A method for registering a user's request to provide contactless access to an elevator button panel includes: sensing, by a sensor associated with the elevator button panel, a motion of an object pointing towards the panel by the user; determining a distance of the object from the panel; comparing the distance with a distance threshold to determine whether the object is within the distance threshold indicating the user's request for activating a button on the panel; responding to the determination that the distance is within the distance threshold by determining a magnitude and a direction of a velocity of the object while in motion; and registering the user's request when the velocity magnitude of the object is greater than a threshold velocity magnitude, and the direction is a positive direction indicating the motion of the object towards the button the user intended to select.