So I received my limit switches yesterday to redesign my Self Balancing Platform dead man’s switch.
I spent considerable thought on either installing the switch into the handle behind the bike brake handle lever, or building the limit switch into a small box and using a bike brake cable to activate the switch remotely. I decided against the remote box and bike cable design simply cause it would look more cumbersome and obvious and less integrated.
This morning I machined the rectangular hole for the new dead man’s switch into the aluminum tube crossbar and installed it. The stuttering issue resulting in a Segway face plant seems to be resolved. Replacing the faulty/easily damaged momentary push button switch I was using. Plus adding a bicycle brake handle for better feel for activating the switch is also reasonably comfortable.
However I discovered a fairly major issue with this design. I installed my dead man switch into the right handle of the platform. Since the limit switch is fairly large and close to the end of the platform’s handle, and me being right handed, when I release the dead man switch and climb off, and then simple hold the handle of the Self Balancing Platform to steady it or move it around, it’s very easy for me to accidentally activate the switch and send the platform into action without notice. And if this happens when the platform is not very level, then considerable wheel action can result.
One alternative would be to install it on the other handle, but then the same issue would happen when a lefty used it and climbed off. So in hindsight the best idea was the bike cable and a remote box with the switch located elsewhere. If I mounted the switch under the platform it could be hidden there and only the cable visible. I might still try this.
The current design is much better, but still not ideal. I solved one problem and created a new one. The precision limit switch is an ideal dead man’s switch. But this new location leaves little room for a handle to hold when I’m not riding it and total power is not turned off.
