If you've ever wanted the perfectly mixed drink, you may soon be in mechanized luck. An automated bartender is about to begin serving the public. Makr Shakr is claimed to be the world’s first robotic bar and can apparently mix one Googol (the digit 1 followed by 100 zeroes) drink combinations.
Designed by Carlo Ratti Associati in partnership with MIT, Coca-Cola and Bacardi Rum, Makr Shakr first made a splash when it debuted two years ago. Since then, development on the system has continued and it has made appearances at various shows. Now, it's ready to meet the public.
The bar is now housed in a container, making it easy to transport. Alfredo Marinucci, who worked on the design and the planning of the system, says it is simple to set up. "From a technical point of view, the system is autonomous: it only needs power," says Marinucci. "The container has a network connection and it can be remotely-controlled."
Patrons of the bar can peruse, create and order cocktails combinations using a mobile app. Two single-armed robots then mix the drinks, with their bartending informed by the "best bartenders in the world" and their movements by the "best dancer in the world" for added grace and elegance.
Makr Shakr says the robots can shake, stir, muddle, strain and pour more than 40 different ingredients, with precision down to the final milliliter. Real-time information about ingredients, drinks and user participation is provided on two big-screens and customers can rate, comment on and share cocktail creations.
The Makr Shakr bar will be part of the Future Food District at Expo Milano 2015, exploring how digital technology can change the way that we interact with food and drink. From September, it will be available to hire for events.
The video below is the story of Makr Shakr.
Source: Makr Shakr