Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Mission to Mars

For the past week I have been working on a short video shot from the point of view of a robotic land rover inspired by the exploration vehicles that NASA uses to investigate the surface of planet Mars.  To get the view point I was after, I built a camera rig.  The rig situates the camera close to the ground but allows me to push the rig around while standing.



The most important function of the rig, however, is to carry the land rover chassis in a fixed position relative to the camera lens.  To make the chassis I used parts from various discarded electronic devices that I collected from a recycling center and my own recycling bin at home.  I used small metal pipes, screws, and a metal screen to greeble the surface of the chassis.   I also borrowed my wife's reading light to provide illumination.


Below are two photos taken from the video camera's position on the rig looking over the chassis.