Very good so far,
Here is the link to my paper...
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pa...le&paperid=366
It is absolutely important that you follow the robot manual electrical section when building your robot. This section is not "suggested building" it is required building practice. At competition your robot will be inspected by trained individuals and your robot must conform to the book. As you have seen above, the battery is capable of welding metals together and the danger of far worse also exists. (All persons working in the same room as a robot must have safety glasses on.) All battery terminals should be insulated with tape or heatshrink and all connections should be well insulated either using correctly terminated crimp on connectors or adequate heatshrink. If you want help at a competition, your controller must be visible while the robot is moving and easily changed if it is defective.
Above all else, when you don't know how to do something or you just have a question, please ask here. You will receive correct info from knowledgable people most of the time.