Motor manual tree felling is an essential activity when harvesting timber on steep and broken terrain, and is considered to be one of the most dangerous professions in the forest industry. Unseen debris falling from the forest canopy is one of the most common causes of fatalities and serious injuries for manual tree fallers

This research project builds on a previously funded project to protect fallers from injury. The researchers set out to develop a lightweight, portable manual tree falling tool that could ensure the faller was away from the base of the tree during the hazardous period when the tree begins to move

The resulting prototype, known as the Wood Duck, can be driven by a cordless drill and remotely operated. It can be modified to weigh less than 10kg and has a higher tree falling success rate than existing separation tools