What's the thing in front of the Gonk droids?

[kresty]

For anyone coming across this in the future, do a Google search for The Phantom Menace's pit droids.

Pit Droids have their own subforum: http://www.rebeldroids.net/forum/forumdi...php?fid=20 and photo gallery http://www.rebeldroids.net/gallery/thumb...p?album=16

And even the aforementioned folding sequence.

My fault for being a dip and not recognizing it in the context.

Pit Droid expand/collapse sequence
Image from Star Wars The Phantom Menace
The Expanded Visual Dictionary