FAQS
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Yes, anyone can make a Bot. You are unique and so are the things you make. There are no rules for what a Bot should look like.
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Nope. Bots are simply a painted domino. They don't actually talk to you, they simply spur your own imagination.
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There is no limit to the type of Bot that you can make. Here is a list of many that have been made: Joy Bots, Brave Bots, Love Bots. Hope Bots, Cloning Bot, Pause Bot, Lucky Bot, Lula Bot, Get Started Bot, Inspiration Bot, No Bot, Yes Bot, Curiosity Bot, Coffee Bot, Knitting Bot, Unplugged Bot, Gratitude Bot, Listening Bot, Fun Bot, Decision Bot, Caffeine Bot. Knitting Bot, Zen Bot, Cooking Bot, Travel Bot, Advice Bot. You can see all of the types that Gary makes on his Etsy site.
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Jumbo dominos are hard to find. Gary gets his wholesale (as a business) but this supply chain isn’t open to the public. Here are a few other domino resources. Obtaining dominos is probably the hardest part of this project :(
G8central
Dominos.com
bestdeals -
Yep, Gary sells Bots and Bot Kits on Etsy.
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Bot murals take the interactive art idea to a larger scale, literally. Each Bot mural has a question embedded in the design:
‘What brings you joy?” “Who do you love?” And many more. Viewers are encouraged to answers these questions by posting a photo of themselves with the mural and their answer to #botjoy. You can see Gary’s murals here.
Discover more Gary’s murals on Wescover.
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Yes! There is an 800 plus person group on Facebook that shares their Bot projects and stories. Admittedly FB has it’s problems, but this format is the easiest way for people to share what they are making. If you don’t want to participate in FB but want to share your project you can send them to Gary.
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Yes, Gary has donated Brave Bots to children’s hospitals, non-profit organizations, first responders, and art teachers. He also leads projects where members of the community create Bots for these organizations. Please contact Gary directly for more info.
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Yes, organizations such as Nike, Owens Corning, Intuit, and others have used Bots as a way to playfully and meaningfully remind people of what their organizations care about.
Bot-making is a great way for a business organization to embed its values (for example, a team could make Listening Bots as a reminder to commit to hearing the needs of their customers.)
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Rule of thumb is if you use a water-based pen, you need to use a non-water-based (stinky) clear coat to protect your Bot. Gary uses oil-based pens (not stinky) and a water-based clear coat (also not stinky) to seal his Bots. Other people use different pens and clear coats. See the Botjoy Botmaker Community Page on Facebook to learn more about what others are doing.
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These pens can be a little frustrating when they clog and bleed. Gary constantly primes his pens by using a blank sheet of paper to constantly make marks and keep it unclogged. If the pens leaks or “blobs” out on your domino consider just using the blob and part of your robot design. Everything is an offer.
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Gary would love to hear from you! Send him a message in the form under the Contact page.
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