Robot Bartender' Can Pour the Drinks Strong...and Order You a Cab

Do you frequent a particular watering hole because you know they pour the drinks strong? If you walk into happy hour late, does the barkeep know to pour you a double?

If you haven't met a human bartender who pays that much attention, this robotic version might be your new drinking buddy.

Image source: Monsieur

Monsieur is a bartender in a box, designed by a Georgia Tech mechanical engineer who got fed up with waiting almost an hour at the local Applebees for a simple drink, according to TechCrunch. The bartender in a box has the ability to take drink orders from across the room on your phone, can vary drink strength and even has consumption tracking to try to get you home safely.

Image source: Monsieur

Barry Givens, Monsieur's founder, brought the "artificially intelligent, robotic bartender" to life in his father's garage.

"As we started working on that first unit I quickly realized ... we needed more space," Givens said, "So I said, uh, Dad, can I borrow your garage to build something?"

After developing a working prototype that was able to tackle appropriate mixing, like pouring the different liquids at varying speeds, Givens partnered with Eric Williams, a software developer, to hone the concept.

"I knew when he brought the idea to me that I could envision it," Williams said. The cofounder also developed the algorithms to allow for sliding drink strengths: lightweights and those who can drink "like a boss" can enjoy their cocktails at the desired potency.

Monsieur units can be customized with theme packages, Williams said, "to transform your home into any bar in the world." But to get the dive bar experience, you'll have to bring your own keg and crush your own peanut shells into the ground; for now, Monsieur only offers options for fancy mixed drinks.

Monsieur has gone through many iterations, but has officially graduated from the garage and plywood days to complete a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising $140,000 to bring the device to clubs, sports venue boxes and other VIP venues. According to TechCrunch:

"In a phone call this week, Monsieur’s chairman Paul Judge told TechCrunch that the company has completed a pilot at Philips Arena in Atlanta, and has been showcased by the National Restaurant Association, which has led to a surge in orders from restaurants and hotels. At the moment, Monsieur has several million dollars of orders in the pipeline in addition to the Kickstarter orders, and is on track to ship upwards of 1,000 units."

Image source: Monsieur

Image source: Monsieur

The Monsieur team is making the robotic bartender available for individual purchase at just under $4,000. In their pitch video, Givens explains how the gadget could work with an automated home.

"Imagine integrating Monsieur with your home automation system ... Monsieur even knows when you come home late from work, and can offer you a double instead of a single. He even knows when your favorite team wins a game, and can offer you a celebratory drink. Monsieur can also detect when you have a date over, and can offer her, or him, a drink too," he said.

What do you think? Worth it?

(H/T: TechCrunch)

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