How do you look inside a massive 10-ton machine tool that is shrouded by metal guarding?

For Makino, one of the largest machine tool manufacturers in the world, this is a major issue since buyers want to see and understand the internal systems that are hidden from view. The previous method of creating sales display units with the guarding removed is beyond impractical, especially since Makino's line has grown to 32 products. 

The solution was a custom-built augmented reality (AR) application created by technology development firm Kinetic Vision that allows users to literally see inside the machines. Running on an iPad, the Makino AR app recognizes a unique identifying target on each product, determines the tablet location and displays photorealistic 3D animations of the internal systems in real time. The result is a "magic window" which allows the buyer to zoom in and out as they move and explore the machine's operation. The application gives an unprecedented view inside the machine. You can see every component from any angle, enlightening your understanding of how the system operates.

It is available for free through Apple and Android. 

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