An electronic device and method detects a predefined gesture. The electronic device includes a sensing assembly including at least one photoreceiver and a plurality of phototransmitters, where each phototransmitter is positioned to emit infrared light away from the electronic device about a corresponding central transmission axis, and where each central transmission axis is oriented in a different direction with respect to the others. Further, the emission of infrared light by each of the phototransmitters is controlled during each of a plurality of sequential time periods to facilitate detecting the gesture.