The crew over at [Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories] has been hard at work preparing for the Barbot 2011 cocktail robotic exhibition. This year, they are packing some serious drinking fun with the Drink Making Unit 2.0. The predictably named follow-up to last year’s wildly popular Drink Making Unit doubles the mixing capability with six, rather than three fluids, and provides a visually stimulating drink mixing experience.
While they are similarly named, the new unit has been completely redesigned since last year. No longer are they relying on breast pumps to move the alcohol along. Instead, they are using compressed air to dispense fluids from wash bottles which were constructed from laboratory beakers. The fluids are measured in specially altered graduated cylinders that are designed to tip over and release their contents when the appropriate amount of alcohol has been poured. These cylinders are designed to mimic the movement of Japanese garden fixtures called “deer chasers”, tipping back and forth solely powered by the ingress and egress of liquid.
The dispenser’s control panel houses an ATmega164, which orchestrates the entire operation. It interfaces with the LED driver boards that make up the display via SPI. The micro controller is also tasked with monitoring when the graduated cylinders tip their libations into the dispensing funnel, which is done using IR LEDs and photogates.
It’s a great looking machine, and while there isn’t any drink mixing video as of yet, we can’t wait to see it in action.
What a party piece. I could see this behind a glass plate at some bar fascinating anyone that orders a drink. And then the more you drink the more entertaining it becomes.. It would sell itself. I wish they had gone with a clear funnel though; The white plastic one feels out of place. Still awesome though.
a clear plastic or pyrex funnel would be astonishingly awesome in that.
so wanting to see videos
I worked with a bunch of 14/15 year old school kids who did this project with 3 fluids. Kinda rough though, just used windscreen washer pumps. :P
wonder if it would handle carbonated drinks as mixers?!?
Could easily be modified to be controlled from touch screen, select the cocktail and it automatically mixes and pours, although they need to find a way to stir the drink after – or shake it if your 007! and add an option for ice maybe??
There is actually a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2PD7w2etsU
Yes, its just 6 seconds …
Beakers, or flasks?
Brightly, beautifully, very much all is correct!