Worlds First Robotic Bartender
Welcome back!
We can rebuild him — we have the technology. Better, stronger, faster — meet the one that pours drinks like no other bartender before him — Mr. Asahi, the robot that never tires. He doesn’t come with an attitude, tell bad jokes, or favor pouring for the waitress before you when she just cut in after you’ve been standing there waiting for service for 15 minutes.
Photo Sky News
The world’s first robotic bartender made his shiny debut appearance at London’s Selfridges department store July 2nd, serving up shots of ice-cold Asahi beer to a captivated audience of thirsty customers.
A customer at Selfridges said, “It’s quite unusual. You get served immediately, it doesn’t talk back.”
Dubbed ‘Mr. Asahi’ after the Japanese beer and weighing nearly a quarter of a ton more than your average barman, he’s super-efficient, serving up a pint of brew in less than 2 minutes — that’s 13 minutes faster than the typical wait time in line, saving you precious minutes to flirt with the one you’ve been eyeing up across the bar.
Photo Belfast Telegraph
“It’s the world’s first robotic barman and has been built specifically for Asahi Beer.” said a spokesperson for Asahi.
“Robotic barmen don’t have attitude problems, they work a bit quicker, they don’t need to eat, they don’t need loo breaks, so I think they are perfect.”
Taking 8 engineers and 200 man-hours to assemble, the robotic bartender has been in training for 6 months before hitting the city lights at Selfridges Oxford Street branch.
Photo Sky News
As his face lights up with LED lights which go from green to red while he strains to remove bottle caps, he will even give a sweet little smile at your requests. And yes, he can talk — just don’t expect too much banter — politely replying to questions with an integrated vocal speaker system which is operator controlled and has more than 500 vocal effects.
If you’re thinking of buying a copy of Asahi for your next marathon-style party, he can be had for about a cool $198,000 US or £100,000.
The futuristic bar-robot has been created using cutting-edge technology in robotics and animatronics. He comes fully life-sized, standing behind a specially-manufactured bar.
Photo Sky News
Although Mr. Asahi is Japanese in design, only his arms were made on Japanese soil. His bespoke bottle opening hands were made in Aylesbury, which allow him to hold many different shaped glasses and bottles delicately but firmly. But you certainly won’t want to ask him for an arm wrestle.
He can check out all of the action going on with his head which follows the movements of his hands as he works. Both his head and torso were constructed in Leicester.
With some serious robotics and animatronics involved for Mr Asahi’s movements, a built-in computer controls and regulates various valves and electrical switching mechanisms for the compressed air required to pull a pint.
The manufacturers claim he can serve you beer for around 60,000 hours – 7 years –
before breaking down. Photo Sky News
The robot sits behind his bar at a turntable where he picks up beer bottles from the feed conveyor. His right arm then removes the bottle cap with an opener which is fixed to his hand.
A beer pump to the side of the robot dispenses the beer into the pint and shot glasses.
“The robot will take a beer bottle, open it and present it to the customers. It will pour a half pint into a glass or it will pour a little shot glass.” said David Manby, managing director of Aylesbury Automation which was contracted for the design and construction of Mr. Asahi to advertise Asahi beer.
“The two robots in the arms work in tandem with individual controls linked electronically.” he added.
“He ties in relevantly to the modern image of Japan and also a modern up-to-date lifestyle.” said Mr. Asahi event manager Graham Sandry.
Although Asahi is Japanese, the super dry beer is actually brewed in Kent under the license of Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery.
Photo Sky News
But while Mr. Asahi’s been entertaining customers that find his antics amusing, not everyone was a fan of the robot bartender.
“I still would like to have contact with a real person. It’s very creative though.” said Londoner Helda Smith.
James Rankin from Scotland agreed saying, “I prefer to have contact with human nature. Things are too automated as they are.”
Ernesto Lobera from Spain, expressed his own concerns over whether robots would take the jobs of bar staff. “I go to the bar to flirt with the bar man, so it would not be very fun for me.” Dear Ernesto may have some serious competition from Fast Lane.
Here’s a happy customer. Photo Sky News
Nevertheless, Asahi UK brand manager Christian Hamilton was convinced. “Having employed Mr. Asahi and seen him at work I’m sure he’ll be a great asset to the Asahi team.”
“We were looking for a unique way to sample our beer as we go on our first national tour and we think Mr. Asahi will certainly attract a great deal of attention in bars, clubs and multiple grocers.”
Photo Sky News
Mr. Asahi will be doing some serious bar hopping to show off his speedy bar serving skills attracting bigger crowds than Tom Cruise in Cocktail, as he heads off on his UK tour to Selfridges Manchester and Birmingham, and then takes in bars and clubs in Nottingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Leeds.
Now someone just needs to invent a robotic glass washer.
If you would like to see the world’s first robotic barman in ‘person,’ he will be in residence at Selfridges until Saturday July 5th and Selfridges in Manchester on July 10th 2008.
Robots Love to Party
As if a robotic bartender wasn’t enough, a bizarre concept in the clubbing world with a band called Neurotic is being held at the ICA Bar and Café in London — a series of 3 live punk gigs taking place from July 3rd to 5th — to an audience of robots and humans, all in the name of science.
Photo ViewLondon
The robots have been specially designed with neural networks to respond to the music played to them, hip-bopping to any tunes they like the sound of. The whole point of the clubbing experiment is to look at how learning develops.
Artist Fiddian Warman has been playing his favorite punk records to the robots, in turn programming them to be punk fans.
They’ll be tested each night to see if they enjoy the kind of music they’ve ‘grown up’ on to be able to determine how taste is embodied.
The be-bopping robots are simply designed machinery that stand 6.5 feet (2 meters high) and can be programmed to ‘pogo’ up to 7.5 feet (2.3 meters).
Neurotic and the PVC’s will be playing on each of the 3 club nights, headed by Fiddian, and backed up by various other popular punk groups.
The ICA is located at The Mall, St James, London. Call 0872 148 4396 to find out more.
Robot Bartender
More on the web about Mr. Asahi at Clips to Note
Sources: Belfast Telegraph, Sky News, News AU, ViewLondon, 4N1, and Bucks Herald
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This is one of the coolest gadgets I’ve seen in a long time. But I guess a quarter ton robot is a class above “gadgets.”
Self-checkout at the grocery store, robotic bartenders, where will it end?!
This sounds very cool. I want to see this robot bartender
I am really amazed how technology evolves. I would really like to have one of those robots in my home
Vito Cornelius: She was just so…Human. Bartender: (Shakes head no) You…want some more?
Having been around long enough to swear self serve gas stations would never survive, and ATM’s would never replace bank tellers ( haven’t been in a bank in three years), I don’t relish the idea of a tin bartender but who knows. It will reduce trying to pick up the bartender, eliminate giving away free drinks, no failing to report to work or shortages at the cash register. Why wouldn’t an employer buy one – perhaps the price tag!
Do you have to tip a robot bar tender?
But he(she? it?) doesn’t listen to your problems or give you advice. Isn’t that what a bartender does?
No, ‘it’ doesn’t, Tom
I can’t say that I’ve ever met one that does, unless you’re going to go to a small neighborhood pub 
I think I’m in love!
This is a great invention I think, but prefer human barman. To talk with a robot won’t work anyhow, so that’s why I prefer human barman. If there are some questions you have, you won’t get an answer from a robot, not now, perhaps in future. But it’s very interesting what robots can do nowadays.
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I notice it doesn’t say anything about who is charging for the beers I mean it can serve the beers but does it know how much to charge and who to give the beer to, what about happy hour does it know what 2 for the price of one is, Cool gadget but I wonder if it is really a replacement if it was and could do all thouse things and I owned a bar it would definitly be cheaper over the long run that is if maintance was not to expensive. also what if I need a light making a built in lighter would be a cool addition
The whole point of a bartender is to tell bad jokes. Efficient and cool, yes, but where is the love?
Cool deal just wondering who charges for the beers and makes sure that money is real and is the correct amount, also can it tell the difference between a bud and a bud light
The “I Robot” movie will be reality in the future.