5d ago

We need more opensource hardware

88 comments

I have seen this done in a way that makes at least a bit of sense. My EUC (electric unicycle) came software locked to ensure that the motor didn't engage if it somehow turned on during transit. Removing the lock required connecting it to the manufacturer's app, but after that was done, I could use third party apps for everything else. Sure, there are other ways they could have done this, but this way ensures that the motor could not be engaged without human intervention.
- Should just ship it with the battery disconnected
  
  Or just install a switch on it. I guess that's too high tech for startup bros to figure out how to do, though.
  Even my electric lawn mower has a fusible link (it's actually a mini circuit breaker) that is designed such that you can yank it out, as a child safety feature. No fusible link installed, no power to the motor.
  
  For just about any other case, I would say thats a great solution, but EUCs are self-balancing devices. A switch would be a potential failure point, and experiencing a power loss at speed would likely result in serious injury.
  
  So you trust a software switch more. One that's not under your control and is theoretically subject to bugs, and can be demonstrably manipulated remotely.
  Makes sense to me.
  
  Fair point to some extent, but an electric speed controller (esc) is efficiency a software controlled switch anyway and thus is prone to the same manipulation. I suspect that this 'software switch' is nothing more than a flag telling the esc not to engage the motor.
  
  Yeah, fair enough honestly

88 comments