When I first used a slider while shooting video, I never wanted to film a static shot ever again. Something as simple as an establishing landscape shot suddenly had this cinematic feel that was far more interesting than it would otherwise would have been. It was was only a manual slide down tracks about the length of a shoebox, but whoa, what a difference.
Twenty years later, and now here’s a product I could have only dreamt of. The Trexo Wheels Go: an AI-powered personal motorized dolly and pan head that responds to voice commands. And it’s cheap – just US$229 on Kickstarter at the time of writing.
In my amateur filmmaking days, comparable rigs (minus the AI features, of course, because that was still the stuff of science fiction) would easily have been in the realm of $4k or more for a CineSlider motorized slider with a Hercules motorized pan head. We won’t even get into Chapman dollies … and the 7-in x 2.4-in (212-mm x 61-mm),1.2-lb (526-g) Trexo is small enough to fit in your backpack.
Remember using egg timers with a 1/4-inch screw slapped on top for pan-lapses? Ha!
Trexo
The Trexo packs a lot of punch for such a travel-sized machine. For starters, it functions as a dolly to get you those smooth, rolling shots that really add a professional, creative, and dynamic feel to your production. It also features a panning head with face tracking. Meaning, if you like to use the whole stage while you film your standup or dance routine, the Wheels Go has you covered, locked onto your face wherever you go.
It’s also capable of taking 360-degree orbital shots by combining the dolly and pan head features. Did you just finish building the most epic ship-in-a-bottle or model car? The Trexo can dolly around it on a perfect path, allowing you to capture every angle of your build in a super smooth and continuous circular motion. Or, using the panning head in turntable mode, you can put your project – up to 2.65 lb (1.2 kg) – on top of it while it spins and captures all sides of your creation from a static angle.
Trexo
That means no more awkward pans and jittery slides.
You literally just tell the Trexo what shot you want through the app or even your Apple Watch and let it do its thing – from custom motion timelines to step-calculated time-lapses. You can also save your favorite shots as presets. It’s a professional robotic camera operator at your service.
Trexo
The Trexo’s speed ranges from a barely-moving whisper of 0.05 mm per second to a zippy 400 mm per second with buttery smooth precision.
Whether you’re filming full-length features, a YouTube unboxing video, or your latest DIY project, the Trexo Wheels Go is a pretty solid, versatile tool to have in your arsenal for those creative, cinematic shots you know you’ve always wanted. Assuming it goes into production, units are slated to start shipping in September 2025.
Source: Trexo Innovation Inc
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