The legs of the Sony AIBO ERS-210

The legs on the Sony AIBO ERS-210 robot dog are pretty sophisticated, and enclosed in tight fitting custom shell parts.

Each section of the leg is uniquely enclosed to ensure they do not interfere with each other.

Undoing the casing it tricky and with the sophisticated delicate electronics packed tightly in there is serious risk of damage.

Each limb joint has is own servos, control feedback circuits delicate flexible printed circuit board cables.  This is a great design methodology and it means there are no wire to get entangled and caught up.

Unfortunately, the special design of the flexible PCB cables and circuits means they are rarer than Hens Teeth, especially as Sony stop making them years ago, so damaging one go these cables can be fatal to the limb.

 Despite the rugged nature of the gait with which the AIBO's walk when wandering about, some of the smallest cables are in the ankles, can easily be broken by rough handling or chewing by a pet.

Each of the limb joints has is own potentiometer (pots) feedback pot, these are prone to dirt and dirt damage, as are any pots the one you use every day is the crackly volume control on your old hifi.

Within each of the limbs are complex gears linked to the servos, damage to these plastic gears is not uncommon and can prove fatal to the limb.

#fixed1tAIBOrepairs