Hardware Safety

Safety first

Read this before you touch the hardware. It only takes two minutes.

For kids and teens

• Under 16? Build with an adult. Especially for soldering and anything with a battery.
• If something gets hot, smells of burning or makes smoke, unplug it and step back. Tell an adult.

Soldering

• A soldering iron is hotter than an oven (about 350 °C). Always put it back in its stand.
• Solder in a room with fresh air, or with a fan blowing the smoke away from your face.
• Wear safety glasses: solder can spit.
• Wash your hands after soldering, and don't eat while you solder.

Batteries and power

• Lola can run from a LiPo battery. LiPos are safe when treated well, but can catch fire if damaged.
  • Never bend, puncture or squash one.
  • Don't let the two wires touch each other.
  • Charge it only through the Feather's own charger, and don't leave it charging unattended.
  • Stop using a battery that's puffy or swollen.
• Unplug USB and the battery before you change any wiring.
• Check the battery plug's red (+) and black (−) wires match the board before you plug in. Plugs from other makers can be wired the other way round.

Moving parts

• The wing servos are strong for their size and move suddenly. Keep fingers out of the wing gaps while the robot is powered, and don't hold a wing still while it's trying to move: it can pinch you and it wears out the servo.
• If a wing is stuck or buzzing, power off and find out why before trying again.

The simulator is always safe

Everything in the simulator is pretend. Try anything you like there first: see Try changes in the simulator.