Hidden in a picnic cooler with puffy wheels this device allows you to leave love letters in the sand the high tech way. Inside this box is a line of 9 pneumatically actuated conical thingies 2 - 3 inches in diameter which act like pins of a dot matrix printer. When instructed to do so, the cones will rapidly project from the bottom of the box from just above the surface of the sand. The actuation causes the cones to punch indentations in to the sand in patterns dictated by the on board computer.

A rake or blade will precede the "print head" to create a relatively smooth surface. Motion of the box will be determined by a pulse generator attached to the wheels.

With the pnuematics, air tank and computer, there's still enough room for a little bit of picnic food.

Program a message and pull the Beach Printer along to leave a not-so-lasting impression.
-- half, Sep 11 2003

beach printing- been there /doing that http://www.beachnbi...rd.com/04images.htm
beach advertising [avgourmet, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

what a romantic, half.
-- po, Sep 11 2003


With all the stuff built in already, can't you make it bounce around on its own? It would be much more fun to watch a printhead bounce around like crazy on the beach and you can sip a cool drink while it prints.
-- kbecker, Sep 11 2003


//I'll try and find a link.//

Are you implying that this is baked? What does NASA charge for this abuse of Hubble?
-- kbecker, Sep 11 2003


There is a company in that already does beach impressions using a big roller with the message embossed as the tread. They show up early in the morning and you arrive to a mile long path of snapplesnapplesnapplesnapplesnapplesnapplesnapple

http://www.beachnbillboard.com/04images.htm
-- avgourmet, Sep 12 2003


Neat, but looks mighty Baked to me.
-- DrCurry, Sep 12 2003


Don't think it is baked. Half's idea can be programmed to leave a choice of messages unlike the snapple graphic which is just one image on a rubber wheel. +
-- k_sra, Sep 12 2003


Geez, give it to a kid and show him some wet cement that City Services just laid down for a sidewalk. He'll put in his name and dates and the names of all his friends and his dog before anybody knows what's going on.
-- mitcheroo, Oct 15 2003


If the item is as large as a cooler, I doubt he will go unnoticed.
-- k_sra, Oct 16 2003


hmmm. bring on beach tippex..(+)
-- neilp, Oct 16 2003



random, halfbakery