We’ve all been that person stuck in the kitchen at a party, mixing drink after drink for throngs of thirsty guests. Well, for a mere $2,699 dollars you will never have to be trapped as the drink-dispensing host ever again.
An Atlanta-based artificial intelligence company called Monsieur has designed a robotic bartender to supply your every cocktail need.The company has so far completed six successful prototypes of the automated bartender and is now planning to sell an in-home version of the cocktail-concocting contraption.
"The whole goal is to be your bartender and also be your butler."
Monsieur is trying to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter to build and ship its first batch of domestic, robotic bartenders. And for those looking to buy the drink dispensing machine, it comes with a hefty price tag.
The smaller, Monsieur Mini, which has containers for four mixers and liquors, is $1,499, while the eight-container machine costs $2,699.
That’s not to say you won’t get your money’s worth. The sleek-looking machine mixes personalized, specialty cocktails at the touch of the button. You can even make your selection from a smartphone, using the Monsieur app to browse from a list of cocktails, based on what mixers, juices and liquors you have stocked in your the machine.
Monsieur comes preloaded more than 300 drink recipes to choose from. Even better, the company plans to allow cocktail enthusiasts and mixologists to upload recipes to the app, which will make the recipes available for download, much like downloading songs on iTunes.
"We want to give anyone the ability to have great cocktails anywhere," Monsieur co-founder Barry Givens told Business Insider. "We make it easy for you to discover new things to try."
Not only does the robot know its cocktails, it also, like any good bartender, gets to know you. It will make drink recommendations based on your previous preferences and can connect to your Wi-Fi network to recognize when you come home, because it detects when your smartphone has joined the network.
Had a long day at work? Monsieur knows and makes you a double. If you usually arrive home from work at a certain time, but one day get home later than normal, Monsieur will text you, offering to pour you a stiff drink. Monsieur can also detect when another person has joined your Wi-Fi network and offers to pour your guest a drink.
"The whole goal is to be your bartender and also be your butler," co-founder, Paul Judge, told The Huffington Post.
The robot even knows when you’ve had a few too many. The app will estimate your blood alcohol content based on your weight, how many drinks you've had, and the strength of the drinks. If it detects that your smartphone has left the Wi-Fi network it will give you a notification offering you a list of taxi services and apps.
While Monsieur can do a lot, there are still some things it can’t do itself. For example, the machine has to be stocked with mixing ingredients and liquors. Also, in order for it to pour a drink, you must place an ice-filled cap in a precise location below the machine.
That said, having your own personal robot to mix drinks for you is still pretty darn cool.
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