Technology is finally doing something worthwhile. I knew there was a reason for all this science!

Engineers have been hard at work building robots that can mix alcoholic beverages. Dont worry mortal bartenders, theyre not good at it. And oddly enough, thats the point.

"It's all about the flair, the atmosphere and the personality that a robot can have," said Magnus Wurzer, ducking a bunch of cocktail cherries launched by a robot in one corner of the hall to another holding a drink at the other end.

The cherries miss their target and hit onlookers.

"The robots shouldn't be efficient," Wurzer said. "They shouldn't behave like they were in a factory, they should be cultured and urbane."

They are not trying to build commercially viable robots or gadgets that look like humans. Rather they aim to assemble machines that display a unique mechanical charm and personality.

Wurzer's favorites from years past include a robot that scrounged drinks from passers-by, and one that offered to light visitors' cigarettes but ended up smoking them itself.

Roboexotica is Magnus Wurzers brainchild. An exhibit dedicated to the engineering of cocktail mixing robots, and as their value is in no way judged by their abilities to navigate a good drink, Bar-bots might be more appropriate. They add more flavor to the ambience than to the drinks.

Here is their mission, as stated on the Roboexotica website:

Until recently, no attempts had been made to publicly discuss the role of cocktail robotics as an index for the integration of technological innovations into the human Lebenswelt, or to document the increasing occurrence of radical hedonism in man-machine communication. Roboexotica is an attempt to fill this vacuum.

The exhibit, in its 7th annual run, is showing now through the end of the weekend in the Freiraum of MuseumsQuartier, Vienna.

Hopefully, scientists are hard at work on the wing-man robot, as the first cock-blocking robot is making its debut at this year's festival.

Wired to a row of bottles from which he mixes his drinks, [Robot] Chapok is linked to a computer that provides him with a bar-room repartee not strong on subtlety.

"Hey you sweet thing, have you ever had a date with a robot?" he asks women customers.

"You want what? Order yourself a drink for a man, you girl!" is his way of warming up male customers.

If youre not in Viennas vicinity this weekend, you can watch some of the stars of the festival's previous shows here.

Zoetica

NEWSWIRE

Portola Valley, CA

DEC 08, 2006 04:08 PM

hee. i like.

DieWhiteGirls

Madison, WI

July 2005

DEC 08, 2006 04:09 PM

Wow, my livelihood is threatened. Now if this thing can pour 6 martinis at once and woo the panties off of the 6 recipients of said martinis, I'll really get nervous.

PaulNikon

Palm Bay, FL

February 2003

DEC 08, 2006 04:47 PM

Nice profile pic.

SockPuppet

I'm lost

July 2006

DEC 08, 2006 05:15 PM

Unsurprisingly, humans look for ways of having controllable children.

Gringo

Spokane, WA

May 2006

DEC 08, 2006 06:00 PM

ekai

San Francisco, CA

February 2003

DEC 08, 2006 10:24 PM

This event is amazing, I'm there in Vienna right now. Here's a page of videos I shot of some of the bots doing their thing.

Roboexotica 2006 Videos

katasune

Salt Lake City, UT

September 2006

DEC 12, 2006 06:02 AM

Can't wait until they start setting the bar on fire and dancing on it.

Actually, if they just set the bar on fire and left it at that, I'd be entertained.

BOARDS:

TOPICS:

Brooklyn, NY

May 2006

DEC 08, 2006 08:57 AM

NEWSWIRE

Portola Valley, CA

DEC 08, 2006 04:08 PM

Madison, WI

July 2005

DEC 08, 2006 04:09 PM

Palm Bay, FL

February 2003

DEC 08, 2006 04:47 PM

I'm lost

July 2006

DEC 08, 2006 05:15 PM

Spokane, WA

May 2006

DEC 08, 2006 06:00 PM

San Francisco, CA

February 2003

DEC 08, 2006 10:24 PM

Salt Lake City, UT

September 2006

DEC 12, 2006 06:02 AM