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Science Hardware Technology

New Safety Feature Detects Flesh 124

Posted by timothy 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?"
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New Safety Feature Detects Flesh More

New Safety Feature Detects Flesh

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  • They can't do this to me (Score:5, Funny)

    by DeadSea ( 69598 ) * on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:41AM (#9570271) Homepage Journal

    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.

    • We 'saw' many accidents down at the logmill that could've been prevented by this new technology. No more 'saw' fingers!

      Guffaw. Chortle.

    • Seriously... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by hlh_nospam ( 178327 ) <instructor AT celtic-fiddler DOT com> on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @11:39AM (#9571445) Homepage Journal
      A bandsaw is commonly used to cut meat in butcher shops. I'm guessing that this device would not work on that application.

      Also, gotta wonder if this sort of thing might actually *increase* the number of injuries from power cutting equipment -- by reducing the level of respect for the destruction power of the equipment. Sorta like some of the safety features of automobiles has led to some folks driving more agressively...
      • no, but chainmail might.

        What I'm worried about is getting used to my flesh-safe saw, and then grabbing my roommates dad's old Wahl chainsaw or something, and getting careless...

        Yeah, I can see disrespect start to creep in. Nothing breeds contempt like familiarity though... (I do some pretty dangerous pocket cuts in 4'x8' plywood sometimes...)

      • A saw, when running, creates an environment strewn with sawdust, vibration, and heat. How long do you think a *sensitive* detector is going to survive, and remain correctly calibrated to detect flesh in that environment?

        You don't sharpen an axe blade like you do a knife blade. That fine a point would be blunted in one or two chops. A duller blade to begin with, may not slice through trees like a ninja's sword ( as in Spies like Us ) but it will chop more trees between resharpenings, and not get stuck i

    • "fewer people visiting the emergency room due to deadly accidents"

      If it is too deadly, they will be in the morgue :-)

      Forget trying to use it as a safety device, why not attack when you detect flesh, thus stopping your neighbours dog shitting on your lawn!

      Go RoboMower! Mow his ass! :-)

  • Chain Saw Killers Unite! (Score:5, Funny)

    by ericspinder ( 146776 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:41AM (#9570272) Journal
    ...could result in a lot fewer people visiting the emergency room due to deadly accidents.
    wouldn't a visit to the morgue be a more likely visit with a deadly accident? Can't anyone think of the chain saw killers, I mean what are they supposed to do? Most kidding aside, this would be great for chain saws, right now it looks like it's only available for table saws, perhaps the system is quite large.

  • Bond (Score:5, Funny)

    by Tomahawk ( 1343 ) * on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:42AM (#9570277) Homepage
    "Now, Mr. Bond, since you won't talk, you will loose your..."

    CHUG.

    "...eh? Damn you SawStop"

    T.

    • Re:Bond (Score:3, Informative)

      by cjpez ( 148000 )
      lose . One "o." Say it with me: "lose."

      • Re:Bond (Score:2, Funny)

        by orangesquid ( 79734 )
        Joke's on you!
        The villain _meant_ "You will lose your penis!"
        But, no losing happened. Instead, the only outcome was loosing, because Bond's penis was still hanging out in the open, unharmed and ready for action.
        Wait, OK. Maybe let's not go there.
        Yeah, after some re-thinking, I think I'll stick with the spelling Nazi. =)
      • ..but by cutting it off, it becomes loose, no?
  • But seriously, the question is when they go to cut off their third leg will the blade not stop until they can no longer have kids?

  • New? (Score:4, Informative)

    by xyzzy ( 10685 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:44AM (#9570303) Homepage
    If by "new" you mean "3 or 4 years ago"... This has shot around the internet for ever.
    • That depends on if you consider "new" to mean, I just came up with a great idea, or "new" to mean as a working product. I am sure that there has been a lot of "buzz" around this system, it's many applications would save hundred of millions of dollars, if not billions. Litigation cost, hospital costs, workman's comp costs. Hell the only people who could possibly hate this idea are personal injury lawyers and hand surgeons!
    • Apparently, this is new and old.

      I saw this guy interviewed at the last International Builder's Show.

      He's been trying to get manufacturers to integrate this technology for about that long. They haven't bitten.

      Now, I remember seeing this when it first came out. At that time the technology ruined the motor when it stopped.

      The rationale was, "a motor is cheaper than a finger". But judging by the "metal bypass switch" feature, if you cut through a nail by accident, you'd loose your table saw motor. That'

  • Nope, this isn't new (Score:5, Informative)

    by andawyr ( 212118 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:50AM (#9570362)
    Sorry, this type of safety feature has been available for a few years. I have seen it demonstrated, and it is impressive. 3hp cabinet saw meets hotdog. The blade stopped instantly, with only a small nick taken out of the hot dog.

    The unit I saw demonstrated was a one-use unit. Once the brake was used, it had to be replaced. The system had to be professionally installed, which is very inconvienient unless you have an installer in your city. It was also expensive, relative to the tool. However, when compared to your fingers, how expensive is it really?

    Personally, I would never use one of these things. If you use your tools properly, and avoid running 'bad' wood through your tools, you will never have a problem. Avoid distractions, pay attention, and use push sticks.

    • Re:Nope, this isn't new (Score:5, Insightful)

      by rtaylor ( 70602 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @10:04AM (#9570499) Homepage
      Personally, I would never use one of these things. If you use your tools properly, and avoid running 'bad' wood through your tools, you will never have a problem. Avoid distractions, pay attention, and use push sticks.

      Since normal people will never trigger the device, they will, of course, never need to replace the device either.

      But it sounds like a great system for the one time the dog manages sneak in and it trips you. Or for schools where a kid, every few years, seems to manage to injure themselves.
      • 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.

        • Re:Nope, this isn't new (Score:1, Insightful)

          by Anonymous Coward
          Oh sure, now that my car has both a safety belt and air bags, I always try and drive at high speeds and put my safety in jeopardy multiple times.

          This is a device that should be treated as a feature like the airbag or seat belt. It's there in case something bad happens. Life happens. 99% of the time nothing will happen and everything will be fine, but that 1% is what you have to watch out for.

          -Your chances of dying while driving to the airport is higher than flying in a plane
          • Oh sure, now that my car has both a safety belt and air bags, I always try and drive at high peeds and put my safety in jeopardy multiple times.

            You say it like it's a joke. Many studies have shown that this is precisely what happens. Not that you're consciously deciding to drive less cautiously, but subconsciously people's perception of safety leads to adopting more dangerous driving habits.

            But maybe you consciously fight that tendency.
          • This is exactly why cars with anti-lock brakes are more dangerous [queensu.ca] than cars without them---drivers overcompensate for the added safety of the ABS system. This phenomenon has been well-documented and is known in the field as "risk homeostasis [queensu.ca]."
        • Well, if you trigger it you have to stop your work and go buy a new cartridge, which kinda seems like a PITA. And even if you have a spare cartridge, you'll have to a new one after that, and, well, y'know, it does keep you careful, even though the price for making a mistake is $20 for a new cartridge and not your finger.
          • Well, if you trigger it you have to stop your work and go buy a new cartridge, which kinda seems like a PITA.

            While I'm sure you're right that it would be a pain to have to stop working to get it to work again, don't you think it might be less cumbersome than having to stop because you lost your finger, hand, or other various appendage?

            • Simple solution: crank down the safety mechanism so that it takes a little longer to stop. If you're careless because a little scrape is the worst your bandsaw will do, increase the response time. Now instead of a tiny cut you have a gusher, though you do still have your finger. (probably)
        • Don't you think that for some people, knowning that they have a safety device installed, might be a bit more careless?

          Nope. If it means having to shell out $300 to replace the (now mandatory) device, I'll probably be more careful than I was before.
        • bullshit.

          just don't tell people the safeties are in place then... but these are meant to protect you from ACCIDENTS.

          saying that you would "never use them myself" is pretty stupid, kinda like saying abs brakes cause more accidents than they save..

          .
          • I've been using powertools of all shapes and sizes for close to 25 years, and I've never had an accident, nor I have ever come close to injuring myself.

            Why? Because I know how to use my tools, I work in a safe environment, and I make sure my tools are in good working condition. If you don't know what you're doing, or are careless, or, or or, then sure, purchase a safety device to protect yourself. What I'm saying is that if you DO know what you're doing, you won't need it.

            For places like schools and pu

            • Re:Nope, this isn't new (Score:4, Insightful)

              by gl4ss ( 559668 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @01:26PM (#9572728) Homepage Journal
              uhh.. but by default you won't know if you know or don't know what you're doing. or if the cat got in and jumps on your back, or whatever unforeseeable.

              accidents aren't planned, they just 'happen', usually because something that you didn't expect happens. then it's quite good to have a failsafe.

              besides, it looks like it still would hurt enough to not joke with the thing.

              there's plenty of people in the world who have operated some devices for 20-30 years and then had an accident, why would you be different from them? People that think that they know what they're doing have accidents all the time.

            • Good for you. Even if I had your abilities (I don't - as much as I try not to be, I'm careless and have poor attention to detail), I would still like such a feature for the following reasons:

              . I'd like to be able to teach my kids to use such a device (at an appropriate age) knowing that they could be reasonably safe during the learning curve.
              . I'd like to know that if I was having a really bad day and did something really stupid that i'd walk away with all my extremeties still attached.
              . I'm nowhere near t
        • You're right. That one-armed shop teacher made everyone respect power tools more. (Just don't tell them that there's a safety net. No one has to know ;)
    • If you read the FAQ on the site, it's not a one-use unit. And it's only supposed to cost between 50 to 100 bucks, which seems like a fair price for something that could save your finger.

      From the site:
      Is the motor or arbor of the saw damaged when the SawStop system is triggered?
      No. The SawStop system cuts power to the motor when the system is triggered. When the SawStop system is triggered and the brake strikes the moving saw blade, the saw's arbor assembly disconnects from the worm gear upon which it
    • Amen - I hope more people agree with you - that way there will still be plenty of practice for me if I end up doing a hand surgery fellowship!
    • The inventor of this device tried to have legislation passed mandating its use. But it adds about $100 to the cost of a new saw, and the braking cartridge has to be replaced after an incident. Which is pricy. The real question is, should the rest of us have to pay to protect the idiots and the foolishly careless?
  • Very cool! That video is unbelievable? For a moment I thought it was a clever edit! If it is so effective, then why do they need to use a hot dog for the demonstration? Perhaps the hot dog has better conductivity, and makes for a better demonstration? Eventually (if they have not already), they will have to test this on animals.

    • Re:Why a Hot Dog? (Score:5, Funny)

      by Tomahawk ( 1343 ) * on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:55AM (#9570406) Homepage
      Honestly, would you like to donate a finger to nick for a video?

      Imagine it - 'Ok, cut.', and everyone fall around laughing.

      'BandAid him, take 2'

      'no no no - another bandaid - take 3'.

      I think the hot dog serves the purpose.

      T.
      • Honestly, would you like to donate a finger to nick for a video?
        I wouldn't want to do it, but there are people who would consider this a great thrill and they may consider the nick a trophy of how they beat the saw. Spinning blades of death and descruction, yielding to my mighty finger. I predict that this device will find some *interesting* applications, at least until it becomes the expected result.
    • I would imagine that they demo it on a hotdog because there *is* a shallow cut that occurs before it cuts off and potential customers and manufacturing clients are generally turned off by any video that features an actual bleeding wound.

      --
      Evan "Plus, the salespeople only have 20 to 21 appendages to demo on"

    • 1. Dogs *are* animals, you insensitive clod!
      2. ?! If it works for a hot dog, but leaves a notch, you would not want to test it in yourself, would you?
      3. flesh is flesh; I suppose the alterations in capacitancy in a hot dog and in an arm is the same.
      4. were you trying to be funny?

  • How does the brake (Score:3, Interesting)

    by PhysicsGenius ( 565228 ) <<moc.oohay> <ta> <rekees_scisyhp>> on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:51AM (#9570365)
    "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.

    • Reading through the rest of the site, apparently there's a cartridge system that needs to be replaced after the brake fires.

      (Look under Features->Cartridge)

      I guess your saw would be useless if the brake were triggered until you replaced the cartridge.

      But that's better than having your arm be useless...

    • Re:How does the brake (Score:5, Informative)

      by HyPeR_aCtIvE ( 10878 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @11:13AM (#9571156) Homepage
      That's simple ... you DO have to install a new device every time, at fairly high cost. One of the reasons most folks don't like this device.

      Of course, they also don't like it because the inventor has been trying to get legal action to FORCE all manufacturers to license and install his device, because otherwise they are 'being negligent'.

      • Re:How does the brake (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Electrum ( 94638 ) <david@acz.org> on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @12:39PM (#9572121) Homepage
        That's simple ... you DO have to install a new device every time, at fairly high cost. One of the reasons most folks don't like this device.

        That's silly. The cost of losing a finger or an arm is greater.

        • That's simple ... you DO have to install a new device every time, at fairly high cost. One of the reasons most folks don't like this device.

          That's silly. The cost of losing a finger or an arm is greater.

          Well, that is true. However, as someone else here said. The risk to the woodworker who does things correctly, doesn't take risks, doesn't go: Well, just for this one cut, etc, is minimal with regular saws.

          I agree that this is a good thing, for use in beginner classes, school shops, etc. Though, those

    • It's not just braking. It appears to move the entire blade out of the way. Take a look at the videos. At least, that's how it works for the circular saws. For the band saw it actually stops the band.

      It's really impressive. You get an ugly cut for your trouble, but it's a hell of a lot better than losing a digit.

  • Taking Bets... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Dozix007 ( 690662 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:53AM (#9570383)
    Who will be the first to "Hack" the saw so you can vary the delay time. Survival of the Fittest may still succeed !

  • So what happens if... (Score:5, Funny)

    by lunarscape ( 704562 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @09:53AM (#9570390)
    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!!!"

    • Or just use a coping saw (copied from an online transcript) :
      MAX
      The chain in those hand cuffs,is high tensile steel.It'll take you ten minutes to hack through it with this,(he drops a coping saw)now if your lucky,you can hack through your anckle in five minutes.Go.
    • Who knows, maybe they'll come with preinstalled cut-through-flesh buttons for emergencies like this.
  • I suppose this is finally evidence that hot dogs are made out of the same kind of stuff as flesh.
  • ...is that it tends to underestimate to power of the stupid. Someone with either disable the system and still loose their leg, or in trying to demonstrate it they will, say, drop it on their leg, which give the speed of the blade and momentum it gains accelerating at 9.8 m/s^2 would probably be more then enough to sever an artery or at least cause a lawsuit.
    • Luckily, very few power tools will keep going when you let go to drop it on your leg. Also, of the tools shown, none of them are portable (table saw, band saw, chop saw) so that's not really an issue. This, of course, doesn't mean people won't just strike the spinning blade with their hand quickly, or push their friends into it as it's moving (still leaving a significant cut).
    • Nope, the problem is that cutting yourself with the blade is only one of the *many* ways you can hurt or kill yourself with power tools.

      I'm mostly thinking about the fun tendancy of a table saw to fling wood at you if you aren't careful.
    • "...n trying to demonstrate it they will, say, drop it on their leg, ..."

      Man, that would be some demonstration - picking up and dropping a cast-iron table saw? Even with the saw off I suspect it could brake someone leg if they could pick it up.

  • The joys of severed limbs (Score:5, Interesting)

    by rit ( 64731 ) <bwmcadams@gmaiPOLLOCKl.com minus painter> on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @10:17AM (#9570619) Homepage
    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].

  • Automatic hunter? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by mst ( 30456 )
    > 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?... :-)
    • 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?... :-)
      Of course with this technology, it would have to "chew" on everything it could find, just to check to see if it is meat. Kinda makes having a cat scratch up your couch a better alternative.

  • False Positives (Score:1, Redundant)

    by GoRK ( 10018 )
    Man, if you were working on something and your wood got a little too wet or something, and this thing went off incorrectly, it would be both problematic and expensive. A false negative would be pretty bad too.

    • Re:False Positives (Score:3, Informative)

      by chriso11 ( 254041 )
      The FAQ on the website says that green wood and wet wood will not trip the stop.

      Of course, I don't know what other circumstances could produce a false negative - perhaps touching the side of the blade while spinning, but not the teeth?
      • This tech is somewhat old hat to some of us in the industry, but having seen a demo at a show some time ago, it does work and was pretty impressive. Don't remember who did the demo, some industry group or another. They had quite a crowd.

        I do remember a couple people asking about high humidity environments, IIRC they were told that those were being tested. I can't remember exactly what the responses were to the one person who asked about undried(green) wood, but I do remember someone saying something to
    • They said in the FAQ that wet wood would not cause it to misfire.

    • Re:False Positives (Score:3, Informative)

      by jerde ( 23294 )
      Man, if you were working on something and your wood got a little too wet or something, and this thing went off incorrectly, it would be both problematic and expensive. A false negative would be pretty bad too.

      The features page [sawstop.com] (which has javascript rollover junk that Safari won't Grok) lists a "Metal Bypass" for cutting metalic or metal-clad stuff, that WOULD conduct enough to trigger the device.

      As far as false-positive expense: I'm guessing if the total system cost is only $50-$150, then the replacement

  • victimless ? (Score:4, Funny)

    by DrSkwid ( 118965 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @10:31AM (#9570733) Journal
    I know Apu might sell soy-dogs but making one from cows is not a victimless crime.

    Time to send some of these saws to the abattoir.

    Now, if it's a victimless breakfast [dotgeek.org] you want ......

    bring it on

  • Having removed part of a finger myself... (Score:5, Informative)

    by clintp ( 5169 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @10:34AM (#9570761)
    March 2003 I took a good chunk out of my left index finger on the table saw. Ouch.

    And I'm normally a very, very careful person on the saw. But between a little kickback, hands in the wrong place, an odd shaped piece I wound up with an avulsion laceration (ripped the skin off the fleshy part of my fingertip about 1/8" wide and bone deep). Quick trip to the ER. Nothing really to stitch up, the doctor left it open but dressed and packed for a couple of weeks. The skin grew back, and I've got a rather odd fingerprint there now.

    I'd trade what happened to my finger for the damage done to the hot dog any day.

    This needs to be expanded to routers and hand tools. Kickback from circular saws is very frightening.

    • Re:Having removed part of a finger myself... (Score:5, Funny)

      by Carbonite ( 183181 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @12:23PM (#9571915)
      This needs to be expanded to routers and hand tools.

      No kidding! My friggin Linksys took off three fingers.

    • Re:Having removed part of a finger myself... (Score:5, Funny)

      by himself ( 66589 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @01:44PM (#9572901)
      clintp wrote:
      >
      > The skin grew back, and I've got a rather odd fingerprint there now.
      >
      I took off a "plate" of flesh from the end of my left thumb while slicing potatoes two Thanksgivings ago. Not only do I now have a puckered blank in the center of my thumbprint, but some touch-sensitive controls (like my iPod's!) ignore the thumb.
      On a more positive note, I am no longer asked to help prepare food when visiting my in-laws' house.

    • WRT to hand tools, I think that's impractical (being a carpenter :) - but most hand tools are nowhere near as dangerous as power tools are.

      But I'll absolutely agree with you about routers. All too few people realize how dangerous a cutting blade spinning at 20k+ rpm is. Be a harder technical problem than a table saw, tho. But at least it's rather difficult to get your fingers in the way of a router head.

      Bet you have developed better safety habits now :) I've never personally injured myself with a po
      • I actually mis-posted. I meant hand-held power tools: circular saws, reciprocating saws (sawzall), etc...

        After the incident I got myself a band saw for taking care of those odd little pieces that need to be ripped, crosscut, or just trimmed. For small close-in work it's a much better solution than a table saw and almost as versitile.

  • Catsense (Score:3, Funny)

    by WWWAvenger ( 625119 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @10:42AM (#9570845)
    "I wonder if this same technology might be used to protect you neighbor's cat from your robotic lawnmower?"

    I've developed a heat-sensing technology for robotic lawnmowers in this vein... but it isn't meant to PROTECT the neighbor's cat.

  • I type with my nose you insensitive clod!!
  • Can they install this amputation-prevention device in sociopaths, too?

  • Left-handed people (Score:5, Interesting)

    by acceber ( 777067 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @11:25AM (#9571264)
    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.

    • For high-end tools there is often a left-handed tool available on tools where there is an obvious handedness, and anything that has a feature like SawStops' is going to be high-end. Take circular saws for example: Porter-Cable, a high-end tool manufacturer, has left-handed models available.

  • Great news ... (Score:3, Funny)

    by polyp2000 ( 444682 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @11:38AM (#9571430) Homepage Journal
    For a moment their I thought there was a new browser feature that bypasses all those annoying flash adverts... Unfortunately I read the title wrong.

    "New Safety Feature Detects Flash"

    Nick

  • This buzz's for you.

  • I mean with the exception of some movie heroes and people with very determined girlfriends shouting "You can't give up now!", people normally go to morgues after deadly accidents, right? 8-)

  • In other news... (Score:3, Funny)

    by msouth ( 10321 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @12:48PM (#9572203) Homepage Journal
    ...John Wayne Bobbit had all of his kitchen knives replaced with electric knives sporting the new technology.

  • Too bad more safety professionals don't read /. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Bahumat ( 213955 ) on Wednesday June 30, 2004 @04:37PM (#9574922) Homepage Journal
    I work in the Loss Control industry, which is a fancy way of saying I try to make jobs safer for people so that A) you still have your limbs at the end of the day, and B) your employer doesn't have to pay through the nose for injuries/casualties.

    I showed the videos to the Director of the company and immediately it's been making it's rounds through the office. This is exciting technology, this is *important* technology. Ask the thousands of labourers, carpenters, shop workers, around north america who've lost digits to cutting accidents what they think of this technology. No, you won't hear a goddamn negative thing.

    Some people have complained about the inventor of the technology trying to make the device mandatory on cutting tools. Is this self-serving for him? Hell yes. Is he still in the right? Undoubtedly. Hard hats, steel toe boots, rebar covers, flagmen, confined space entry, are all areas of industry that are strongly regulated by governments, and made mandatory by law. This should, without a doubt, join it.

    One significant aspect of the technology that needs to be addressed however, and raised by a fellow /.'er, is that the cartridge must be re-useable. Not infinitely, but it should be able to hold at least 6 good stops to itself before needing a cartridge change. (By law, and good safety policy, such systems should be regularly tested.)

    I look forward to this technology becoming industry standard. The man who invented it is going to be filthy, stinking rich, and definetly deserves to be. That's what innovation leads to; success.

    And for the rest of you going on about "You don't need this if you're careful.", I call bullshit. You need a hardhat, you need safety goggles, you need steel-toe boots. *YOU* can be careful, but you can't control all variables around you. That's why they're called 'Accidents' when they happen.
    • Governments should never make the product of a monopoly mandatory.

      Mandatory single sourcing from a non-competitive market leads to bad design.

      For one thing, if all bandsaws must have SuperStop technology, the owner of the patented SuperStop technology suddenly has complete control of who can make bandsaws.

      Why make a 6 stops SuperStop when there's no competition against the current 1 stop model?

      Yes this technologies great, yes people who say "but I'm too careful" are idiots, no this patented technology s

    • One significant aspect of the technology that needs to be addressed however, and raised by a fellow /.'er, is that the cartridge must be re-useable. Not infinitely, but it should be able to hold at least 6 good stops to itself before needing a cartridge change. (By law, and good safety policy, such systems should be regularly tested.)

      It may not be technically feasible. You don't expect to reuse an airbag in a car, do you? It may be disproportionally expensive (6 stop version might cost 10x what the one


  • This reminded me of the newish Craftsman circular saws that shine a laser beam along the wood surface to be cut. I haven't been able to find technical details on how exactly it works, but if the laser is mounted to the saw, isn't this similar to being guided by your car's headlights?
  • ...who read that as "New Safety Feature Detects Flash"? And thought it made sense?
  • I personally think you would disable one of the better features, and excuses, of the robotic lawnmower if you installed this.
  • I'm going to install one of these on my bumper.

    *BEEEEEEP!*
    "Hey! We just hit a.....ooops"

    If they could get this system to work at a distance it would be a breakthrough in hitting on girls from your car.
  • http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2002-20.h tml

    http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2001-07.html

  • > could result in a lot fewer people visiting the
    > emergency room due to deadly accidents.

    That's odd. Guess you're Canadian. We send our fatalities to the morgue instead.

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