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A Scale for Wild Birds

An elegant solution to a tricky problem

By Rain Noe - September 2

in Object Culture

One of my dogs is a Great Pyrenees who weighs nearly 100 pounds. I know this because at the vet, you have to muscle her onto a scale that she really doesn't want to get on. If I ran a veterinary practice, I'd design a portion of the floor so that a scale could be inserted into it, flush with the hardwood.

I've never thought about weighing other animals, until I saw this project. How do you weigh a bird? No wild bird likes being handled, and if you do manage to keep their wings shut and hold them onto a scale, the weight of your hands would throw the number off. This PerchCare concept, by South Korean industrial designers Hanung Lee, Hyeokwoo Kwon, Minji Kim, Yoonji Choi, aims to make the task easier.

"PerchCare is a smart perch developed to support the rehabilitation of rescued wild birds. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary object. But inside, it holds a weight measurement system designed to monitor a bird's health without disturbing it."

"In bird rehabilitation, weight is a key health indicator. A drop can signal malnourishment or illness. A steady increase often means the bird is healing. But getting that data has traditionally required handlers to physically weigh each bird—an act that causes stress and can slow recovery. PerchCare rethinks the process entirely."

"Placed inside the bird's enclosure, the perch acts as both a resting spot and a scale. As the bird naturally perches, its weight is recorded and transmitted to caregivers in real-time. There's no need for physical intervention, no added stress, and no break in routine."

"This approach brings clear benefits. For birds: Less handling, lower stress, better recovery outcomes. For caregivers: Reduced workload, improved safety, and constant access to health data."

"What makes PerchCare notable is not just the technology, but the way it blends into the caregiving environment. It doesn't demand attention. It respects the bird's space. It improves care by becoming part of the background."

"In a field where functionality often overshadows empathy, PerchCare balances both. It shows how thoughtful design can create small shifts with lasting impact—for animals, for people, and for the systems we build around care."

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Jason Scala

2 days ago

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How would you adjust the reading based on where the bird is perched along the cantilever? The perch would have to detect where the bird is, right? I can't think of any other way.

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- Ryan Cee
  
  Jason Scala
  
  2 days ago
  
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  You could also record a visual of the bird in position at the moment of weighing, and have software that can extrapolate from the point of contact. Perhaps marginally less accurate, but much simpler hardware.
  
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  - Jason Scala
    
    Ryan Cee
    
    2 days ago
    
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    Interesting approach! Ultimately you still need to determine the position of the bird. I wonder if you can do it with contacts on the perch, separated by some small distance. Weight is only measured when the bird's feet are on both contacts. Like how heart rate monitors on exercise equipment work - you have to grab both handles and be touching both contacts at the same time.
    
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- Tim Hines
  
  Jason Scala
  
  a day ago
  
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  The moment would change according to the position of the bird, but the vertical shear force would be the bird's weight (plus the weight of the support). Looking at the detail of the internal mechanism it is allowing controlled vertical movement, so I guess that is what they're using to get the bird's weight.
  
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