First Product from University of San Diego’s Donald’s Garage Hits the Market

A slider system for consumers to take professional quality time-lapse and tracking shots with their smartphones and GoPro cameras is the first product from Donald’s Garage at the University of San Diego Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. 

Commercial camera slider systems can cost thousands of dollars and are cumbersome to carry in the wild. But Trek, initially conceived and developed by engineering students as a senior design project, can be carried in a backpack.

“Today’s smartphone and GoPro cameras can fit in the palm of your hand but the accessory industry hasn’t kept up with the revolution,” said Chris Szczur, co-founder of Dyno Equipment. “Trek is the answer to that gap in the marketplace.”

Using magnetized tracks, Trek works much like a model train or Hot Wheels set that can be taken apart and assembled in just a few minutes.

“Whether you’re snowboarding in the Sierras or hiking in the Himalayas, you can carry Trek with you to take incredible photos and shots of your adventure,” said Scott Matthews, Dyno Equipment’s other co-founder.

To see Trek in action and pre-order the system, starting at $199, go to https://igg.me/at/dynotrek.

Following graduation from USD in 2016, Matthews and Szczur continued to work on the project in Donald’s Garage. The facility was part of Darlene Marcos Shiley’s gift to USD to encourage entrepreneurs to follow in the footsteps of her late husband, Donald Shiley, who developed a revolutionary heart valve in his garage.

“This project exemplifies the ‘maker philosophy’ we want to instill in our students to become innovators and entrepreneurs,” said Chell Roberts, Dean of the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering.

“We really appreciate the great support we’ve received from USD,” Szczur said. Both Professor of Practice and Director of Industry Partnerships Venkat Shastri and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Daniel Codd, worked with them, along with Steven Saxer and Sam Burt in the school’s Machine Shop.

The USD School of Law’s Entrepreneurship Clinic also assisted the pair, and Clarity Design, one of the engineering school’s industry partners, is providing support to design and manufacture Trek.

“It’s really exciting to see Scott and Chris’s project come to market and we look forward to their great success,” said Professor Codd.

The Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering at USD is ranked #12^th in the nation for schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s by U.S. News & World Report.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.