Now before I go on, I did not discover this Balazs from RacingBrick did and it’s surprising he did has it’s not easy to find nor is it part of the main control panel for the set. Last week I reviewed the impressive LEGO® Technic Mercedes-Benz Zetros Truck, which is powered by Powered UP elements and uses the app to control it. But hidden away within the menu of the sets Control+ panel is an amazing AR feature. This allows you to peek inside the built set to see its inner workings. It’s a simple feature but works amazingly well. To access it, all you need to do is fire up the Control+ app, I’m currently using a BETA version so this may change in the final build. Head into the sets Control+ section and access the Manu. Here you’ll discover a cube symbol, this takes you into an AR experience. Pop the built set in a clear and well-lit area, then watch the inner gear system and motors appear. You can also get them to move in the same way the actual set would. Different overlays let you see inside the set or you can view and fully digital representation of the set.
LEGO sets and AR have a rather muddied history but this is genuinely an impressive implementation of the technology and certainly in keeping with the Technic brand. Most sets feature complex innards which get lost within them once the build is complete. So the ability to ‘see’ them through AR is great and I hope it’s something future sets will feature.
