Before we order, Ops & Maintenance questions

1. The currently available Sisyphus uses a cord. More specifically, an AC cord to a brick, and then a smaller low voltage DC cord to the table. Because the second smaller cord is low voltage I've run mine under a rug. I don't know what the total power draw is, but I think you'd need a big battery or charge it frequently if you converted it to use a battery. If you do think about adding a battery, a good source might be the ones for motorized recliners. We added one of those to a recliner that we didn't want a cord running to, and it only needs to be charged once every few weeks. But it's as big as a kid's shoe. There is room under the Sisyphus, so it might be possible. The transformer puts out 12VDC (at 4A). Also note that the upcoming Sisyphus Mini will have a rechargeable battery option.

2. I've never oiled mine, and I've never removed the sand (I think that would only be needed if you are moving house or spilled something in your sand). We have 2 cats and a dog, so I do suspect that someday I'll have to clean out cat fur as the mechanism is not "sealed" from the environment, but after 16 months of continuous operation it has not been needed.

Thanks @dithermaster for doing such a great job answering @lilia 's query. We have a very good track record with our "Ssbot" mechanism being reliable and quiet - but on rare occasions we've had reports of different types of sound. The "pinion lubrication" tutorial was made to fix one of those if it arises. For the majority of users, no routine maintenance has been needed. As for running a full size table using a 12V battery, we have done some trials using Lithium packs sold on Amazon. The majority of the power consumed is by the LED lighting. My personal feeling is that having to recharge a battery often is not worth the hassle. But as long as it's marked "12V", there's no harm if you want to try it. As expected, the larger the Li pack, the longer between charges - but also, the more the price.