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I am a software engineer and totally new in electric field so that this question may be silly.

Can we develop a device that would turn on an LED on or make sound when the holding person gets shocked by electricity?

For example, in this scenario:

  1. The device is portable without ground but may have battery.
  2. I am holding the device or stick the device to my skin. I can say my body and device are one.
  3. By accident, I touch an open electric wire (120V 60Hz) and get shocked.
  4. The device lights up or sounds out.
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    \$\begingroup\$ What specific phenomenon do you propose to detect? The electric current is not guaranteed to go through the device. And it's not necessarily much current, so magnetic sensing is out. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 1:57
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    \$\begingroup\$ Also, depending on what part of the body it goes through, you might well be able to survive 100 mA, or you might die from just 1 mA. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 2:31
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    \$\begingroup\$ Some. The most effective is probably the ground fault current interruptor or GFCI, also known in some regions as a residual current device or RCD. Other methods of measurement have too many variables involved that you just can't control for. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 2:55
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    \$\begingroup\$ That detects current flowing within the body of water. The water is largely homogenous (your body has many internal structures, plus the skin, meaning that current flows in a non-predictable path). By moving the device around, they're detecting current in each point. You would need to move it around your body. It also goes into the water, whereas you probably don't want subcutaneous electrodes. \$\endgroup\$
    – SomeoneSomewhereSupportsMonica
    Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 4:09
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    \$\begingroup\$ I find I don't need a device to tell me I have just been shocked - 230V AC is very good at telling me I have just grabbed the wrong wire. \$\endgroup\$
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 6:16

1 Answer 1

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It may be possible to hook yourself up with static straps on both wrists (and perhaps ankles) then connect a high impedance voltmeter or scope to the ends.

There are devices for testing a static wrist strap while it is being worn by a user. The unit passes an extremely low current to the strap and through the user as they touch a conductive plate or button on the device. So there is a way to detect small currents through the body.

There are also wearable voltage detection devices that can detect live 50/60 Hz voltages at moderate distances, it may give you a warning just before an electrical contact to your body. Similar to this you could even construct your own circuit for detecting 50/60 Hz voltages at a distance. Such a device might give a reading if placed near a person who is being shocked by a live AC wire.

You might also try a kind of current transformer placed around ones arm, leg, or other parts of the body. As with a typical current transformer trying to detect very low currents in this manner may require several loops of wire. I think there is actually a prototype of this idea.

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