A method for access control using non-contact gesturing for access to a secured environment, said method comprising the steps of: providing a structure (400; 612) comprising at least one transmitting electrode (102; 602) and a plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604); generating an alternating electric field from the at least one transmitting electrode (102; 602); modifying the alternating electric field by placing a hand in the electric field, wherein the hand performs a series combination of relative movements without touching the structure (400; 612); measuring the alternating electric field at each one of the plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604); comparing, by a gesture sensing controller , the measured alternating electric field at each one of the plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604) with predefined electric field values of a gesturing library in a memory of a digital signal processor, DSP, ; disabling the step of comparing the measured alternating electric field when a foreign object is in close proximity to at least one of the plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604); determining, by a gesture sensing controller , a plurality of gestures from the comparison of the measured alternating electric field at each one of the plurality of receiving electrodes with the predefined electric field values; comparing, by a protected access equipment , the determined plurality of gestures with an expected plurality of gestures, wherein if the determined plurality of gestures are substantially the same as the expected plurality of gestures then issue an access acceptance command to unlock a protection mechanism for access to the secured environment, and if not do nothing. providing a structure (400; 612) comprising at least one transmitting electrode (102; 602) and a plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604); generating an alternating electric field from the at least one transmitting electrode (102; 602); modifying the alternating electric field by placing a hand in the electric field, wherein the hand performs a series combination of relative movements without touching the structure (400; 612); measuring the alternating electric field at each one of the plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604); comparing, by a gesture sensing controller , the measured alternating electric field at each one of the plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604) with predefined electric field values of a gesturing library in a memory of a digital signal processor, DSP, ; disabling the step of comparing the measured alternating electric field when a foreign object is in close proximity to at least one of the plurality of receiving electrodes (104; 604); determining, by a gesture sensing controller , a plurality of gestures from the comparison of the measured alternating electric field at each one of the plurality of receiving electrodes with the predefined electric field values; comparing, by a protected access equipment , the determined plurality of gestures with an expected plurality of gestures, wherein if the determined plurality of gestures are substantially the same as the expected plurality of gestures then issue an access acceptance command to unlock a protection mechanism for access to the secured environment, and if not do nothing. <EOS>