Robot Maintenance
Most faults we are asked about are wear, dirt, a loose fastener or a flat battery — not a broken robot. A few minutes of checking catches nearly all of them before they become a ticket.
Read Operational Safety before working on a robot. Power it off and disconnect the battery before touching anything mechanical.
Read the page for your platform as well. Each one carries the checks specific to that type.
| Your platform | |
|---|---|
| Scout Mini, Ranger Mini | Wheeled base maintenance |
| Go2, As2, A2, B2 | Quadruped maintenance |
| G1, H1-2, R1, H2 | Humanoid maintenance |
| WR65, WRL63, xArm, Z1, Piper, Nero, Kinova Gen3 Lite | Manipulator maintenance |
Routine checks
There is no universal service interval, and we would rather give you triggers you can actually act on than a schedule you would ignore. Work to what the robot is doing, not to a calendar.
| When | Check |
|---|---|
| Before each use | Visible damage, loose or missing fasteners, frayed or pinched cables, battery charge, anything hanging off a payload mount |
| After each use | Wipe off dust and debris, especially around wheels, feet, joints and cooling vents |
| Every few weeks in regular use | Tyre condition and pressure, fastener torque on payload mounts, connector seating, fan and vent cleanliness |
| After any impact, fall or collision | Inspect the whole robot before powering it on again, not just the part that hit something |
| Monthly in storage | Battery charge level — see Batteries |
Anything that has changed since the last check — a new noise, more play in a joint, a robot that pulls to one side — is worth investigating while it is small.
Batteries
The single most common cause of a robot that will not run, and the component most easily ruined by neglect.
Charging: connect the charger to the robot first, then to the wall.
Finishing: disconnect from the wall first, then from the robot.
Doing it the other way round can arc the connector.
- Do not over-discharge. The robot alarms at low battery; charge it then rather than later.
- Charge in a clear area, away from flammable materials, on a non-flammable surface.
- Do not leave it charging unattended, and disconnect once it is full.
- Use only the supplied charger. Voltage and chemistry have to match.
- Do not modify or substitute the original batteries.
- In storage, charge at least once every two months. A lithium pack left flat for months may not recover.
- Stop using any pack that is swollen, dented, punctured or has taken a hard knock. Isolate it and contact us — do not charge it to test it.
Cleaning
Assume the robot is not waterproof. Unless yours was specifically customised, no hose, no pressure washer, no submersion. See the ratings by platform.
- A dry brush or compressed air for dust; a barely damp cloth for the shell.
- No solvents on plastics or painted surfaces.
- Keep cooling vents and fans clear — a blocked fan is a thermal shutdown waiting to happen.
- Keep connectors dry and clean. Blow out debris rather than wiping grit into a housing.
- Clean around joints, wheel hubs and feet rather than driving grit into them.
Storage and transport
- Charge to a storage level and top up every two months. Do not store flat.
- Store dry, indoors, out of direct sun, and away from heaters.
- Support the robot in its resting position. Do not store a legged robot standing under power, or an arm extended.
- Transport in the original case or crate where you still have it, with the battery secured.
- Check the shipping rules for lithium batteries before flying or freighting — they are restricted.
- Inspect fully after transport, before the first power-on at the other end.
Firmware and software
- Record the version before and after any update. When something changes behaviour, the version you were on is the first thing we will ask for.
- Do not update firmware mid-project unless you need the fix. Update at a point where you can re-test.
- Keep a note of what is installed on the onboard computer, especially anything you built yourself — reimaging loses it.
When to call us instead
Stop and contact us rather than continuing:
- Any joint stiffness, play, noise or motor fault on a legged robot or an arm
- A battery that is swollen, damaged or will not hold charge
- Anything smoking, smelling hot or discoloured
- Damage found after a fall, collision or transport
- Repeatability or odometry that has drifted and does not come back after a recalibration
Have the serial number, firmware version and any error codes ready — Before you contact us lists what else helps and the commands to gather it.
Support
- Operational Safety — read before working on a robot
- Before you contact us — what to collect