Introducing Trexo Wheels – A Tiny Tabletop Dolly with Motion Control Built-in

by Olaf von VossOctober 7^th, 2020

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What is a common filmmaker’s dream? A device which does it all – which is tiny, compact, capable. Quick setup time, long battery life, the opposite of a one-trick-pony. That’s a lot to ask for, 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, and 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 purchase via the Trexo Innovation website and for normal retail in early December this year.

We had a similar (not too similar actually) device here on CineD before: The Rollocam Hercules. The shape and 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, and the only thing that must stand the test is the app. Once you have an app, it has to perform flawlessly, otherwise the whole thing isn’t worth much. Luckily, the Trexo Wheels also offers a stand-alone mode, yet for more sophisticated moves, you’ll need the app.

We’ll see how well the Trexo Wheels performs in real life. For me, the form factor, the versatility and the potential seem to be great. If this product holds up to its promises, it might be a very decent tool to have with you at all times. And that’s the point: the best tool you have is the one you have with you. Plus 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 US$499. The official retail price will be US$699 and shipping should start in early December this year.

If you want to dig deeper, check out the full manual for your reading pleasure.

We are saying this at the end of every crowdfunding-related article: Please be aware of the risks when backing a project on a crowdfunding platform. Please read the crowdfunding platform terms of use. Keep in mind that there can be significant delays when delivering the product. Some projects even don’t get delivered at all.

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 in the comments below!