360Photography

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A pocket-sized motorized camera dolly that runs on an AAA batteries is in the works from US company Rollocam. Hercules is programmable and consists of a three-wheeled body with a tripod screw and a single press-button controller. It’s designed to drive in straight lines or arcs, and is suitable for making movies as well as time-lapse sequences. A collection of accessories also allow it to rotate for 360° panoramas, while different sized wheels alter the speed at which it can travel. Two of the wheels are hinged to allow the user to set a curved path of travel, and the whole unit disassembles for packing away.

Rollocam says the device can support a 10lb weight, and that it can travel at seven speeds, from 2.5 to 20.3cm/1 to 8in per second, according to the wheels fitted. In time-lapse mode it can be set to travel between 0.13 and 12.7mm/0.005 and 0.5in, across eight settings, with intervals of 1 to 60 seconds.

Launched as a Kickstarter project last year the campaign raised over $ 380,000, and as the funds increased additional features were added – such as the use of magnets on the metal Rollocam track to stop the dolly and send it back in the other direction. The company says it is also now working on a camera trigger that synchronizes with the traveling dolly so that time-lapse frames can be recorded in an automated move-shoot-move sequence.

The basic Hercules costs $ 125 on a pre-order deal, and the premium kit with extra wheels, a panorama plate and a mounting plate for heavier cameras costs $ 249. For more information visit the Rollocam website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)