Building a Robotic Bartender blog!

[Iced_Eagle]

Hey guys,

I thought some of you might like to check this out. I have decided to build a robotic bartender.

In a nutshell, the bartender will be automatically able to mix drinks and pour them (using suction essentially).

I just started the blog, and would appreciate any feedback you guys have on what sort of articles you want me to write and such. I'm going to be discussing as much as I can on the blog so people could build their own if they wanted to. I'm merely assembling the hardware (not designing it per-say), but the software will be written by me, and will likely be open source.

Check it out!

www.RoboticBartender.com

Let me know what you all think!!! :cheers:

 

[MJ12]

My robotic bartender is now a very depressed alcoholic, I wish I had built him to mow lawns or something.



Good luck though

 

[Dekstar]

Sounds very interesting! How long do you plan for it to take to replace a bottle in the machine? It sounds quite complicated with the C02 canister.

All I can say is good luck really.

 

[Krynn72]

I am very much against this. Think of all the hot women that will be put out of work because of this. Sad lonely fellas wont go to the bars because then they can't hit on the hot bartender anymore. Only sick perverts who liked the terminator sex scene in the tv show will go there.

Plus its a robot. This is just a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Raziaar]

Bond: Shaken, not stirred.

Robot Bartender: ACTUATOR OVERLOAD, ACTUATOR OVERLOAD!

<explosion>

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Sounds very interesting! How long do you plan for it to take to replace a bottle in the machine? It sounds quite complicated with the C02 canister.

All I can say is good luck really.

The bottle won't replace it self. This isn't like a grabbing robot or anything of that kind, and won't be able to reach for bottles and such (at least for the forseeable future). There will still be someone having to refill the bottles and such. However, the computer will know when the bottle is getting low and can alert the bartender since it can track approximately how much fluid it's dispensed (and can subtract that from how much is in the bottle, which should be known).

And no, I am definitely not putting any hot women bartenders out of work! :thumbs:

 

[morgs]

I am very much against this. Think of all the hot women that will be put out of work because of this. Sad lonely fellas wont go to the bars because then they can't hit on the hot bartender anymore. Only sick perverts who liked the terminator sex scene in the tv show will go there.

Plus its a robot. This is just a disaster waiting to happen.

Out of work, but on your side of the bar.

 

[mindless_moder]

i'm an electrical guy so i dont know much about mechanics but wouldnt it be easier to place the bottles upside down and just use solenoid valves instead of all the CO2 stuff ? .

edit: read the blog a bit , seems like thats exactly what you're doing ... so i'm just going to ask one stupid question ... why isnt gravity enough ? why do you need the CO2 ? .

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Good question! I am actually writing that blog post explaining why the CO2 is needed tomorrow. Also, I am using solenoid valves in the system to control it. CO2 is just the way of pushing it out through the valve.

Short and sweet though:

1) Ensures smooth, even flow of fluid to make sure I am getting a more accurate measurement of the fluid. Without the use of special bottles, I would get the *glub* *glub* effect when you hold a bottle upside down and pour it out (air wants to equalize the pressure). This will cause issues in the flow stream, and since I am basing all of this on the timing of the valves, that will cause inaccuracies in my measurements. I don't want that.

2) This is the most important one, but it's for freshness! Open a can of soda or beer on your desk, and leave it there overnight. The carbonation will escape into the air. By adding CO2, I maintain the carbonation, and crispness. Ideally, you would want to use a mixture of nitrogen and CO2 (known as the "Beer Gas": http://beer.about.com/od/glossary/g/BeerGas.htm If you have ever had one of those little plastic balls in your beer, such as in some Guinesses, you have experienced the beer gas). Also, for soda this is especially important, or else you would have to possibly change your soda bottles out way too frequently, and waste soda in the process which could have been avoided.

Also, if I were ever to actually expand this system, or put it into production, I would need the CO2 anyways for the beer as I am not going to have anyone need to pump the keg while the robot is pouring the drink. I am buying a 5lb CO2 tank, which should be enough for 2-3 half kegs or so depending on what other drinks people make with the system. It costs me an extra $80 to get the CO2 set up (tank and regulator), and I feel the benefits it gives me now and for the future are worth it.

 

[Tyguy]

this is every drunk japanese man's dream

good luck with the project, i would like 1 sent to me when you are done

 

[Dodo]

cool : )

good luck, make sure, once its finished, that you get fed drunk by your own robot....

-dodo

 

[15357]

This sounds awesome!


Wish I had the talent to do such things.

 

[CyberPitz]

If this his working order, make one for the local alcoholic.

*HINT: That's me.*

 

[Darkside55]

Robotic bartender is awesome for making your drinks, but he can't listen to your problems.

 

[CyberPitz]

Robotic bartender is awesome for making your drinks, but he can't listen to your problems.

Sure he can, but he can't respond. THAT'S the issue.

 

[Darkside55]

What if you built a robot bartender who could respond to your problems, but is programmed to be too callous to do so?

 

[mindless_moder]

Thanks for answering my questions , you might be interested in this http://www.squishybrained.com/kegerator/ if you're planning on serving beer. Also i was wondering what kind of control board are you going to use as the brains ? .

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

Whoa whoa whoa. There was a terminator sex scene?

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Thanks for answering my questions , you might be interested in this http://www.squishybrained.com/kegerator/ if you're planning on serving beer. Also i was wondering what kind of control board are you going to use as the brains ? .

I'm going with a Bluetooth relay board from NCD.

http://www.controlanything.com/Merc...ADR45ProXR&Category_Code=CAT_RELAY4_BLUETOOTH

I'm starting with 4 relays for now (which means I can control 4 valves). Since it's Bluetooth, the laptop won't have to be directly next to the machine, and I also have the flexibility to build a mobile app to control the bartender, so there's lot of possibilities with that board.

*Edit* BTW, sorry I haven't had a chance to write the FAQ post that I was going to do today, but I haven't had time. I might have time tomorrow night though, I hope.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Small bump, but my FAQ is posted on the site now!

If you have any suggestions for the site and what you want to see on it, let me know!

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Wow, that sounds cool. Good luck.