How fast will my robot go?
How far will my robot go before the batteries go dead?
How long will the stereo last before the batteries go dead?
I want to put a television on my robot for tailgating. What kind should I use?
What are my options for finishing or painting my robot?
How do I transport my robot from my house to the beach or tailgating area?
How do I control my robot?
Other questions

Q: How fast will my robot go?
A: Our robots are designed to carry heavy loads alongside a person walking. The top speed of your robot will depend on how much weight is being carried and the surface it is travelling on. Completely empty across level pavement, your robot will travel seven miles per hour, requiring a moderate run to keep up. Fully loaded on its slowest surface (sand), your robot can travel three miles per hour and will still outpace a person walking. If you wish to have a robot that travels faster, the gearing can easily be modified if your robot does not need to carry heavy loads or travel over difficult surfaces. The fastest robot we have built to date travelled twenty miles per hour.

Q: How far will my robot go before the batteries go dead?
A: This, too, depends on how much weight your robot is carrying and the surface it is travelling on. An empty robot can travel approximately ten miles over flat pavement while a fully loaded robot can travel about one and a half miles over sand.

Q: How long will the stereo last before the batteries go dead?
A: This depends on the sound system you choose and the volume your are listening to the stereo. With the standard 680-watt stereo at reasonable beach volume, the stereo will run for about ten hours before needing to charge it. By "reasonable beach volume," we mean loud enough to clearly hear the stereo from 100-feet away, but no so loud that all the other beach-goers are annoyed. At maximum volume, it will run about four hours. If you need longer run time, additional batteries can be included with your robot. Disconnecting the subwoofer will more than double your stereo runtime if all you are concerned with is being able to listen to music. Even without the subwoofer, the stereo will still sound much better than other portable stereos such as boomboxes.

Q: I want to put a television on my robot for tailgating. What kind should I use?
A: We can mount any television to your robot, but some will work better than others. Most people don't buy a dedicated television for their robot; instead they use one from their living room or bedroom. Keep in mind that your television will take some abuse. Typically, once you get the television actually on your robot, it is pretty safe (unless you crash into something). Moving the TV between your house, your car, and your robot is where your TV is more likely to get banged up. When moving your TV, it's a good idea to get someone to help you even if it's a TV you can carry yourself. Also, have something (like blankets) to protect your TV while putting it in your car.

As far as the different TV technologies go, here's a breakdown:

Q: What are my options for finishing or painting my robot?
A: Your robot is built mostly out of aluminum. Though unpainted aluminum doesn't rust like steel, it does tend to dull and can get scratched and dirty. We recommend painting to preserve the looks of your robot. Below are some of the painting options you have. Contact us if you have any questions or special needs that aren't mentioned here.

1. For no additional charge, your robot comes with the aluminum brushed and clearcoated. Brushing the alumimum makes a nice looking pattern and hides the inevitable scratch. Many people add stickers, vinyl logos, etc to dress up their robots.
2. You can choose to have your robot painted whatever color you wish. We can do this for you or we can leave the robot completely unfinished and you can do this yourself or have a body shop do it for you.
3. Some people choose to have designs, team logos, etc painted on their robots. In this case, we will leave the robot unfished and allow you to either do this yourself or have a professional paint it. The large flat panels on the sides of your robot are easily removable. It is fairly easy to find a local airbrush artist that will paint whatever you want on these panels.
4. We can do any combination of these options at your request. For example, we could clearcoat the base robot, paint the rack system and stereo one color, and then leave the side panels unpainted so that you can have team logos done.

Q: How do I transport my robot from my house to the beach or tailgating area?
A: The base unit of the robot is small enough to fit in the rear hatch of a mid-size SUV without folding down the seats. If you have taller accessories attached, these may need to be removed first. The robot also fits easily in the bed of a truck, in a small trailer, or on a trailer hitch rack. Keep in mind that you will probably want to remove bulkier accessories (satellite dish, TV, etc) if you are going to be travelling long distances (who wants bug guts on their big screen TV anyway??). All accessories are designed for quick and easy removal. An optional ramp can be purchased to allow driving the robot into the back of an truck or SUV. We can also modify your trailer to add a ramp and blocks to keep your robot in place if needed.

Q: How do I control my robot?
A: Your robot is controlled using a radio transmitter similar to that used by remote control cars. The new 2.4GHz technology used by the remote controls provide unmatched range and noise filtering. Additionally, your robot can be controlled using some cell phones and PDA's! Your cell phone needs to be running Windows Mobile 5 or higher and you will need a laptop PC onboard, but this configuration really opens up a lot of possibilities for customizations. Email us for more information if you are interested in this option!

Have a question not answered here? Email support@beachrobot.com!