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Embedded Systems & IoT · 2023 · completed

Air Mouse using ESP32

Wearable gesture-controlled human interface device using MPU6050 6-DOF IMU and Bluetooth BLE.

ESP32MPU6050 IMUBluetooth BLE HIDSensor FusionEmbedded C++I2C Protocol

01 / Overview

A wireless wearable glove / wand that translates freehand spatial wrist movements into high-precision cursor control on desktop and mobile operating systems. Leverages an ESP32 microcontroller with Bluetooth HID profile and sensor fusion filtering.

02 / Problem

Traditional computer mice require flat physical surfaces, creating ergonomic fatigue and limiting freedom during digital presentations and virtual control environments.

03 / Contribution

Engineered the embedded firmware, integrated MPU6050 accelerometer and gyroscope readings, designed complementary filtering, and configured the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Human Interface Device (HID) descriptor.

04 / System architecture

Physical + hardware

  • ESP32 microcontroller with built-in 2.4 GHz dual-mode Wi-Fi and Bluetooth BLE
  • MPU6050 6-Axis Inertial Measurement Unit (3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer)
  • Tactile micro-switches for primary left-click, right-click, and scroll activation
  • Compact 3.7V LiPo battery with MCP73831 charging management IC

Firmware + software

  • Complementary filter algorithm running at 100 Hz to cancel high-frequency accelerometer noise and low-frequency gyro drift
  • Dynamic sensitivity thresholding to eliminate hand tremors when holding position
  • Standard Bluetooth HID mouse profile enabling zero-driver plug-and-play compatibility with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android

Signal flowI2C connection (SDA/SCL) with 4.7k pull-up resistors connecting ESP32 GPIOs to MPU6050, powered through a low-dropout 3.3V regulator.

05 / Engineering decisions

  1. 01Utilized BLE HID instead of classic RF dongles to allow direct pairing with laptops and tablets without occupying USB ports.
  2. 02Implemented an active deadband window around zero velocity to eliminate involuntary muscle twitches from triggering cursor jitter.

06 / Results + constraints

Observed results

  • Cursor moves smoothly across 4K displays with imperceptible latency (<15ms).
  • Pairs natively as a standard Bluetooth mouse with no proprietary client software needed.
  • Achieved over 8 hours continuous battery life on a 300mAh LiPo cell.

Current limitations

  • Rapid erratic movements can require occasional re-centering on screen.
  • Needs 3D-printed ergonomic glove ring for optimal thumb-click accessibility.