Robotic, Rolling Pile Of Poo Used To Record Intimate Wildlife Moments

A random robot rolling around the wild would be enough to spook anyone, human or animal, but it could also be a great way to catch intimate and candid moments from the animal kingdom. To get that benefit without the side effect of startling animals, PBS is using an unusual contraption as part of its "Spy In The Wild" series — a rolling pile of dung with a robotic camera nestled inside.

PBS shared the so-called 'dung camera' on Facebook recently, where it gave viewers a brief look at its Spy In The Wild series. In it we see the charming story of a baby elephant with its mother in a herd — it is playing around, frolicking and chasing birds when it realizes that it has lost sight of its mother.

The baby runs up to an elephant, believing it has found its mother, only for that elephant to give it a switch kick, letting it know it has the wrong elephant. The baby elephant panics and runs around, sniffing and searching for its mother. Finally, he finds her. It's all very heartwarming, yes, but it's not the most notable point of the video...no, it's the rolling pile of elephant dung that makes an appearance at the beginning.

If you look at it from behind, it simply looks like a big pile of poo. Look at it from the other side, though, and a big shiny lens is apparent. This lens can adjust its perspective — that is, it can move up and down — while the entire poo pile can roll around that are are likewise shaped like a couple of droppings.

SOURCE: Facebook