Build a small, steerable Lego vehicle. (I'm not talking about Mindstorms, just ordinary motorized Lego.) Add some cheap video cameras (like those X10 cameras). Glue it together or tighten it up with zip-ties. Attach a very long extension wire for power/control (and video?).

Lower it over the edge of an interesting cliff or tall building and watch the video. If it ends up on a ledge, you can drive around and explore the ledge. When you're tired of that, drive it off the edge and keep going down. If it gets stuck, just hoist it up by the cable and move it over a little bit. If it gets really stuck, or damaged, or bits fall off, well, it wasn't that expensive to build, and perhaps it will amuse some climber who happens to find it years hence.

(Of course, you can rappel yourself down, but that requires skill and equipment and training and safety precautions and permission.)
-- egnor, Aug 25 2001

A Matchbox Car Camera http://www.halfbake...hbox_20Car_20Camera
Partial inspiration. [egnor, Aug 25 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Camera http://www.lego.com...roducts/camera1.asp
USB movie camera, covered with lego studs. I like it! [hippo, Aug 25 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail http://www.lego.com...p?title=montypython
Sorry - off topic - but here is a movie shot with the camera above. [hippo, Aug 25 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Very nice, a poor man's Rover. There are some too-small lava caves I'd dearly love to send it into, just on the chance there's a big cave on the other side of the little opening. I've often wished for something that would crawl and swim down the throat of some of the big springs in my bit of the Cascade Mountains, just to see what's in there. But that would take a more expensive rig-up.

I like this idea quite a lot. Nice one, egnor.
-- Dog Ed, Aug 25 2001


Could it have a little motorized claw so you could collect samples?
-- PotatoStew, Aug 26 2001


This is the first keen HB MacGuyver for which I have every necessary component at hand. Except the cliff.
-- The Military, Aug 26 2001


You could also use it for laying cables under your floorboards.
-- angel, Aug 28 2001


or staple people you don't like
-- dr_photon, Mar 20 2002


Send it into the ladies room!
-- JesseOQ, Aug 10 2003



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