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New Safety Feature Detects Flesh

Posted by timothy on from the mmm-flesh dept.

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?"

5 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. How does the brake by PhysicsGenius · · Score: 3, Interesting
    "absorb the energy" that quickly? The only way I can think of that wouldn't involve having to change brakepads (or install a new device) every time is magnetic braking. And that's going to cause a big EMP which, if it doesn't fry the tool's electronics, will at least any nearby pacemakers to go haywire.

    I can just see it now: A retired carpenter is doing a little sawing, accidentally puts his finger in the way but SawStop saves it....at the cost of his life.

  2. The joys of severed limbs by rit · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I thought people might appreciate the humour of this story...

    Several years ago, I went through training as an EMT in the great state of Pennsylvania. We were fortunate to have our main training classes held in a Vocational Technology college - which meant we had all sorts of great rooms and setups for running scenarios.

    As part of our final exam, we were dispatched to the woodshop room - a room full of hundreds of bandsaws, etc. - for a report of a possible bandsaw accident.

    Now there are two things we were trained to keep in mind with possible amputations:
    1) Find the limb immediately and pack it in ice - it is very likely it can be saved and reattached.
    2) The patient/victim rarely realises, due to the shock of things, that they've actually lost the limb. So for godsake, don't let them notice.

    We arrive on 'scene' in this gigantic shop room, which had row upon row of bandsaw, and the actor is sitting there, fully done up complete with fake severed hand gushing blood, which she has a towel pressed against. She informs us that she was working on the bandsaw and cut herself, and she thinks it's pretty deep. My partner carefully approaches, lifts the towel - and it's quite clear [thanks to the instructors insistence on proper special effects to simulate the injury] that the hand is completely severed.

    Taking the initiative on action point #1, I scan the nearest bandsaws for any sign of the severed limb, and see nothing. My brain takes control before I can think, insistent upon finding this limb, and of course states to the patient "Ma'am, Where is the rest of your hand?"

    And as if on cue, the actor flips out and starts wailing and shrieking and flailing, and then descends into shock...

    And all I wanted to do was help her find her hand!

    [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].

  3. Automatic hunter? by mst · · Score: 2, Interesting

    > I wonder if this same technology might be used to protect you neighbor's cat from your robotic lawnmower?

    I wonder if this same technology might be used to create an automatic, mechanical, cat replacement that uses the meat detector to find mice. (But then again, how would you keep it from eating your neighbor's kitten too?... :-)

  4. Re:Nope, this isn't new by andawyr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Don't you think that for some people, knowning that they have a safety device installed, might be a bit more careless?

    If you have a safety net, you may be more prone to need it.

    I can certainly see a requirement for such a safety device in school workshops, but as I said before, there is no substitute for proper education.

  5. Left-handed people by acceber · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Considering that most, if not all machinery is catered for right-handed people, I can see how SawStop would be extremely appealing to left-handed people who have to work their brains around tools that would be potentially dangerous if used in a left-handed fashion.
    Research shows that left-handers are 51% more likely than right handers to suffer accidental injury using tools machinery or other implements

    If you're right-handed, imagine having to use all your machinery and tools the "wrong" way (ie left-handed). Even though there are more left-handed people today, the fact stands that the majority of the world's population is right-handed so left-handed products will become nothing more than the niche market it is today.