Bandsaw Cutting System

1 . A bandsaw, comprising:

a saw blade powered by a motor, wherein the motor is configured with a brake;

a work surface configured to provide a work region adjacent the saw blade;

a video camera directed at the work surface such that a camera view monitors the work region and the saw blade; and

a controller operatively coupled to the motor, the brake, and the video camera, wherein the controller comprises a safety program configured to perform the steps of:

identifying a position mark in the camera view;

searching the camera view for a hand-resembling object;

determining whether a hand-resembling object is present in the camera view;

establishing a hand model when the hand-resembling object is determined to be present in the camera view; and

allowing operation of the saw blade to begin once a hand model is established.

2 . The bandsaw of claim 1 , wherein the saw blade is disposed vertically via an arm.

3 . The bandsaw of claim 1 , wherein a hardware enclosure is disposed above the work surface, the hardware enclosure being configured to house the camera.

4 . The bandsaw of claim 1 , comprising an LED light configured to illuminate the work surface.

5 . The bandsaw of claim 1 , wherein the safety program monitors the position of a user's hand based on the hand model, wherein the hand model comprises a computer model of the user's hand.

6 . The bandsaw of claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured with an electromagnetic brake.

7 . The bandsaw of claim 6 , wherein the motor may receive an electrical signal that triggers the electromagnetic brake thereby arresting motion of the saw blade, wherein the signal is based on a distance determined by the controller of the position mark from the hand model.

8 . A safety apparatus for a bandsaw comprising a controller that is communicatively coupled with a camera and a motor controller, the safety apparatus comprising:

a saw blade actuated by a motor, wherein the motor is governed by the motor controller;

a camera view provided via the camera, wherein the camera view comprises the saw blade and a work surface adjacent the saw blade; and

a safety program stored in a memory of the controller and configured to be executed by a processor of the controller, wherein the safety program is configured to perform the steps of:

assigning a reference location in the camera view;

creating a computer hand model corresponding to a user's hand as seen in the camera view;

tracking a position and an orientation of the user's hand with respect to the reference location by updating the computer hand model in real time; and

arresting motion of the saw blade when the position of the user's hand reaches a predetermined distance relative to the reference location.

9 . The safety apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the safety program models the user's hand as a set of connected landmarks.

10 . The safety apparatus of claim 9 , wherein tracking the position and the orientation of the user's hand comprises superimposing the computer hand model over a real-time image of the user's hand.

11 . The safety apparatus of claim 9 , wherein tracking the position and the orientation of the user's hand comprises tracking distances of the landmarks relative to the reference location in the camera view.

12 . The safety apparatus of claim 9 , comprising determining trajectories of the landmarks.

13 . The safety apparatus of claim 8 , comprising simultaneously tracking both hands of a user.

14 . The safety apparatus of claim 8 , comprising a user interface operatively coupled with the controller, wherein the reference location in the camera view is assigned by a user upon startup of the bandsaw.

15 . A method for preventing user injury during the operation of a bandsaw, comprising:

imaging the bandsaw via a camera operatively coupled to a controller;

imaging a user's hand via the camera;

creating, via the controller, a model of the user's hand based on images obtained via the camera;

updating the model in real time as the user uses the bandsaw;

monitoring a distance between the user's hand and a predefined reference location that is viewable via a camera view;

detecting an unsafe condition when the distance is below a predetermined threshold;

arresting motion of the bandsaw when an unsafe condition is detected;

prohibiting the bandsaw from resuming operation if the unsafe condition persists; and

permitting motion of the bandsaw to resume if the unsafe condition ends.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein arresting motion of the bandsaw comprises activating an electromagnetic brake configured to stop a motor of the bandsaw.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein creating the model of the user's hand comprises superimposing landmarks over digits of the user's hand.

18 . The method of claim 15 comprising forecasting an unsafe condition by determining distance vectors and trajectory vectors.

19 . The method of claim 15 comprising determining the predetermined threshold distance based on an amount of time needed to arrest motion of the bandsaw.

20 . The method of claim 15 comprising automatically restarting the bandsaw when the unsafe condition is no longer detected.