Climbing an observation tower involves a lot of steel and concrete just to stand a few dozen meters higher and take in a view. The ritual is familiar, the ascent, the vertigo, the panorama, but the infrastructure demands are massive for what amounts to a few minutes of elevated looking. Michael Jantzen’s Telepresence Observation Pavilion asks whether we always need to build big vertical structures to get that feeling, especially when most distant experiences already come through screens and networks.
Instead of lifting people into the air, the pavilion lifts a 360-degree camera on a tall telescoping mast, then brings the view down to ground level. Inside a circular room, a ring of high-definition screens shows a live panoramic feed from the camera, synced with sound, so visitors see and hear exactly what they would if they were standing at the top of a traditional tower, without leaving the ground or climbing a long staircase.
Walking into a round, open space where the walls behave like windows wraps you in a continuous horizon of forest, water, or city. A circular bench sits around the central mast, the floor stays open, and a guardrail keeps you a step back from the screens, so you are aware you are in a room, but your eyes are convinced you are somewhere higher and more exposed.
The camera sits on top of a tall series of telescoping pipes anchored to the pavilion floor, rising far above the roof. The module captures real-time sights and sounds in every direction, then sends that data down to the screens. The only tower you need to build is this slender mast, not a full structure sized for people, which drastically cuts material and engineering demands.
Eight solar panels ring the central skylight on the pavilion roof, feeding the camera, screens, and lighting. This connects to Jantzen’s goal of using information technology to replace or reduce physical building materials. The pavilion becomes an environmental argument, suggesting that if we can satisfy the desire for elevated views with data and light, we might not need to pour as much concrete into the sky.
Jantzen imagines many camera modules installed on existing structures, communication towers, mountain lodges, and skyscrapers. Those feeds could be sent over the internet to any pavilion, letting visitors switch channels between live elevated views from around the world. You could stand in a field and look out over Tokyo, then switch to a mountain ridge in Patagonia or a coastal city, turning a local building into a global observatory.
This changes the idea of an observation tower. You still make a trip to a specific place and share a room with other people, but the view is no longer tied to that exact spot. It can be curated, rotated, or scheduled, and multiple pavilions can share the same remote vantage point without crowding fragile sites. The architecture becomes as much about routing information as it is about shaping space.
The Telepresence Observation Pavilion will not replace every lookout or mountain hike, and there is still value in feeling the wind and height directly. But as a thought experiment, it points toward a future where we build less mass to get more experience, using cameras, networks, and solar-powered rooms to give people elevated perspectives without the environmental and structural cost of traditional towers, or the bottlenecks that come when everyone wants to see the same sunset from the same narrow platform at once.
LEGO’s newest Creator release proves that big ideas come in compact packages. The Space Exploration Telescope (set 31378) landed on shelves January 1, 2026, with 278 pieces that transform into three completely different models: a fully adjustable telescope with spinning planets, a working microscope, or a posable UFO. At $34.99, this set sits comfortably in impulse-buy territory while delivering the kind of replay value that keeps kids engaged long after the initial build.
What makes this set particularly clever is how it uses a single light brick across all three models. The telescope projects celestial images onto walls, the microscope illuminates specimens, and the UFO beams light from its underside. Three decorated lenses featuring a planet, star, and Moon add educational depth that goes beyond typical building sets. For parents seeking STEM toys that actually encourage experimentation rather than collecting dust on a shelf, this Creator set deserves serious consideration.
Designer: LEGO
That primary telescope build is surprisingly robust for being one of three options. Standing over 10.5 inches (27 cm) tall, it has a decent presence, and the tripod design is stable enough for actual play. The accompanying solar system, with its seven spinning planets, is a fantastic kinetic detail that adds life to the model. The projection feature is the real engineering win here. It takes what would be a static display piece and gives it an interactive purpose that cleverly mimics what a real telescope does: show you images of space. It’s a smart, elegant solution for a toy.
When you get tired of stargazing, the rebuild into a microscope shows the true genius of the part selection. The core housing for the light brick and lens assembly gets flipped vertically, and what was once a projection system becomes an illumination source. The same decorated lenses that projected planets now serve as makeshift slides, which is a brilliant way to teach kids about functional design and repurposing components. It’s a solid B-model that feels complete and intentional, demonstrating how form follows function with just a few clever reconfigurations of the same 278 bricks.
The final build, a UFO, is the set’s playful wild card. It shifts the entire theme from educational STEM hardware to pure science fiction. The designers did a great job creating a classic saucer shape with posable antennae and legs that flip out for landing. Here, the light brick serves as a simple beam underneath the craft, perfect for imaginative scenarios. This C-model provides an essential creative outlet, proving the set’s versatility extends beyond scientific instruments. It’s the build that lets kids take the parts and just have fun, which is arguably the most important function of any LEGO set.
The set is available now through LEGO’s official website, Target, and authorized LEGO retailers for $34.99. Batteries for the light brick come included, which saves you a trip to the store or the inevitable disappointment of discovering you need them mid-build. The recommended age is 8 and up, though younger kids with building experience could handle it with minimal supervision. Digital instructions are accessible through the free LEGO Builder app, which lets you zoom, rotate, and track build progress on your phone or tablet. LEGO’s website currently shows a 60-day shipping window, so if you’re ordering online, factor that into your timeline.
For centuries, telescopes have been the gateway to the cosmos, allowing us to peer into the vast expanse of space and unravel its secrets. However, traditional telescopes often come with drawbacks – their bulky size and complex setups can be intimidating for beginners and hinder portability for outdoor adventures. Moreover, aside from their complicated nature, telescopes were just downright unaffordable to the masses… but technology always endeavors to make innovation accessible to everyone. Enter the DWARF 3, a revolutionary smart telescope that bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and user-friendly design, making astronomy and nature observation more accessible than ever before.
Designer: DwarfLab Team
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The name DWARF 3 isn’t without reason, as it breaks from the norm of what we expect from a telescope. The name comes from its dwarfed design, which condenses the massive linear telescopes into something the size of a dictionary or novel – and it does so by borrowing a trick from smartphone camera designs. The DWARF 3 boasts a unique periscopic design, a leap forward from its successful predecessor, DWARF II (which raised over $870,000 on Kickstarter). Unlike traditional telescopes with a straight light path, DWARF 3 utilizes a prism to fold the light path, resulting in a remarkably compact and portable form factor. This innovative design allows the telescope to fit comfortably in a backpack, making it the perfect companion for stargazing trips, camping adventures, or even spontaneous backyard astronomy sessions. Despite its compact size, DWARF 3 packs a powerful punch when it comes to optical capabilities, quite like a smartphone’s camera does. By bending light in a different way that doesn’t need a massively long tubular structure, the DWARF 3 achieves telescope-grade zooming but in a small package.
Portable Design
DWARF 3 brings you a state of the art upgrade: in optics, sensors, and more processing power.
That isn’t all the DWARF 3 borrows from smartphones – touted as a smart telescope, it’s designed to be entirely automatic and can remotely be controlled by a user. Whether for astronomy or nature photography, DWARF 3 is ready in minutes via a smartphone app, letting you capture the world around you in a bunch of ways. The DWARF 3 features a dual-camera system, catering to both wide-field observation and detailed target magnification. The wide-angle camera lets you preview shots before the telephoto camera allows you to zoom in on subjects, but also has the unique distinction of being wide enough to capture the entire Milky Way within one frame. An Astro Mosaic mode also lets the DWARF 3 capture and stitch together incredibly detailed panoramic views of the sky so you can zoom in on stars. The EQ mode, combined with the star-tracking feature, allows the camera to automatically correct for the Earth’s rotation and follow specific cosmic objects, eliminating the need to manually reset the camera’s aim. You can even set schedules, so the DWARF 3 kicks in at the right time to begin capturing the star you’ve set your eye on.
DWARF 3 also includes a better view and even better photos!
The true star of the DWARF 3’s optical system is the telephoto lens. A 150mm lens that actually has an equivalent focal length of 737mm, this lens brings distant celestial objects into sharp focus, inviting you to explore the cosmos with unprecedented detail, from the subtle textures of nebulae to the captivating lunar phases. But DWARF 3 isn’t just for astronomy enthusiasts. Nature photographers will find this telephoto lens invaluable. With its wireless control capabilities, DWARF 3 allows you to capture stunning wildlife images from a safe distance, ensuring minimal disturbance to the animals in their natural habitat. Whether it’s a majestic hawk soaring high above or a shy deer peeking out from a thicket, DWARF 3 helps you capture those fleeting moments of nature’s beauty in exceptional detail.
DWARFLAB App leads you to stunning shots on a single click. Designed with beginners in mind, the one-click shooting feature streamlines the process, ensuring effortless photography. At the same time, for advanced users, manual adjustments are still open for your precise control over every aspect of the shot.
DWARF 3 goes beyond simply providing magnified views. To elevate the user experience, it boasts a suite of intelligent features powered by cutting-edge technology. The autofocusing functionality utilizes a built-in step motor, ensuring crisp and clear images at all magnifications. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, allowing you to focus on enjoying the view. For deep sky objects (DSOs), DWARF 3 employs a sophisticated object tracking system that leverages the power of deep learning to automatically track your target object. Simply select your target on the intuitive DWARF App, and the telescope will keep it in focus, even as it moves across the sky. AI-powered post-processing also allows the DWARF 3 to automatically reduce or remove noise from pictures (often a problem with low-light photography) while preserving celestial details, ensuring clarity and texture even when shooting in less-than-ideal conditions.
With the built-in Sky Atlas and top pick target suggestions, you can quickly identify worthy objects for observation and effortlessly begin your night sky imaging journey without any hesitation.
The DWARFLAB App serves as the central hub for controlling your DWARF 3 telescope. This user-friendly app, compatible with both Android and iOS devices, connects seamlessly to your telescope via Wi-Fi. Through the app, you can access a range of features, from basic camera control settings, image/video settings, and even time-lapse photography options. You can browse a virtual map of the sky and tell the DWARF 3 what to point at, and just in case you’re a noob like me, the app has its own recommended tab that tells you what cosmic bodies to watch out for, from nebulae to galaxies, stars, and even the Moon or Milky Way. The intuitive interface makes DWARF 3 accessible to users of all experience levels, allowing beginners to dive headfirst into the wonders of astronomy and experienced observers to unlock new levels of exploration. The app also lets you download images from the DWARF 3 onto your device, be it a phone or a tablet. There’s support for popular formats like JPEG and PNG, but the DWARF 3 can also capture FITS and TIFF formats (essential for preserving detail in those massive panorama photos).
Milky Way
On just a hardware and software level, the DWARF 3 packs quite a lot for a $469 telescope. Although catered towards both serious stargazers and hobbyists, the DWARF 3’s specs are solid. A 150mm telephoto lens (equivalent of 737mm) and a 6.7mm wide angle lens (equivalent of 45mm) offer the DWARF 3 a massive FOV range. A Sony IMX678 STARVIS 2 sensor captures precise imagery across a variety of shooting modes including regular photo, astro, burst, and time-lapse, along with videos at 4K@30fps or 1080p@60fps. For the image processing functions, the telescope has an NPU capable of 5 TOPS of processing power (an upgrade from the 2 TOPS on the DWARF II model). A 128GB eMMC comes included with the DWARF 3 for storing photos, and a whopping 10,000mAh built-in battery lets the telescope work for long hours, capturing massive panoramas or long-duration star trails. All this fits into a device that weighs 1.3 kilograms, works automatically, and outperforms most pro-grade camera setups that are 10 times the cost.
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