Gorgeous Surface Studio video brought to life by robot and Xbox controller

When Microsoft debuted the new Surface Studio alongside a gorgeous reveal video, it stunned onlookers with a mix of tight product shots set to a cover of "Pure Imagination." Now, it has been revealed that Microsoft had a little help from a couple of surprising tools in putting the video together: a robot and an Xbox controller.

As reported by The Beat, Microsoft enlisted the help of KIRA, a robotic camera arm from Motorized Precision, to pull off the fluid shots of the Surface Studio and Dial seen in the video. KIRA was controlled using the dedicated MP Studio Windows app that could control every aspect of each shot, ranging from arm movements to focus and zoom. The app can even receive input from an Xbox controller, which Microsoft used to capture some shots.

While the resulting video itself was pretty impressive at first look, it's even more impressive after learning of what went on behind the scenes to capture each shot. If you're interested, you can check out a look at what KIRA looks like in action in the video below.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.