Mr. Asahi robot bartender makes its public debut

Asahi Beer has experimented with robot bartenders in the past, but it looks to have really outdone itself with its new Mr. Asahi bot, which just made its public debut at Selfridges in the UK. Apparently, the robot was built in about 200 hours and spent a full six months fine-tuning its bartending skills, which includes being able to serve customers in less than two minutes. That's done with the aid of a discreetly-hidden PC that controls the compressed air and the robot's various switching mechanisms, not to mention its pleasant demeanor. Be sure to head on past the break for a video of the bot in action courtesy of Channel Flip.

[Via Tech Digest, image courtesy of Asahi Beer]

[whowhatme @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:25PM]

don't forget to tip your bartender!

[Dusty Nipples @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:27PM]

What do you tip a robot bartender? Would it be enough if you just taught him how to love?

[Echo1 @ Jul 2nd 2008 9:12PM]

maybe you tip it with some mechanical oil

[OneLove @ Jul 3rd 2008 8:04PM]

natural oil is what you give a good robot.

[Idlemind @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:26PM]

If you ask for a Kirin, he will slap you...

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:22PM]

As he should, Sapporo is what you should be ordering; unless you're positvely batshit-crazy.

[ScooterDe @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:42PM]

Lowest Ranked, clearly you've not lived with the local brews. You can't beat Yebisu.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:51PM]

Clearly!

Would love to visit Japan one day; your imported beers here (U.S.) are rather limited.

[Fingal @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:28PM]

I prefer iZac

[Magnulus @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:32PM]

Are there laser beams in his eyes for those tricky customers who've had enough to drink?

[Idlemind @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:33PM]

He should stand up and show you his Breathalyzer...

"Hey, blow into the tube, slowly and deeply."

[Eh @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:36PM]

domo arigato mr roboto

[Charles Lee @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:40PM]

That photo should be made into the next Caption Contest...

[Todd @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:53PM]

Reading of this "robot bartender", I just instantly think of Johnny Cab, from Total Recall.

[Sporkinum @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:00AM]

Instead, try the robotic bartender from Fifth Element.

[zoltan44 @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:58PM]

Video after the break? What break? Honestly? When its said the way the author mentions it, it's usually done to announce a period of downtime during commercials on a television show. While there is a "break" so to speak in the article, it lacks any tie-in to the context for the design of this website. For example, it could have been done with "...check out the permalink for more information and a video." or "... Click "read" for the video"

Q: Why does it bug me?
A: Articles shouldn't be written like script for "cardboard cutout" "45 year old" "try to be cool" "ricki martin hair styled" "goodie two shoe" "happy go lucky" "plastic banana rock n roller" reporters.

[Lamp @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:22PM]

i just thought it refered to the break required when entering html.
-shrugs-
but im glad to see you stand up for a good cause.

[Brandon @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:24PM]

Hey Fuckface... Try break in the article, like half of it is on the front page and the other half is continued when you click continue reading...

[Tyler Crumpton @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:52PM]

Yeah, when looking at an article from Engadget's front page, videos and additional photos are not shown to conserve page space... Those of us using RSS feeds, or similar, follow the link directly to the article, meaning we never see a partial article, that's all....

[anebg @ Jul 8th 2008 10:26AM]

if you dont like it find another site

[kal326 @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:59PM]

Yeah, but does it know how to make a holy bartender?

[Rick @ Jul 2nd 2008 5:59PM]

Is that a 17mm bolt in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

[Jamie M @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:01PM]

Had the chance to get a thimble of beer from this dude at the London Bar Show a couple of weeks ago...

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:24PM]

I hope you don't consider getting a thimble of beer to be good bartending.

[Jamie M @ Jul 2nd 2008 7:33PM]

Alas the generosity of the Asahi corporation did not extend to much more in the way of free samples... The guy serving shots of £180-a-bottle cognac gets more points..

[ddub @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:07PM]

I hope thats a female robot so I don't have to wait half an hour for the bartender to notice me.

[ddub @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:21PM]

Oh duh! Mr. Asahi, I guess I'm screwed. - Asimo out.

[hank94jp @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:20PM]

Can you buy it lots of drinks and watch it struggle to open beers as the night goes on?

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:27PM]

I'm sure he wouldn't mind as lactic doesn't build up in his joints and actuators so he would never tire.

Oh, and he's getting YOUR money.

[thedesolate1 @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:40PM]

But will it ID me?

[Sporkinum @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:58AM]

You just need to wear a paper mask of Bruce Willis' face.

[moximas @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:54PM]

I, for one, welcome our new robot bartender overlords.

[dennis @ Jul 2nd 2008 7:17PM]

Apparently the female spokesmodels at Asahi are carefully fitted with futuristic haltertops in case they get sucked into a spacetime vortex and end up in the future.

[Vink @ Jul 2nd 2008 7:34PM]

?!

[jeffrey @ Jul 2nd 2008 8:46PM]

"You want some more?"

[miq @ Jul 2nd 2008 9:23PM]

can the 'pleasant demeanor' be turned off? just shut the hell up and pour me a beer, Asahi san.

[Mr Farts @ Jul 2nd 2008 9:44PM]

Now all they have to do is make it blink. That makes it all the more HiTech.

[Dave @ Jul 2nd 2008 10:27PM]

200 hours! I built my boozbot in about 80, and it serves way more drinks.
http://www.digitalsituations.com/boozbot/

[G. @ Jul 7th 2008 10:29AM]

Your "robot" is even more lame than the Asahi model. It took you 80 hours to build an RC valve on an IV bag in a suit with a walkie-talkie? Also, you need some better writers. Those hack lines barely got a chuckle, in case you didn't notice.

[Jhongerkong @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:32PM]

Customer: "Can I have a beer?"


Mr. Asahi: "CRUSH! KILL! DESTROOOYYY!!!!"


Customer: "OH SHI-"

[Sporkinum @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:03AM]

The Crush, Kill, Destroy! robot is IDAK from Lost in Space.

[linuxamp @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:37AM]

My father was a service droid...

[22 @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:19AM]

Thanks for the invite. Howja find us?

22

[Henry @ Jul 3rd 2008 5:05PM]

Pffft.

I notice they didn't show us a decent video of it pouring a pint, just a short clip of a pint glass filling up with head. If he poured my pint like that i'd beat him like a ginger haired step child.

I think my job is safe for now...