A computing device, comprising: at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318); a processor subsystem including at least an application processor and a sensor processing component that is connected to the at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318); a microcontroller connected to the at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318) and the processor subsystem; and at least one memory device including instructions operable to be executed to perform a set of actions, enabling the computing device to: monitor, using the sensor processing component, sensor data captured by the at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318) during at least a portion of a time interval in which the sensor processing component is operating in an active state; cause the sensor processing component to, based on a current device load, instruct the microcontroller to monitor for specific actions during at least a portion of a time interval in which the sensor processing component is operating in an active state; cause the microcontroller to monitor the sensor data in response to the sensor processing component being instructed to operate in a lower power state than the active state; and cause the sensor processing component to monitor the sensor data, and resume operating in the active state, in response to the microcontroller detecting a potential wake action while the microcontroller is monitoring the sensor data, wherein the potential wake action does not require any physical contact with the computing device, wherein the microcontroller is configured to only determine detection of the potential wake action in response to the sensor data matching information stored for the potential wake action with at least a minimum level of confidence. at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318); a processor subsystem including at least an application processor and a sensor processing component that is connected to the at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318); a microcontroller connected to the at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318) and the processor subsystem; and at least one memory device including instructions operable to be executed to perform a set of actions, enabling the computing device to: monitor, using the sensor processing component, sensor data captured by the at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318) during at least a portion of a time interval in which the sensor processing component is operating in an active state; cause the sensor processing component to, based on a current device load, instruct the microcontroller to monitor for specific actions during at least a portion of a time interval in which the sensor processing component is operating in an active state; cause the microcontroller to monitor the sensor data in response to the sensor processing component being instructed to operate in a lower power state than the active state; and cause the sensor processing component to monitor the sensor data, and resume operating in the active state, in response to the microcontroller detecting a potential wake action while the microcontroller is monitoring the sensor data, wherein the potential wake action does not require any physical contact with the computing device, wherein the microcontroller is configured to only determine detection of the potential wake action in response to the sensor data matching information stored for the potential wake action with at least a minimum level of confidence. monitor, using the sensor processing component, sensor data captured by the at least one device sensor (314, 316, 318) during at least a portion of a time interval in which the sensor processing component is operating in an active state; cause the sensor processing component to, based on a current device load, instruct the microcontroller to monitor for specific actions during at least a portion of a time interval in which the sensor processing component is operating in an active state; cause the microcontroller to monitor the sensor data in response to the sensor processing component being instructed to operate in a lower power state than the active state; and cause the sensor processing component to monitor the sensor data, and resume operating in the active state, in response to the microcontroller detecting a potential wake action while the microcontroller is monitoring the sensor data, wherein the potential wake action does not require any physical contact with the computing device, wherein the microcontroller is configured to only determine detection of the potential wake action in response to the sensor data matching information stored for the potential wake action with at least a minimum level of confidence.