Industrial engineer Oscar Ramírez approached the conception process for Astro with three cornerstones in mind: Compact. Intuitive. Simple. Compared to the complicated, touchy and expensive panoramic/time lapse tripods that seem to be the norm, Astro provides a refreshing alternative.

The slim canister mounts between the camera and tripod, controlling the speed and span of the pan (a max of 30° per second) as well as the photo intervals in seconds or minutes. The rings of the device function as intuitive setting controls, like a photographic decoder ring. It seems that it will be easy enough for the casual photographer to operate yet precise enough for the professional to work with.

The designers are also developing a smartphone app for Astro to run more advanced programs in the future. The app will control "features like ramping, continuous movement, presets and HDR" and will allow users to export the program to Astro, making it unnecessary to rely solely on smart phone tethering for control.

By backing the Astro Kickstarter project, you essentially pre-order an Astro while supporting the ramp up of the bulk production process—the final design and functions are fully tested and complete.

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