Can I operate my Bravo with its cover open?
No. The cover must be closed for the robotics to move. This is a required safety feature.
However, there is a way to open the lid and watch the Bravo if you need to observe the robotic movements for troubleshooting purposes. You can simply block the optical sensor for the lid, which is found roughly 3 centimeters to the right and about 2 centimeters back of the power button on top of the Bravo. You will see an opening, or 'notch' in the white casing of the Bravo. This notch has the optical sensor inside it that detects when the lid is open (when the lid is open you cannot operate the Bravo). There is a plastic tab located on the lid of the Bravo that fits down into that notch on top of the Bravo. The plastic tab on the lid has a piece of reflective tape on it that blocks the optical sensor inside the notch when the lid is closed. To watch it run, take a piece of cardboard or folded up paper and wedge it down inside that notch, thus blocking the optical sensor and tricking the Bravo to think that the lid is closed. You will then be able to watch everything close up.
Note: Make sure you have no halogen\fluorescent lighting directly above the Bravo. It can interfere with the cartridge sensors. This is another reason the lid needs to be closed and tinted.