What to expect when a rented robot shows up at your warehouse

You booked a robot. Now what? Here's what actually happens from the moment you hit "Reserve" to the moment the robot picks up its first box.

Day 0: Booking confirmed

After you reserve, our ops team reviews your site requirements within a few hours. We'll email you a short questionnaire: floor layout, Wi-Fi coverage, power outlet locations, ceiling height, and any environmental factors (temperature extremes, dust, humidity). If you added the White Glove Delivery service ($249), a technician is assigned to your delivery.

Day 1: Logistics

Your robot ships from the nearest regional hub. Continental US deliveries take 1-2 business days. The robot travels in a custom shock-absorbing case with its charging station, documentation, and any add-on equipment.

We'll send tracking info and a 2-hour delivery window. Someone at your site needs to be available to receive — the cases weigh 200-350 lbs depending on the model and require a loading dock or freight elevator.

Day 2: Delivery and setup

If you opted for White Glove service, our technician arrives with the robot. Setup takes 2-4 hours depending on the model and your environment:

1. 1.Unboxing and physical inspection (15 min)
2. 2.Charging station placement and power test (20 min)
3. 3.Wi-Fi connectivity and network registration (15 min)
4. 4.Sensor calibration for your specific space (30-60 min)
5. 5.Navigation mapping — the robot walks through its operating area to build an internal map (30-60 min)
6. 6.Task programming or loading pre-configured routines (30-90 min)
7. 7.Safety walkthrough with your team (15 min)
8. 8.Live test run (15-30 min)

Without White Glove, you'll receive a setup guide and video call support. Self-setup typically takes 4-6 hours for someone technically comfortable.

Day 2 (afternoon): Robot is productive

By late afternoon, your robot is doing real work. The first day is usually the slowest as the robot's navigation map refines and you dial in task parameters. By day 2-3, throughput stabilizes and you'll have a good baseline for what to expect.

Common first-week surprises:

The robot will occasionally stop and wait. This is normal — it's encountering a situation outside its training and is requesting guidance rather than guessing. These events decrease over the first week as the robot learns your specific environment.

Charging breaks happen. A 16-hour battery sounds like it should cover a full shift, but real-world operation with heavy payloads might draw it down to 12-14 hours. Plan for a mid-shift charge window, or add the Extended Battery Pack ($39/day) for hot-swapping.

Your team will crowd around it. Budget 30-60 minutes of lost productivity on day one while everyone takes photos. This is normal and usually good for morale.