[Noisebridge-discuss] how much current can you put through skin (comfortably)?

[Mikolaj Habryn]

We did some experiments on this at sensebridge -
https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/NBC_2009August2 - and from memory,
our rough conclusions were:

DC is bad news - common theme was feeling nothing as voltage was
gradually turned up, and then having a small sensation that rapidly
escalated into significant pain without needing the voltage to
increase - theory goes that once it starts to hurt, your skin does
something (like sweat) which improves conductivity and it hurts more -
lather, rinse, repeat.

AC is interesting - 1mA seems to be a good upper bound for current,
and we experimented with a voltage range of about 5 - 20 (don't recall
if that's RMS or peak, though). If you make a current source that's
capped at 0.5mA or so, without being able to go above 15V, I'd imagine
you'd get good results.

m.

On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 1:15 PM, Joel Jaeggli <joelja at bogus.com> wrote:
> As little as 50ma can stop your heart, but I don't imagine you're
> planning on using your trunk section to complete the circuit or as a
> path to ground. of course that also presupposes enough voltage to drive
> it which is why we distinguish between high and low voltage.
>
> There are components for making switches for this purpose rather than
> just using your finger to complete the circuit...
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_switch
>
> meredith scheff wrote:
>> I want to make some jewlery with embeded circuits where they activate
>> with touch..but how much can i put through skin and have it be, well, OK?
>> mer
>>
>> --
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>> David Thoreau
>>
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