Tilt Switch

thingiverse

Tilt switches use a metal ball or a drop of mercury to sense if an object is tilted. The ball or the drop connect two metal contacts. If the object is tilted the connection is open. This simple tilt switch is easy to build. All you need is a M5 washer (11 mm outer diameter) and two pieces of 1,5 mm^2 single strand wire. The sensor works in all directions but I noticed that (seen as in the pictures) the forward/backward direction is the most reliable. Keep in mind that this switch is not suited for the use with high power electricity. It works well as a sensor (e.g. for Arduino) or to switch with a transistor. _____ Print and use at own risk.