Category Archives: -Where In The World Is Your Bot?

Stories of Bots out and about in the real world

Bots Inspiring Bots

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Over the past few years The Bots have inspired more Bots (Bot fans “getting their own Bot on”, as my 18 year old would say). It is fantastic to see the excitement and focus when people put a brain full of creativity on a tiny domino! Here are few of my favorites:

Girl Scouts in Ely MN. make a set for their Winter Festival Art Walk

 

Bot making with P&G designers in Singapore

 

From Sandy F. in Vancouver B.C. “I gave my bot to my 5 year old son, (he needs bravery as he is learning to ride a bike) and he loves his bot. In fact, he made me one out of cardboard so I can be brave too. Please don’t sue for patent infringement!”

 

Bots in Switzerland

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The Bots took a trip to Geneva. Here is their photo travelog:

Love Bot says “The guys behind me just dove into a very cold like in their Speedo’s. They are brave on so many levels!”

Love Bot says “TOLD YOU! Monsters everywhere in Geneva! I’m finding a public sauna!”

Love Bot says “Met this super nice bald guy. This is a picture of me whisperING a song in his ear. The song is something by Tyler Swift not off her new album, can’t remember the name.”

Caffeine Bot says “Giant Swiss rabbits, just one of the many everyday sights in Geneva.”

Caffeine Bot says “I made a lot of friends during my short stay in Geneva including this guy. He tries to be intimidating with his hollow yes and forehead tattoos but he’s a softie.”

Love Bot says “I met a ton of new friends in Switzerland. Here is a dog that kept spitting on me!”

Love Bots says ” Don’t ever let anyone tell you that the Swiss are exempt from the zombie apocalypse….They’re everywhere!!!

Love Bot says “This lonely girl was painted by a guy named Picasso. She checking out my butt! My butt is a a domino. I wonder if it’s her lucky number? Gary wants to be her hair dresser”

Love Bot say “There is a giant geyser in the middle of the city. Geneva is the Yellowstone of Europe.”

I am Jessica’s Bot. Here’s My Story…

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I just got this note not from a Bot owner, but from an actual Bot:

“After being constructed, I was placed in a sleeve for several days. Awaiting my new home and to see who my new human would be. When I arrived in the hands of my human, Jess, I knew instantly that I was placed there for a reason. She was a beginner instructor with no real experience and I know that the next year would be a rocky road for her. But that is exactly why I was placed in her hands. To remind her of the accomplishments that she had made in her past and what brought her to this amazing chapter in her life. Over the next few months, Jess placed me in her pocket when ever she visited her toastmasters meetings. I could tell that my presence in her pocket helped give her courage to speak up….

As she became better at public speaking, she stopped taking me with her as much. Then about 4 months ago, Jess needed me again. She placed me in her pocket for some workshops that she was delivering. We did this together for awhile until I found myself placed on her desk. She would occasionally look at me, pick me up, and rub my belly with her fingers. It took her about three months to write it, but when she was finished it was a complete workbook for beginning coaches.

A few days ago, Jess realized that I could be of use again, to someone else. She carefully placed me back into my sleeve, then into an envelope, and finally into a mailbox- to be sent all the way across the continent to New York. I cant’ wait to meet my new human!

This note from Jess:

“These bots are pretty incredible. We just had a discussion of giving and receiving gifts from clients in a coaching relationship yesterday in one of our classes. I mentioned to our group my bot story and how I had just sent one to a client. I gave a shout out to you and your website, in hopes that they see your amazing bots and can use them with their clients.

I passed along the love bot I got to my conference buddy. She seemed delighted and grateful. Thanks again Gary for the bots and the opportunity to delight others!”

Thanks for sharing Jess!

Lots of Joy! 5 Bots Found by One Family

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Just got this email! Gave me a huge smile!

What brings Portland joy?

Well, actually, the joy bots do!

After we found one of your joy bots coming out of the Pete’s coffee store on the Hawthorne Street, my two daughters and I spent a few hours day before yesterday running up and down the street looking for more joy bots. We found 5!  It was so much fun, like a scavenger hunt. Then my girls spent all afternoon playing with them. When I showed them your web site, they spent all evening dreaming up ideas what brings them joy. Then they got really excited about making their own bots – creature bots, bee bots, mystical bots, BFF bots etc… They fell asleep happy with joy bots under their pillows. It was a summer day filled with joy!!

Thank you so much!

We will pass them along for more people to share joy!

Martina

P.S. This is what we found:

Joy Bot # 177, 197, 181, 188 on Hawthorne St. and #174 on 37th St.

Later I realized we should have picked just one and left the rest for other people to enjoy, but it was very hard to stop the kids from collecting them. We will hide them again in SW Portland or send them on travels around Europe with my family.

This is what brings us Joy:

Me – Joy Bot #174 – “My Bees”

My daughter Kaya (8) – Joy Bot #197 – “my sister”! (I was impressed) and Joy Bot # 177 – “reading Harry Potter books and going to library”

My daughter Anka (5) –  Joy Bot #188 – “my family and my stuffed kitten Snowflake”

What a great project!! We had so much fun with it!

What Brings Portland Joy? Bots 175-200

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What Brings Portland Joy?  I was curious so I created an interactive art experiment designed to answer that question. Throughout the month of March I am leaving 200 Joy Bots  in random locations (see below) throughout the city of Portland, each with a set of simple instructions attached.

The goal is to document what brings Portland Joy, and to give a little joy back to the city that I love so much. People that find a Bot are invited to photograph their Joy Bot with something that brings them Joy (object, animal, person, idea, anything), and to send in their photograph and story to help me create an on-line “What Brings Portland Joy” exhibition . Finally participants are invited to leave their Bot in another random location in Portland to continue the experiment.

Below are where I left Bots #175-200

Click here to see the updated results: What Brings Portland Joy 2012

A Few Brave Stories From Randal Children’s Hospital

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From Dianne, The Child Life Specialist at Randal Children’s Hospital:

Hi Gary,
I  have some stories that I wanted to share with you.
Last week I had a 8 yr. old girl come in for prep for her surgery.  She came in with her grandmother and 14 year old sister.  She seemed very nervous and the 14 year old sister was so anxious she held onto her grandmother’s arm through the whole tour. The patient had ADD, PTSD, (I am not clear on what kind of traumatic stress she has had in her life but I do know she was in protective custody with her grandmother). She also had a bit of a speech impediment so was kind of hard to understand. When I told her the Brave Bot story and gave her the one to keep, she read the whole story out loud put it back in the box and handed it to her grandmother and said, “Hold on to this.  I don’t EVER want to lose it!”  When she got back from surgery I went to see her and the Brave Bot was beside her on her pillow.

I had another patient that was coming for surgery and after giving her the Brave Bot, the mom said, “I think I am going to cry that is sooo nice of him to make those for the kids!”  Sure enough she had tears in her eyes and her daughter had the biggest smile.  Such a great tension reliever!

Teenagers are a touch bunch to get through to when they are faced with having a surgery that they do NOT want to have.  The Bots have managed to get a few smiles.  They really like that they are numbered and signed by you.
Thanks again for your hard work and inspiration to the kids,
Dianne

What Brings Portland Joy? Bot #106 Found

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What Brings Portland Joy?

Bot #106 Found by Paige W. Dancing! Left at Emerge Underground Gallery show

“My boyfriend and I found our Joy Bot at an art show. I decided to take the bot dancing, because that’s what brings me joy. This photo was taken at the Waterfront Blues Festival, where we hit the outdoor dance floor for some Swing, Blues, Zydeco, Salsa, Cha Cha and Argentine Tango. When I’m dancing I feel connected to the earth, to the music, to my body and to my partner. It’s blissful, and it’s a blast!

Thank you for creating this project so I could share my joy with other Portlander’s. See you on the dance floor (where there just might be a bot waiting for some unsuspecting person to find)!”

Why I do this update: Bots at Randal Children’s Hospital

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I just dropped off 100 Brave Bots to the folks at Randal Children’s Hospital and heard this update (see below) from them, more stories coming soon. It’s awesome, and makes everything that I am doing around these little robots worth it!

“You should hear that the Brave Bots are a HUGE success with pre-op kids.  Our Child Life Specialist shows the kids the wall of bots on the lower level during pre-surgery tours and tells them that they are Brave Bots placed here to help kids be brave before and after surgery.  She then gives them their very own Brave Bot and she said the reactions have been priceless.  She said the kids are so excited and grateful to have one of their own.   She feels they have a powerful impact on the patients she has presented them to.”

Love Bot #457 Keeps Teri Company

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Hi Love Bot #457 here! my friend Teri took me on a small road trip (it really was an errand trip). I don’t get out much, usual she keeps me on her kitchen window sill or in her dark purse (ps Teri I like the window sill better). But on this special day I got to tag along for some important and sweet/sad duties. First the important stuff…Ikea, to score some Swedish meatballs (I say score because Teri and her family are actually addicted to these and if they run out they start to eat human flesh….live human flesh…so be warned!)

 

Next I met Bobo, Teri’s other small friend that she has inhumanly glued to her dashboard and is made to listen to AM talk radio while Teri drives around town.

Lastly we got to the sweet/sad stuff (no don’t get confused with Swedish Meatballs, they are sweet/sour). I got to tag a long while Teri remembered her sweet (yeah I over use that word…what of it?) and wonderful pooch Murray. She picked up his ashes in a box that I had to stabilize on the dash while Teri drove through the mist in her eyes (nice work Teri, we made it in one piece, but the damn box is heavy so how about a back rub later?)

Thanks for letting me tag along Teri!

MuchLove, Love Bot #457