A Robotic Bartender, and How To Build One

Jamie Price writes with a nice tutorial on putting technology to use in the service of mankind, with one of his latest projects — BaR2D2. "BaR2D2 is a radio-controlled, mobile bar that features a motorized beer elevator, motorized ice/mixer drawer, six-bottle shot dispenser, and sound activated neon lighting. The robot is driveable so you can take the party on the road! It was created in my garage using standard hand/power tools and readily available parts and materials. Here is a video of it in action. To see the full how-to with tons of pictures, check out the build.

OK.

[chalkmarrow]

Who's going to be the first to tag this "Bender"?

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Only his detractors call him things like "messiah" and "lordship" and they have become so shrill that people don't even listen. I didn't even read your spew.

Re:

[Malevolyn]

I went the high road and tagged it "flamingburp." I... guess that's the high road.

and I'll take the low road.

[kriebz]

It's not always a burp.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

I am amused, but the Bender Brewer has already beat this project to the punch.

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/bender/

Code?

[Mozk]

And there is completely nothing about the programming.

Re:Code?

[Ellis D. Tripp]

Probably because there ISN'T any programming required.

As far as I can see, this thing isn't really a robot, as it has no autonomous capability. It is just a large RC vehicle with a beer and liquor dispenser on top.

The only "programming" involved is setting up a bunch of commercial R/C equipment as directed in the manuals.

Re:Code?

[wizbit]

If you're looking for something to supplement your bar with the possibility of programming, there's always Bar Monkey [barmonkey.net]...

Re:

[MousePotato]

Hey that was pretty cool! Thanks for posting it :)

Re:

[emag]

Is it sad that, even though my wife already approved of a bar monkey when we were looking at houses almost 2 years ago, I've yet to get around to building one?

Re:

[sam0737]

Do you think there is code? I read the TFA, even the elevator and spin table were interlocked mechanically (i mean hardware switch), and the drivetrain is taken from 2nd hand wheelchair. The whole thing is controlled by RC.

Which means...all were done with old good hardware.

Re:

[ScreamingCactus]

It's proprietary! But that's what the Zelda music is for, right? Not just because a bunch of dudes want to listen to OCRemix at a party... right?

But, can you train it to say:

[gregbot9000]

Happy Birthday Paulie?

The Fifth Element comes to mind...

[Altima(BoB)]

Yooouuu want some more? ...

Yooouuu want some more?

Re:

[yo_tuco]

lol, me too. That was a great scene.

Oh I'll Be Building One

[guyminuslife]

This reminds me of the system I want to build one of these days with all drink-dispensers hooked up to a voice-recognition system that parses commands:

"Computer! Make one martini, shaken not stirred! Engage!"

Instructions! Let me get on that right away.

[dmomo]

That's all there is to it? Now it looks SO easy. I'll have that knocked out by 8:00 tonight.

I think Bender would say something like . . .

[PolygamousRanchKid]

. . . "imagine how much booze and cigars I could have bought with the money that was spent on building that robot!"

Although, I think that Bender's favorite drink is, "that, for which someone else has paid for!"

Feh

[Stele]

BOTTLED beer.

This won't work

[tsa]

It doesn't have breasts, a nice smile and beautiful [fill in your favorite color] hair.

Re:This won't work

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Just keep on drinking . . . it will . . . eventually . . .

Re:

[SupremoMan]

Damn you you just took my Karma meal ticket. I was so goign to post the same thing :)

Re:

[tsa]

Oh yes! I can see it now!

Re:

[ArsenneLupin]

It doesn't have muscles, chest hair and beautiful pitch black (why be PC about hair color when you forgot about sexual orientation?) hair.

No, but

[WindBourne]

you do not regret it, either next day, or later in life.

Re:

[drsquare]

This may not have any use in Japan or Europe, but in America, just think about how much money you'd save on tips if this was implemented. The cost of drinking would be dramatically slashed.

Re:Here's the deal

[Sebilrazen]

The point of having karma to burn, and using that phrase when you expect to get down rated, is not posting anonymously.

Re:

[BertieBaggio]

And, you know, posting in the right discussion.

Very nice design.

[Animats]

That is a nice piece of design. People like it.

The MotoMan RoboBar [youtube.com] is much more impressive technology, from a big robotics manufacturer, but it tries to be cool and fails. MotoMan's original slogan was "We already make your car. Now let us make your drink".

Where is the AI?

[rev_deaconballs]

This thing is all show and has no functionality. I am not sure how it is even called a robot. Sure it has mechanical parts but so does a car. Until you have an AI driver a car is just a car. If it needs to be remotely controlled than you need someone to stand 10 feet away instead of right next to it. As the video showed, it took way too long for one person to even get a drink. My guess is that people will use it once to say they used it then go to the real bar every other time.

Re:

[waveclaw]

It's as much a robot as a RC toy car.

However, take that awesome chassis and put it on a Basil [technovelgy.com] and you have a real robot bartender.

And not one that looks like a slow showpiece [youtube.com] for robotic arms and how not to display a face (on a low-grade industrial laptop screen.)

As the video showed, it took way too long for one person to even get a drink.

So give the drink elevators a bit more speed. The ice bin at the bottom is pretty much wasted space but then you'd need someplace for the AI anyway.

Do. You. Want. Some. More?

[Anonymous Coward]

( too obscure? )

And here come the lawyers...

[prisoner-of-enigma]

I suspect it's going to take all of five seconds for someone at Lucasfilm, Ltd. to send a cease & desist on the use of the name and any possible resemblance to the intellectual property of George Lucas. There are three groups of lawyer-happy folks in the movie business that are well known for having itchy legal fingers. They are Disney (the worst by far), the MPAA (go see what they do to folks who use Oscar statue likenesses), and Lucasfilm. All of Hollywood is ready to sue anybody anytime, but these

Old news!

[Zenne]

What are you guys talking about? I've had a voice-controlled bartending R2 unit for /years/. http://www.hammacher.com/publish/75698.asp?promo=xsells# [hammacher.com] One of his compartments opens to reveal a can-holding device!

Hardly a new thing

[David Gerard]

Robot bar tenders are the first thing any decent roboticist thinks of.

Here are:

* the Robomoji [today.com], a mojito maker
* a cocktail robot [flickr.com] from the 2007 Maker Faire
* this one complete with face [flickr.com] from Roboexotica 2007.

And here's [tasteofcuba.com] the original recipe for a Mojito.

How can the thing...

[FlyingGuy]

properly muddle the mint in my Mojito? That takes human hands and a human eye to know when it is just right. And yes I do prefer my drink made by a lovely bar tender with a nice smile and even nicer breasts comfortably cradled in a low cut top. Animation is great for a lot of things, but this is not one of them. FAIL!

Drinkbot

[global_diffusion]

What is this "love"?

Re:

[Jaseoldboss]

It's the secret ingredient in Love in the South Pacific of course Johnny Johnny.

I was thinking/hoping it was a mobile barmonkey...

[Tmack]

No Bar Monkey [barmonkey.net] inside???

...with a little speech recognition software, it would be awesome! Wheel autonomously around a party, someone calls it over and tells it what they want, it mixes it for them right there and hands it to them, then moves on.

Tm

Re:I was thinking/hoping it was a mobile barmonkey

[ITEric]

If just anyone could have it mix a drink for them, some way to pay, and even tip (I'd tip a robot, wouldn't you?), would be good.

Liquor isn't cheap!

I'd add a Kung Fu program . . .

[PolygamousRanchKid]

it mixes it for them right there and hands it to them, then moves on.

Instead of just moving on, it could give a demo of "Drunken Monkey Form" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunken_Monkey_Kung-Fu).

Encourage the guests to imitate the robot's moves, and stage competitions.

Now *that* would be cool.

Except that afterward, the location would probably be trashed, with all those fists smashing tables and chairs and stuff.

Cosmic Ray's.....

[IHC Navistar]

If it can't make me a decent Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, then its a waste of money.