Essentially, I am making a sensory art piece involving many different materials that all feel different to touch. I want to incorporate a small section of metal that will deliver a small, uncomfortable shock when touched but the viewer. I am an artist, so I have no experience with circuitry though I am pretty good at DIY and following instructions.
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2\$\begingroup\$ And if someone walks up with no shoes on and sweaty feet, they might get a big belting shock. Whereas someone wearing sensible shoes that are very good insulators might not feel anything. \$\endgroup\$– Andy akaCommented Sep 27, 2023 at 17:15
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2\$\begingroup\$ And what could go wrong? Someone might have a pacemaker or insulin pump which starts to malfunction due to unexpected shock, or the shock circuit itself might become dangerous due to a surprise fault in some component. I don't think there is a safe way to shock people with electricity. In the end you could just use a cheap two pronged power supply as they may provide a surprisingly high amount of leakage current. How about just making the metal vibrate? \$\endgroup\$– JustmeCommented Sep 27, 2023 at 18:00
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\$\begingroup\$ Bad idea, too much liabilty. But if you insist, I would investigate something like an electric fence, pulses of high voltage, but much weaker than an electric fence. \$\endgroup\$– Mattman944Commented Sep 27, 2023 at 21:29
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2 Answers
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I want to incorporate a small section of metal that will deliver a small, uncomfortable shock when touched but the viewer.
If you limit your shock to say 48 V and the maximum current to say 5 mA, it should be quite safe, but nevertheless "shocking".
There are many circuits that can create such a 48 V 5 mA supply. For safety, I would suggest using a USB power supply and connect it to a 5 V to 48 V boost converter. It would probably be easiest if you purchased, rather than made, a 5V to 48V, boost converter. Unfortunately, this is not a site on which to make (or ask for) product recommendations, but what you need is commercially available. Ideally, you would get one that had a current limit adjustment on it. If not, you could add a current limit circuit, which would involve just 2 transistors and 2 resistors.
simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab
answered Sep 27, 2023 at 17:20
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\$\begingroup\$ In my experience, DC doesn't produce a shocking feeling, it is more of a burning sensation. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Sep 27, 2023 at 21:25
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Consider cannibalizing the "sparker" out of a click-lighter or electric lighter. These produce impressively high voltages (thousands of volts) at very little current. Wire a string of 100k resistors (ten or more sounds like a good number - can't go much lower than this due to the voltage rating of each) in series with it to limit the effect / sensation.
Or rub a balloon with fur and it should become electrostatically charged. Can get a startling but harmless shock from that. Works better at lower humidity levels.
Unfortunately this may be a grey area legally... even if you inform the viewers of the shock (so that those whom are more sensitive to it can avoid it) someone can still be startled or trip and hurt themselves in some secondary accident. They could even complain of maladies days later; while real, coincidental, imagined, or downright deceitful... blame will follow the inventor.
Also consider a Plasma Globe. These produce a slight tingling sensation when touched. Careful, made of thin glass.
