Abstract
Abstract Chainsaw kickback is a serious safety concern for both experienced and novice operators. A key to developing improved kickback control systems is a better understanding of saw motion during kickback and the development of improved methods for distinguishing kickback from normal saw operation. In this study, accelerometers and gyroscopes were mounted to a battery-powered electric chainsaw and to a midsize, gasoline-powered chainsaw, and data were collected during normal cutting and kickbacks. These sensors measured accelerations along the guide bar and perpendicular to the bar as well as rotational velocities toward the operator's torso. Results from the battery-powered saw showed that accelerations during normal cutting and kickbacks had peak magnitudes of from ~2 to ~6 g and from ~6 to ~8 g, respectively, and that rotational velocities typically reached over 600°/s during a kickback. Analysis of these results showed that the gyroscope alone, using a threshold value of 300°/s, was effective in di...
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