Battery technology is entering one of its most transformative periods in modern engineering. As industries accelerate toward autonomous robotics, advanced sensing, and increasingly intelligent systems, the power sources behind these innovations must evolve just as quickly. Yet every new battery chemistry brings its own unique electrical behavior and integration requirements, forcing product teams to redesign hardware repeatedly just to keep pace. For companies building high‑performance systems, this fragmentation creates mounting complexity and slows the path from concept to deployment.

Proper Voltage was founded to solve this problem at its root. Rather than committing to a single chemistry or designing custom electronics for every new cell type, the team set out to create a universal battery platform—an adaptable architecture capable of connecting any battery technology to any product. Their goal is to give engineers the freedom to adopt emerging chemistries without redesigning their entire system, dramatically shortening development cycles while unlocking higher performance.

One recent project with Boston Dynamics and the Robotics and AI Institute demonstrated the impact of this approach. Proper Voltage delivered a custom battery system that nearly quadrupled the available power for the client’s robot while reducing charge time from several hours to just seven minutes. Throughout this project, the team relied on Altium’s platform to keep development and communications aligned, and move quickly from concept to a fully realized high‑performance system.

Keeping Communication Aligned Across a Fast‑Moving Team

As Proper Voltage expanded its platform with Boston Dynamics and the Robotics and AI Institute, the team found it increasingly difficult to keep daily communication aligned. With electrical engineers, software developers, and mechanical engineers all contributing to the same system, critical details were often buried in messages or lost across different tools. Small misunderstandings, such as a part changes or enclosure adjustments could easily cascade into rework or delay. The lack of a consistent, shared context made it challenging to ensure that everyone was reacting to the most current version of the design.

Using Altium Develop, the team shifted all design‑related communication directly into the context of their project. Comments and tasks were attached to specific design elements, eliminating the guesswork that came from interpreting external messages. Engineers could see exactly what needed attention and mark items as resolved as they worked, reducing the likelihood of details slipping through the cracks.

For ECAD/MCAD collaboration, Proper Voltage relied on seamless integration between Altium Designer and Onshape. Electrical and mechanical teams could push and pull updates between environments, ensuring that board outlines, component heights, and enclosure constraints stayed synchronized. This removed the need for manual file exchanges, reduced the risk of misalignment between domains.

Navigating an Unpredictable Supply Chain

As Proper Voltage prepared its designs for manufacturing, the procurement team faced increasing uncertainty around part availability. Supply chain volatility had become a persistent challenge, with inventory levels shifting rapidly and certain parts becoming scarce without warning. This created a constant risk of last‑minute redesigns or schedule slips, especially when working on power‑dense systems that relied on specific parts with limited substitutes.

Altium’s BOM Portal provided the visibility Proper Voltage needed to make sourcing decisions with confidence. The procurement team could review live data on part availability, lifecycle status, and potential risks directly within the context of their design, long before files were released to the manufacturer. Instead of discovering shortages after the fact, they could identify problems early, evaluate alternatives, and confirm that every part in the BOM was available for production.

Maintaining Visibility Into Fast‑Moving Design Work

As Proper Voltage took on more complex systems and accelerated development timelines, the founder needed a clear understanding of where each design stood at any given moment. With multiple engineering streams progressing in parallel—electrical, mechanical, software, and testing—it became difficult to track whether projects were on pace or if additional support was needed.

Altium’s Web Viewer gave the founder the real-time visibility required to stay ahead of development. Without needing an ECAD tool or direct access to engineering files, he could open any project in a browser and see exactly what had changed through with a complete project history. This immediate insight allowed him to monitor progress, understand open tasks or unresolved comments, and confirm that the right teams were aligned around the work that mattered most.