An intention detection mechanism detects a target user accessing an operational context and accesses sensor data collected by a plurality of sensors encoding signals describing one or more characteristics of the target user and surroundings of the target user. The intention detection mechanism converts the accessed sensor data into a multi-channel sensor data time series, where each channel represents a characteristic of the target user. The intention detection mechanism compares the sensor data time series to a multi-channel intentionality template to determine whether the sensor data time series contains the multi-channel intentionality template. The multi-channel intentionality template describes characteristics indicative of an intent of a target user accessing the operational context. If the sensor data time series contains the multi-channel intentionality template, the intention detection mechanism communicates a signal confirming that the target user intended to access to the operational context.