New Safety Feature Detects Flesh

nmb3000 writes "SawStop has introduced a new safety feature for dangerous power tools such as table and band saws which, if accurate and reliable, could result in a lot fewer people visiting the emergency room due to deadly accidents. Using the difference in electrical capacitance between various substances, the system can stop a blade rotating at 4000 RPM in less than 5 milliseconds after detecting contact with flesh. It's hard to understand just how effective this is until you see the demonstration videos where a hotdog is used in place of a potential victim's finger. The site also gives a brief explanation of how the system works as well as some high-speed videos showing just how quickly the blade stops rotating. I wonder if this same technology might be used to protect you neighbor's cat from your robotic lawnmower?"

Comments

They can't do this to me

[DeadSea]

I don't see how this is going to work for me. I use my power tools to prepare my BBQ. I use the saw to split the hot dogs and shape the hamburger patties.

It is "features" like this that kill the hobbist market for power tools.

So what happens if...

[lunarscape]

So what happens if your arm gets pinned under a fallen beam in a fiery explosion and your only hope of escape is to use the nearby power saw to amputate your own limb? This happens:

"Yes! I am saved by this power saw that is still miraculously working despite the fiery explosion!"

::Turns on power saw and moves it toward arm::

::Power saw clicks off::

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Damn you science!!!"

Re:The joys of severed limbs

[bradkittenbrink]

[We ended up passing the exam, with a minor downcheck for not being more delicate about the severed limb with the patient - the hand was in the very back of the room. Apparently none of the other groups even thought to find the limb, and took the patient to the hospital immediately].

How many of the other groups passed? Should I move out of Pennsylvania?