Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Beer-bot pours chilled drinks for thirsty humans
New Scientist ^ | January 27, 2006 | Will Knight

Posted on 01/28/2006 1:15:51 PM PST by billorites

Japanese beer maker Asahi plans to give away 5000 personal bartending bots, each of which can store up to six cans of beer in a refrigerated compartment within its belly. At the push of a button the simple robots will open a can and pour the chilled contents into a glass for a thirsty owner.

To win one of the beer-bots, in a promotion for the company's new low malt beer, contestants must collect 36 tokens found on the specially marked beers. But the competition, starting in February, is only open to those in Japan.

Some robotics experts see the promotion as a fun way to promote a wider interest in robotics. Others, however, say it is a gimmick that distracts from genuine robot research.

"I'm not sure about bar-tending, but for home robots I think there is a big market," says Gaurav Sukhatme, a robotics expert at the University of Southern California, US.

Sukhatme believes the robot should help broaden public enthusiasm for robotics. "Companies will often build things like this for advertising but I don't think it's a distraction [from academic research]."

Cleaners and entertainers

"I think the sector of home robots in general is about to boom," adds Magnus Wurzer, who organised an event featuring cocktail-making robots in Vienna, Austria in November 2005. "At the moment the home products called robots are but toys, but this will change, features will be added, production will get cheaper."

But Ronald Arkin of Georgia Institute of Technology, US, says the new contraption is a poor advertisement for home robots - which can be more sophisticated. "Home robots are already present," he told New Scientist. "Roomba and Aibo are two good examples - the former for cleaning, the latter for entertainment."

Arkin adds that the beer bot does nothing sophisticated by current research standards and is "just an example of what people can do with robots to gather attention towards a product."

He does, however, see one potential benefit for the company. "It may be cheaper than a Hollywood star," he notes.



TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: robot; robots; technology
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-51 next last
To: SouthTexas

Agreed. Call me old fashioned.

21 posted on 01/28/2006 1:39:25 PM PST by M203M4
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: rightinthemiddle

Look at Post 12 this thread


22 posted on 01/28/2006 1:40:41 PM PST by MNJohnnie (Is there a satire god who created Al Gore for the sole purpose of making us laugh?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: SouthTexas
I'll take THAT as my bartender any day, before a robot serves me a beer!!
23 posted on 01/28/2006 1:41:04 PM PST by Arrowhead1952 (I never got a job from a person on a government program.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: rightinthemiddle

Don't look again but think about the picture and I have a question.


24 posted on 01/28/2006 1:41:20 PM PST by MNJohnnie (Is there a satire god who created Al Gore for the sole purpose of making us laugh?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SouthTexas; tubebender; NormsRevenge; NYTexan; Pete-R-Bilt

Dirndl!


25 posted on 01/28/2006 1:41:23 PM PST by glock rocks (Real engineers don't answer "why" questions.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: billorites
What color is the tattoo?
26 posted on 01/28/2006 1:41:51 PM PST by MNJohnnie (Is there a satire god who created Al Gore for the sole purpose of making us laugh?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightinthemiddle
How many times did you look at the picture before noticing the tattoo?
27 posted on 01/28/2006 1:42:17 PM PST by MNJohnnie (Is there a satire god who created Al Gore for the sole purpose of making us laugh?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: billorites

28 posted on 01/28/2006 1:43:42 PM PST by Ichneumon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie

What tattoo?


29 posted on 01/28/2006 1:45:25 PM PST by ARealMothersSonForever
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie

What tattoo? There was a tattoo? Damn camouflage, what sort of weird ingenious plot is this? I think we have to let DARPA and the military in on this. If this sort of technology gets out were all Doomed, Doomed I tell ya!


30 posted on 01/28/2006 1:47:09 PM PST by tricky_k_1972 (Putting on Tinfoil hat and heading for the bomb shelter.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: glock rocks
Not everyone is enamored of this latest beerbot development..


31 posted on 01/28/2006 1:49:34 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: glock rocks; Mo1

99 bottles of beer on the wall.......


32 posted on 01/28/2006 1:53:57 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: M203M4

That's a beautiful picture. But when I get home, wifee brings me a cold drink. It may be beer or a gin & tonic or whatever strikes her fancy. She keeps the home going, does the laundry & lets me FReep to my heart's content. Needless to say, the gratuity is more than the customary 15%. What robot could possibly come close?

Ps: Guinness is about as good as it gets. But don't you think it should always be poured as a pint? No more, no less?


33 posted on 01/28/2006 1:59:35 PM PST by driveserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: billorites

Never sell. In Japan, most adult males already have a beer bot. It's called a "wife."


34 posted on 01/28/2006 2:10:54 PM PST by Jack Hammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Alex!


35 posted on 01/28/2006 2:25:05 PM PST by ARealMothersSonForever
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: billorites

finally those techies come up with something useful!

(misses the good old days of FReeping by carrier pigeon)


36 posted on 01/28/2006 2:26:19 PM PST by stormlead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tricky_k_1972

We have been doomed for years. That's why they have half the money and all the...


37 posted on 01/28/2006 2:52:23 PM PST by SouthTexas (2006 will be a very good year.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: SouthTexas; glock rocks; Brad's Gramma
I can't believe you would post a pic of your sister. I'm really turned on by her tattoo...
38 posted on 01/28/2006 3:22:19 PM PST by tubebender (Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: glock rocks

I love ya man...


39 posted on 01/28/2006 3:24:12 PM PST by tubebender (Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: tubebender

What tattoo?


40 posted on 01/28/2006 3:32:48 PM PST by glock rocks (Real engineers don't answer "why" questions.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-51 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson