What is a common filmmakers dream? A device which does it all, which is tiny, compact, capable. Quick setup times, long battery life, the opposite of a one-trick-pony. That’s a lot to ask but maybe the Trexo Wheels tabletop dolly / motion control system is here to tick quite a few boxes.
Trexo Wheels is a motorized tabletop dolly for smartphones or DSLRs / mirrorless cameras up to 5.9 lbs (2,7 kg). But it’s not only a dolly, it’s a motion control device with some app-driven magic applied to it. You can perform time-lapse moves, circle around objects, even draw a desired path onto a photo you snapped with your phone and Trexo Wheels will follow that path. The only thing you need is a flat surface.
Our own johnnie Behiri conducted an interview with Trexo’s Orkun Kilinç and it complements the existing Kickstarter campaign video nicely, which you can watch here:
Trexo Wheels is in its final stages of an ongoing Kickstarter campaign, if you want to get one early, head over to Kickstarter.com before the campaign ends on October 8th. But fear not, the Trexo Wheels will also be available for purchasing via Trexo Innovation website and for normal retail early December this year.
We had a similar (not so similar actually) device here on CineD before: The Rollocam Hercules. The shape and the overall appearance reminded me of the Trexo Wheels although the Trexo is quite a bit bigger and heavier (2.43 lbs /1,1kg). I personally owned the Hercules and I must say I wasn’t impressed but to be fair, the Trexo seems to be a very different beast and it’s the form factor that made me buy the original Rollocam Hercules in the first place. So I hope that Trexo Wheels is a lot further up the (r)evolutionary ladder, and I am very curious to try it out for myself.
Trexo have a background in much higher-end motion control gear such as a fully rigged buggy, so the Trexo Wheels inherits quite a bit of engineering know-how, the only thing which must stand the test is the app. Once you have an app, it has to perform flawlessly, otherwise the whole thing isn’t worth anything. Luckily the Trexo Wheels also offers a stand-alone mode but for more sophiticated moves, you’ll need the app.
We’ll see how good the Trexo Wheels perform in real life. For me the form factor, the versatility and the potential seems to be great. If this thing holds up to the promises, it might be very decent tool to have with you all the time. And that’s the point, the best tool you have is the one you have with you. And this one offers quite a bit: a tabletop dolly, motion control, time lapse and even a turntable for product shots, all in one bag.
Trexo Wheels is available on Kickstarter (remember, that is not a shop!), after that you can pre-order it on the Trexo website for $499. Official retail price will be $699 and shipping should start eary December this year.
If you want to dig deeper, check out the full manual for your reading pleasure.
Links: Trexo Website | Kickstarter.com
What do you think? Is this device worth a closer look? A do-it-all device for quick camera moves? Let us know what you think in the comments below!