FAQ

These are very common questions that we have encounter through email, comments in other platforms and our Facebook group specially, This post is too put all of them together in one place, so new Otto Builders can have an "intro" of common obstacles and doubts to face with the most simple ways we have find so far to face them. (If you think there are some missing, please comment and we will answer them)

Otto is your own personal robot you build and program. From beginners to advance, Otto has hundreds of functions that include dancing, avoiding obstacles, touch sensors, emotions, reacts to sound and voice plus much more. Anything is possible, because you make it!

Yes! We provide all open source materials on Wikifactory. From 3D printed designs to coding functions other community members have made! We also have manuals directly on our website at: ottodiy.com/build.

We provide amazing free open source materials and lessons to help you be an inventor of a robot fit for you! For more information go to http://ottoschool.com/en/

Yes! You can in fact make your own AI Otto at home by using Otto Scratch AI. But be careful, Otto might become smarter than you! ;)

This is our free mobile application that allows you to control all movements, gestures and sounds of your Otto. Otto App is available for Otto Kit + and Humanoid. Check out our products at ottodiy.com/store.

Download for IOS

Download for Android

All manuals are at: ottodiy.com/build. Just select the Otto you got and follow the instructions.

Maker kit comes with all the electronic components without the toy shell allowing anyone with a 3D printer to make their own Otto design. You can also use our open source designs made by our community of builders.

Builder Kit comes with the toy shell including all the electronic components you need. This is popular for families who don’t have a 3D printer at home. This is all you need to get started, just the kit and your computer to begin programming.

Of course it is! Otto is compatible with Blockly and Arduino. Both utilizes block based coding which is for ages 7 +. Just simply download Blockly or Arduino on your computer. Simple instructions to integrate Blockly with Otto here and Arduino here.

Otto is compatible with both C++ and even Python is under development maybe an experience coder like you can help us here!. We recommend using Arduino to upload your code.

Awesome! Comes down to how many students you have. We recommend having each student with their own Otto to be more interactive as individuals. We also recommend using our courses from ottoschool.com to help fill your lesson plans. If your course requires a large order, we are happy to help with a discount. Just contact us here.

I have a 3D printer and want to design and print my own Otto, what software do you recommend?

We recommend using TINKERCAD as it’s very simple to use and you can print directly from your designs. More information and design access here.

Answer: "If you use our new Otto Blockly visual programming you do not need to do this anymore, If you wanna use Arduino IDE software for learning advanced coding then there are multiple ways to add libraries to your Arduino IDE, after the software is installed the most easy for me, is to just Download all the libraries from the files tab and the unzip them to C:\user\Documents\Arduino\libraries (or wherever your libraries folder was installed)

You can also use the .zip installation through menu or even automatic updates online (i wish i knew how to do this for Otto) but we never did it this way, is a very general topic that all new Arduino users face.

More details here: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Libraries

Or we have a coding guide for that too!

Answer: We know there are many Otto Remix out there that created a challenge that we will be always working. To make them all compatible it does not seems possible with the current limitations fo the ArduinoNano flash memory, we tried... but that will requiere lots of libraries that would not fit into one micro-controller like the Atmega 328p, Then the solution was too separate them into different pages, projects, remixes etc. So depending on the Otto robot your are building just look into the Wikifactory, if you find libraries in the files tab that means you must use those ones otherwise just go with basic Otto, and we know... it is very troublesome having to delete the other libraries sometimes, otherwise it would not compile or the code could have errors due incompatibility between some Ottos.

To avoid complicated installations just use our Otto Blockly! that does not need any further setup: https://www.ottodiy.com/#blockly-and-app

Any other suggestions of how to handle this, please post on the comments.

Answer: As mentioned in the previous answer Nano has limited memory is only 32KB of flash some codes specially the  APP one for Otto DIY+ and Humanoid will show you an alert, you do not need to worry, if is just an alert saying that the memory is ALMOST full 90% so just play with the APP. https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/FAQ 

Another common error is the "avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding" well is because you have the Bluetooth module connected while uploading a code, if is that the case you can´t because the module is occupying the communication ports.

Answer: We have a blog post for this question that comes in different forms, even do the terms should be treated independently, First there is no such a super perfect never error straight walk even for million dollar biped robots, but we can get close to that only with low cost Otto by centering properly the motors; that is done in a mechanical way and MUST be done while building Otto, calibration instead is made electronically with code and is mostly optional, to achieve very precise movements. Please read this post that we have created to cover it all:

https://www.ottodiy.com/blog/calibration

Answer: Easy identify by their colors. You should always check here in Wikifactory prior building all the resources:

https://wikifactory.com/+OttoDIY/projects

Their instruction manual use same color as their heads simple! The most common Otto robot to start is the "basic green one" (https://wikifactory.com/+OttoDIY/otto-diy) from there you can have fun and challenge yourself to build others or create a new one! after you are confident enough you can jump to:

Otto DIY Laser Cut (https://wikifactory.com/+OttoDIY/otto-diy-laser-cut)

Otto DIY+ (https://wikifactory.com/+OttoDIY/otto-diy-plus)

Otto DIY Humanoid (https://wikifactory.com/+OttoDIY/humanoid)

Otto DIY Eyes (https://wikifactory.com/+OttoDIY/eyes)

Answer: We have been trying to tell the people that in our Wikifactory, you will find everything, we know Otto is spread out in the entire web, it helps to promote the project in multiple sites, but don't bother yourself just search in Wikifactory (https://wikifactory.com/+OttoDIY/) , if you do not find something or you have problems, just post an issue and we will solve it.

Answer: We have some predefined starter code, you can use to make Otto react to touch and for example make random movements you can customize. But you can do much more than just that, for example if Otto is touch too many times rapidly he gets angry if he is touch with long press, he will love you :D

Answer: Tricky question, you can use it with the default gestures Otto comes with or create symbols, is an advanced component that we really simplify for beginners with our Blockly, but if you wanna learn more, google for Arduino Matrix 7219 you will find cool examples and please let us know if you find something that fits perfectly with Otto interactions.

Answer: Yes! by using a BLE module

install our FREE mobile App from here https://www.ottodiy.com/#app also available for Android

Answer: There are at least 8 ways to power your Otto https://www.ottodiy.com/blog/power

it is a very detail analysis of how to power your Otto so just pick the one you prefer.

That is all for now we are keeping updated this post, Do you think there is something missing? or we might need to expand to more questions? Please comment bellow.

What are your payment options?

💳Credit Cards, 🏦Bank Transfer, 💶Stripe or Payoneer, we also arrange payments for schools and give the proper invoice, just send us an email 📨

Can I give feedback?

Yes of course, did you have a good experience with Otto? please review 💙our page 😉 or comment in the forum, thanks!

Can I make a purchase online?

Yes, go to our e-shop (Store) and follow the simple check out steps. Let us know if any trouble in the process!😇

Can you check the availability of a kit?

All our kits are available unless indicated, if out of stock, we will let you know once is available again.😎 or just ask

Can I learn more about a Otto DIY kits?

Yes sure, for more information go to our products description in our shop:🤖https://www.ottodiy.com/store you will see all the detailed descriptions of how they work and videos that show their functionality.

Can you recommend products for me?

Yes for beginners, we recommend you to start with our basic Otto DIY Builder Kit, if you have a 3D printer then go for any maker kit, as the prices rises the complexity increase, so be aware of that before jumping directly to Otto Humanoid for example, Learn the basics first;)

How much is the delivery fee?

We have flat fee of 5.99 euros for most of our kits to everywhere in the world. All small components like Bluetooth, sensors, battery holders and LED matrix have FREE shipping! 📦

What are your delivery options?

Standard shipping or express for orders with more than 15 kits. Standard shipping takes between 10 working days up to 20, depending on the season and other customs factors for some countries might take longer.📦

How long does delivery take?

Standard shipping takes between 4 up to 13 weeks, depending on the season and other customs factors for some countries might take longer.

What's your return policy?

You must fill our form, refer to our terms and conditions for more details.

Can I get customer service help?

Yes just tell us here or in the forums or for more personalized service, send us an email, but i would take more time to reply than our community groups or discord chat

Can you customize my Otto?

Yes, we can provide you multiple color of Otto robots, just do a normal purchase and make sure to ask in the comments for colors combinations we normally use (💚green, ❤️red, 🧡orange, 🖤gray, 💙blue and ⚪️white),, or if you want custom your kit with different colors and electronics parts please send us an email. ✉️