Penguin 'spy' cams help BBC filmmakers create a fascinating documentary

A new BBC documentary uses tiny disguised cameras to take an intimate look at the lives of penguins. Wildlife producer John Downer and his team shot '' with fifty 'spy cameras' disguised as rocks, eggs and even penguins themselves. The team shot footage of Emperor penguins in Antarctica, Rockhopper penguins on the Falkland Islands andHumboldt penguins in the Atacama Desert near the Peru-Chile border. Click through for photos, video and more information about the cameras,blu ray online store.

According to producer John Downer,on his production, 'key to the success of the spycam missions are the animatronic cameras cleverly disguised aslife-sizepenguins which can silently infiltrate the colonies to record the penguins’ often emotional, and sometimes amusing,behavior'.

'They’re on hand to chart the tough challenges these penguins face from the moment they emerge from the sea to raising their chicks and finally returning to the water.'

About the Cameras

With names such asRockhopperCam,ChickCam and SnowCam, the spycameras used for filming weredesignedto shoot either a specific speciesor purpose. For instance,the RockhopperCam featured robot technology enabled bipedaling penguin with gyro/accelerometer sensors and a high-resolution vision system to allow it to walk among the penguins as one of them,buy online movie. TheEmperorcam was deployed for sea ice operations could float on water and film the chicks first arrival to the sea.A very interestingunderwaterPenguinCamcan 'swim' at a speed of 4 knots and dive down to a depth of 100 metres,even in rough sea contions.(viaand

This is the 'Underwater PenguinCam', disuguised as a swimming penguin.Cameras hidden in the eye captured penguin behaviour above and below water.The 'EggCam' is disguised as an egg with aruggedized shell fitted with anHD remote camera that could record for up to 12 hours.

The heavy duty 'SnowCam' was developed to film in the harshAntarcticconditions.

And the 'SnowballCam' can be rolled around by the penguins themselves.Its quiet operation made it an important device for filming close to the colony.Trailer ofPenguins: Spy in the Huddle

Here is thetrailerof 'Penguins: Spy in the Huddle' documentary. Watch the full documentary (viewableonly to the UK audience)