Automation to prevent garage door opening when motorized platform is down

Hardware
1

I have a problem that I’m hoping someone could help figure out a solution, please! I have recently purchased a motorized, platform storage lifter for garage storage. The platform sits right above the garage door track (see photo below). The motors are controlled with an app that uses Bluetooth.

My concern is if the platform is down, exposing the cables, and the door is inadvertently opened (someone coming home, for example) then the door will collide with the cables. Not sure I want to imagine what happens next!

I wondered, for example, if there is such a sensor that detects if a device is in its “home” position or not. For example, the “home” position in this case would be the platform in the raised position. I could then make an automation (hopefully) that would lock the garage door from being opened if the platform was not in its home position. I have ratgdo integrated with the garage door.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Sincerely,
Roy

car
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Can you use a magnet / door sensor? Maybe two for redundancy.

Or you could build a distance sensor yourself Ultrasonic Distance Sensor — ESPHome

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Any door/window contact sensor (zigbee, zwave, wifi) will do this for you.

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Thank you, “fleskefjes!” The door sensors I’ve used have one piece that attaches to the door and one piece that attaches to the doorframe. The two pieces have to be fairly close in proximity to know when the door is closed. In my situation, there really is no where to attach the comparable “doorframe” piece.

Building a distance sensor sounds cool, but out of my level of expertise. Ugh!

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There’s some guides on this. HC-SR04 & JSN-SR04T ultrasonic distance sensors in ESPHome | Markus Haack // Software Engineer

Are you positive you can’t attach one piece of a door sensor somewhere that only is near the other piece when it’s fully up or down?

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Thank you, Tom! Unfortunately, I can’t attach a contact piece close enough to its sensor, as you would for a door or window if that make sense.

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@fleskefjes Ah, yes, I was thinking about this wrong in terms of where I would put the contact sensor. (Sorry - caffeine hasn’t kicked in yet!)

I know this question gets asked often, but is there a good door sensor that plays well with Home Assistant you’d recommend?

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I only have personal experience with two types of Zigbee ones myself, both have been working good. The Aqara ones I use outdoors in a cold garage and they have seen temperatures down to around -25C, working good then too.

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Thanks, again!

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