predetermined gesture;
• and
• commanding, via the processor, an electrically activated device to change from a first state to a second state.