Safety considerations and hazards when working with high-power batteries

Since modern batteries can unleash a lot of power, the power distribution system is one of the components of a robot that can be dangerous for the robot itself, but also for the environment, and even for you. Let us spend a little bit of time looking at the risks that come from using electrical power and how we can mitigate them.

Electric shock

If you touch two conductors and too much electrical current flows through your body, pain and lasting damage can occur. The best way to prevent this is to limit the voltages of your robot power system to safe levels. For DC power systems such as the ones in Arduino robots, the upper limit of what is considered safe to touch is 36V. If all the voltages in your robot are below 36V, it is safe to touch any part of your robot without the risk of serious eclectic shock (it might still tingle, especially when your fingers are not dry).

Arcing

Even lower voltages can...