Emergency Shutdown

Emergency procedures for the RCR Common Robotics Platform when immediate shutdown is required.

When to Use Emergency Shutdown

Use emergency shutdown procedures when:

  • Battery overheating or smoking

  • Fire or smoke from batteries

  • System malfunction requiring immediate power cut

  • Safety hazard requiring instant shutdown

Emergency Shutdown Steps

1. Immediate Power Cut

# Kill all processes immediately
Ctrl+C (in all terminal windows)

# Force shutdown if system is unresponsive
sudo shutdown -h now

2. Physical Power Disconnect

  • Turn off Teensy power switch immediately

  • Remove Pi battery if safe to do so

  • Remove Teensy battery if safe to do so

  • Disconnect any external power sources

⚠️ LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SAFETY

If you notice heat, smoke, or fire from the batteries:

Immediate Actions

  1. Turn off all power switches immediately

  2. Remove batteries if safe to do so (wear protective gloves)

  3. Move robot to a safe outdoor location if possible

Lithium Fire Safety

  • DO NOT use water on lithium fires

  • Lithium fires need to burn out completely

  • Use a Class D fire extinguisher if available

  • If fire starts, move robot outside and let it burn out safely

  • Call emergency services (911) if needed

After Emergency

  • Do not attempt to recharge damaged batteries

  • Dispose of damaged batteries properly at a hazardous waste facility

  • Report the incident immediately

Battery Safety Best Practices

Always follow these safety guidelines:

  • Keep batteries in chargers when not in use - Never leave batteries installed in the robot when connected to external power

  • Remove batteries during charging - Only charge batteries in designated charging stations, not while installed in the robot

  • Monitor charging process - Never leave batteries charging unattended

  • Use proper storage - Store batteries in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight

Normal Shutdown vs Emergency

Normal Shutdown: Use Shutdown Procedure for routine shutdowns Emergency Shutdown: Use this procedure only when immediate shutdown is required for safety

For normal shutdown procedures, see Shutdown Procedure For startup procedures, see Startup Procedure For troubleshooting, see Troubleshooting