Capturing quality motion time-lapses and panoramas have long been feats reserved for the most adept photographers, but two Ph.D. candidates from the University of California, Los Angeles physics department are making the process available to all with a brand-new accessory.

Enter Spinpod, via Kickstarter. Daniel Aharoni and Zhiping Chen last Friday took their product to the crowdfunding platform, where it's currently eyeing a funding goal of $75,000.

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According to the pitch video, the Spinpod is a portable photo helper for select smartphones and cameras. "Thinner than a deck of cards," the gizmo grooves with the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPod touch and most Android phones, with or without a case.

The gadget, which can double as a music holder, sound amplifier and video-chat port, is intuitive in application. After locking your device of choice in Spinpod's dock, select between panoramic mode and time-lapse mode. The former works with camera apps capable of continuous panoramic photography to produce seamless shots, and the latter lets you try your hand at an array — thanks to its versatility — of motion time-lapse maneuvers. You can mount the Spinpod to a tripod (or even connect one to another) to capture dynamic clips, and an LED lets you know which mode you're shooting in.

Additionally, Spinpod features a five-, 10- and 15-second timer option for self-portraits. Spinpod isn't the only helper out there, though. Apple users might recall Galileo, a previous Kickstarter success that lets your iPhone do a full 360 via iPad control, as well as last year's Radian.

Trying to make the leap to the market, the tech-savvy students behind Spinpod (pictured above) are giving interested backers a chance to snag one of the devices with a $59 pledge. But keep your eyes on Spinpod's Kickstarter campaign for updates on add-ons in the near future. Aharoni told Mashable that his team is working with iStabilizer's model of a four-wheel dolly meant for cameras, modifying it with a ball-head tripod mount so the Spinpod can motorize and drive dollies.

According to Aharoni, the weight will be off the Spinpod and held on the dolly, so high-end photography equipment, such as DSLRs, will be supported for linear time-lapses. The dolly system, per Aharoni, will be able to be added to any current and future pledge, so all backers can receive a Spinpod as well as the mounting and dolly system.

“The linear system is going to expand the base of people that can use [Spinpod],” Aharoni said.

“It will be much, much more affordable than anything else that’s been out.”

At time of publication, the Spinpod was about one-third of the way to its $75,000 goal. The funding period closes July 1 at 2 a.m. EDT.

How do you feel about Spinpod? Are you willing to back the product? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Image courtesy of Spinpod