Platypus
Birdhouse.
A seasonally adaptive, fully 3D-printed birdhouse for the Northern Cardinal. A rotating disc opens the fins for summer airflow and closes them for winter.
The next version reworks the birdhouse's functionality as an AI-native product.
Design a seasonally adaptive birdhouse that handles ventilation, predator exclusion, and easy assembly.
Research
Cardinals nest 3–10 feet up in dense shrubs and avoid fully enclosed boxes. They want cover but need to see out and leave fast.
Body length 8.3–9.4 in, wingspan 9.8–12.2 in. Those numbers set the entrance aperture, chamber volume, and fin clearance. Cincinnati sits in the core of their range.
Ideation
Disc latch mechanism
Raised knobs on a rotating disc push each fin open as they pass, then release it to fold back against its neighbor. No single position locks it, so it works from any angle.
Systems
Channels built into the top piece shed water outward. No extra parts, nothing pooling inside.
A 50% antiglare panel at the entrance cuts summer heat and harsh light in the chamber.
Lights up only at night when there's movement inside. Magnetic mount, one charge lasts a year.
Drawings
Seven-view projection from the Fusion 360 assembly. Dashed lines reveal the cage, panel inserts, beam channels, and base plate.
Prototyping
Shot in the DAAP studio. Teal, black, and orange PETG with a waterproof wood-veneer body, held together without glue or fasteners.
Final renders
