Playing Around and Making Discoveries: The Endoscope USB Cam

It is a cold day here in Michigan. We have had many snow/cold days off from school...I have actually lost count.  (Never in my career has this happened!)

Yesterday, I received an order I placed with Amazon for one of my Destination Imagination teams.  They are working with detection devices and retrieving items from containers for their challenge.  We found a USB snake camera a.k.a Endoscope Camera that is on a 16 ft. cord that can connect to a computer.  Today I decided to open it up and play around with it.  

Having 2 children, ages 6 and 9, we were able to have some silly fun with it.  Each of them wanted to see the inside of their mouth, nose, and yes, even their ears.  I have to admit, it was pretty cool...and gross...all at the same time.  Just to note, the camera is 2 cm in diameter, so it did not enter the nasal cavity, nor the ear canal. I thought of the ways that I could use it in the classroom.  Besides having them look inside their mouth, I bet they would love looking inside an animal hole outside, down a pipe, the viewpoint from inside classroom spaces like backpacks and desks, the roof of our school, and many more!  I am sure my students could help me brainstorm places too!

While focusing in on the mouth, I enjoyed looking up close to my inside cheek lining and to my back teeth.  Cavities look pretty interesting from another viewpoint.  While exploring my mouth, I started talking and noticed how clear the movement of the mouth is.  The lips, the teeth, the tongue all were able to be seen. One of my best friends is a speech and language pathologist, and I immediately thought of ways she could use this with her students.  The camera is clear, it is on a long cord, and I think students will be able to use it to self-regulate during their therapy.  Below is a quick video I created this afternoon so you can get a better viewpoint of what it is like.  (I used screencast-o-matic to record the video, which made the endoscope cam to appear not as clear.  I assure you, it is better when you are watching the camera live.)

I haven't researched a lot of these devices, as I bought it quickly during an inside lunch recess period with one of my students, so I am not sure what other types of cameras are available like this, but here is a link to the one I purchased from Amazon. Waterproof Endoscope Inspection Camera 

Overall, I am very happy with this product thus far, and I am so glad that I took a bit of time today to play and discover!  What a concept...learning through play and discovery!