A scale that shocks you to prevent you from overeating

Like many of us, YouTuber William Osman gained some weight during quarantine. His solution: A “robot” that basically consists of a scale and a Mexican electro shock device.

With more than a million views, his video has already surpassed the previously most popular YouTube video that involved a scale.

Watch the video below (the development of the device starts at 3:03, though you won’t learn much):

Digitalization in Legal Metrology: CECIP webinar recording available

The European Association of Weighing Instruments Manufacturers (CECIP1) organized a webinar on ‘digitalization in legal metrology’ on June 25, 2020.  The recording is available online (registration required) and the presentations can be downloaded here (PDF).

The speakers were:

– Roman Schwartz, CIML President
– Florian Thiel, PTB & WELMEC WG7 convener
– Nick Parsons, Deputy CSO Minebea Intec & CECIP President
– Karlheinz Bahnolzer, Head Legal Metrology Sartorius & CECIP LMG President

You can also download the CECIP position paper on digitalization in legal metrology here (PDF) or sign up for a “digital transformation in legal metrology” workshop at the PTB (postponed to 2021).

1 Comité Européen des Constructeurs d’Instruments de Pesage

Which compact platform scale is the thinnest?

This article is based on an actual question asked by a potential customer*:

In the technical data of the Kern DE scale the dimensions are given as follows: 318 x 308 x 75 mm. I would like to know how high the scale is when it is standing on a straight surface, i.e. whether anything needs to be added to the 75 mm height.

Although I was not quite sure what the last sentence meant, I took the opportunity to confirm the height of the base of this scale. The Kern DE 60K10D I measured was around 77 mm high:

Kern DE scale base height

This is not much, but we sell an even thinner compact platform scale: The smallest scales in the Ohaus Catapult 5000 series are specified as 310 x 270 x 40 mm. The C51XE30R I measured was only around 42 to 43 mm thick:

Ohaus Catapult 5000 scale base height

While the base of the R-series Ohaus Catapult 5000 models is super slim, please note that the indicator is relatively bulky and that the stainless steel platform is not removable:

Ohaus Catapult 5000 R scale

Another option would be the simpler Ohaus SD scales, which are also around 42 mm high (most compact models).

Thin scales can be advantageous if you plan to integrate them into a packing table (or other type of furniture), but keep in mind that they may not be as robust and serviceable as larger platform scales.

Links to the manufacturers’ websites:


* I mentioned this so you don’t think I’m getting bored during the lockdown and just going around and measuring things.