What happens when you mix Facebook, Twitter, Arduino and Raspberry Pi with alcohol?
Robofun, an open-source hardware store in Romania, demonstrated this mixture in a cool exhibit during the
HowToWeb 2012
Conference in Bucharest.
They demonstrated an Arduino-powered robotic liquor vending machine called the Social Drink Machine. The machine takes your orders through Facebook or Twitter, and prepares your favorite cocktails by moving a glass back and forth until all of the ingredients have been mixed.
To order a drink you first scan a QR code with your mobile phone. That takes you to a Facebook application where you can choose a drink from the menu. Once you make a selection, the application displays a large QR code on your mobile phone. You then show the QR code to the Rasperry Pi controlled camera on the robotic bartender and it starts mixing.
The Social Drink Machine is another example of mixing social media with robotic bartenders like KegDroid and Inebriator . The exhibit seems to be more of an art installation that demonstrates the capabilities of Arduino and Raspberry Pi rather than a replacement for human bartenders. So what’s next? When will we see caring, sympathetic robot bartenders who’ll listen to your troubles?