I had one of these as a kid! Played with it soo much I wore it out. I remember taking it apart and being completely in awe at how all the mechanics of it worked. Wish I still had it now.
The original motor and joysticks with transmission gear trains were removed. They were replaced by 6 smaller motors. Each motor has a single gear meshed with the corresponding gear train leading to an axis. The motors will be connected to a motor shield of Arduino.