'Remove Before Flight' red strap in place of the safety switch? Any interest?

Is anyone interested in helping me implement a red “Remove Before Flight” strap in place of the safety switch? Or maybe as a redundant safety mechanism to the safety switch? Basically the opposite of a car key.

Ideal behavior:
-“Remove before flight” strap is installed = vehicle is immediately disarmed and set to ‘safe’ state
-"Remove before flight strap is removed = vehicle is set to ‘unsafe’ state and is free to arm

If implemented as a redundant safety, the arming procedure could look like this:

  1. Remove safety strap
  2. press safety switch
  3. arm vehicle

Ive started a thread over in the copter forum:
“Remove before flight” Red strap as safety switch

This could provide a visual safety measure that is immediately identifiable from several feet away as well as a further assurance that the vehicle is safe while working on or near it.

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Hi there!

I use ardupilot for an automated boat. I would be interested in the feature of having a redundant safety strap and an arm switch.

This can be done by Button, see the BTN_ params.

https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-buttons.html

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Wow. Buttons are button inputs are a really tight feature! I wish I know they existed.

Thanks for the link to the documentation!

I have used LUA scripts to change flight modes on a vehicle:

The system has evolved a little since that post, but you will get the idea. I use LUA scripting to select the relevant modes as required.

I have a breakwire system, using the button inputs, that if the wire is broken (open circuit) then the flight mode switches to manual. It can be in other modes at different stages of flight, but if the breakwire is open then manual is forced.

The only real problem with this system is that it relies on firmware running in order to put the vehicle in a neutral mode. A more serious system would also de-power the props and perhaps servos to completely and unequivocally neutralise the vehicle. In my case manual is the right answer :slightly_smiling_face: .

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Thanks for sharing. I will be sure to share mine as well when we end lockdown here in Auckland, NZ. All my system is currently @uni.