You see all sorts of toy robots in stores. What goes into making one? We’ve just taken apart Tekno, the robotic puppy, so you can see everything inside, how it’s made and how it works!

The amazing thing is that a toy looks so simple on the outside, but inside it has hundreds of parts. Tekno has two motors, six sensors, a small microprocessor, lots of gears, levers and wires...and more than 100 screws holding the whole thing together.



When you take off Tekno's head and the top of his body, you see the main motor and the levers that move his legs. One motor controls all four legs and his tail!

Here's the main processor, motor for the head and ears, and all six sensors (light, sound, mouth, nose, head and neck).

A gearbox takes the power from the main motor and turns it into the wagging of his tail. A little clutch turns the tail on and off.

The processor board contains 1) a small microprocessor, 2) the amplifiers that drive the motors and 3) the electronics that handle the sensors. This is Tekno’s brain!

The motor spins at about 600 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute). The gears convert it down to about 20 RPM so the legs go at the right speed. The shaft is what makes the tail wag.

Hundreds of parts fit together to make one Tekno Puppy! Each Tekno is assembled individually by hand in China.

Related Links:
The following links are from our original Web site. The articles are written at a more senior level.

How Microprocessors Work:
www.howstuffworks.com/microprocessor.htm

How Electric Motors Work:
www.howstuffworks.com/motor.htm

Inside an Electric Motor:
www.howstuffworks.com/inside-motor.htm

How Clutches Work (using a Yo-Yo as an example):
www.howstuffworks.com/question158.htm