RGKit Play Is a Modular Motor System Designed to Make it Easy to Add Motion to Videos

When it comes to cinematography, every aspect of your shot can affect the mood and feel of the video. A static camera on a motionless tripod certainly has its place, as anyone who has seen Lawrence of Arabia can attest to. But dynamic shots full of motion can add a little something extra to your videos. Unfortunately, traditional motorized camera systems are complex and expensive. Even a simple Steadicam setup can easily exceed the budget of most amateurs. That’s why Argineering developed RGKit Play, which is a modular system designed to add motion to your shots.

RGKit Play just recently launched as a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and that campaign has already surpassed its $50,000 funding goal. The system is comprised of various motors, rails, and mounts that you can attach to one another in order to create complex motion in your videos. The cool thing is that the system can be used to move both the camera and objects you’re capturing. You could, for instance, have your camera sliding along on a linear rail while the subject of the video rotates on a turntable. The possibilities are virtually endless, thanks to the large variety of motors and accessories. Those include sliders, rotators, and various kinds of arms and mounts to take advantage of them.

Of course, all of that would be unwieldy without a way to precisely control the movement of each motor and keep everything timed properly. That’s why each electronic module — namely the motors — has a built-in controller and WiFi connection. You can easily pair those modules with the RGkit app and set them to trigger at a specific time, move a set distance or angle, and so on. The Plugger module can be used to control the voltage of your lights, fans, and more. The Touch module turns any surface into a touch sensor that you can use to start actions you setup in the app. By combining all of these modules and accessories in creative ways, you can set up just about any kind of dynamic shot you can imagine.

If you want your own RGkit Play, the Kickstarter campaign will be running until October 31st. Prices vary dramatically depending on which particular modules and accessories you want, but the most basic kit costs $190 for early birds. Rewards are expected to be delivered in January of 2021.