Thanks for the replies.
mikb55:
Is the not wanting an arduino in every device due to cost, size, power consumption or something else?
Almost every gadget you use today has some sort of microcontroller in it. It's just so small that you don't know it's even there.
I realize I was not detailed enough and I kind of sound stupid. It's mainly about size. But of course all the mentioned aspects are somewhat important. Power consumption I'd say is the least important though.
mikb55:
I pretty sure something like the xbee (expensive) can function standalone to transmit the status of switch inputs. Perhaps the nRF24L01+ has something similar?
No, as far as I am concerned the nRF24L01+ does not have those capabilities. But as Robin_S also suggested:
Robin2:
An ESP8266 (such as the Wemos D1 or similar) might be an economic solution as it includes a microprocessor that can be programmed using the Arduino IDE and WiFi capability. You could use a laptop as a small server to which the hand-units could communicate via a WiFi router (or is the term Access Point?).
I was thinking about those too.
mikb55:
Are these things battery powered? Who has the job of changing, or charging a 100 batteries?Anything that is portable will get stolen. if it's tethered then why not use a wired connection for data and power?
I do not have to be able to actually use it many times and I have to use wireless communication. And I also do have to use an Arduino at some point.