Simulation of a Pole Saw Assisted by a Gyroscopic Effect Device

Linemen performing pruning activity on vegetation entangled with overhead lines and handling a pole saw is a physically strenuous and risky job. It is a major cause of linemen musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and others injuries, with more than one type of accumulative musculoskeletal injury like backbone, shoulder, neck and wrists. Although assisted robotic tools could reduce ergonomic issues, it also impairs the quality of work; efficiency and quality require human direct cutting due to a huge imponderability of each particular action on each particular job due different kind of vegetation and shapes. The best approach should be to aid linemen handling the pole saw during pruning. So, as a first step to develop and implement a gyroscopic platform for pruning pole saw, this paper compares and presents a simulation of a regular pole saw with a pole saw assisted by a gyroscopic device using kinematic data obtained by the motion capture system. Kinematic data obtained connects to dynamic simulation, which makes available pole saw control and kickback analysis. Simulation outcome shows that gyroscopic assistance on pole saw has great potential to mitigate harmful pruning dynamic forces for lineman, with no impact on productivity and work quality.