If your bartender is a robot – What is the Bionic Bar?

Bartenders are a breed all their own. They always have an open ear for the guests at the counter, give clever tips on stupid questions and, ideally, they mix you a drink that is exactly to your taste. Sweet or sour, shaken or stirred, with an extra shot of rum or a little more cola in Cuba Libre. There is the old school bartender with shirt and suspenders, the Charles Schumann type, the punk, the rocker... and there are robot bartenders and Bionic Bar - at least at Royal Caribbean.

There is currently a so-called Bionic Bar on five ships of the cruise line: on the “Quantum of the Seas”, the “Anthem of the Seas”, the “Ovation of the Seas” and the largest cruise ship in the world, the “Harmony of the Seas”. “. Here, two robots or oversized robot gripper arms whirl around and mix predetermined cocktails, long drinks and drinks as well as individually configurable drink combinations. Ordering is not (yet) done by voice control or by raising two fingers, but rather via a permanently attached tablet directly at the bar.

Here the thirsty person chooses his favorite drink, determined by himself and according to his wishesvery personal tasteSpecial requests and then lets the robots dance just by confirming them. And that's meant literally, because the movements of the robot bartenders were dictated by an actor. Wired from head to toe, it performed the corresponding movements that are now performed by the gripping arms.

In this way, the robots also manage to imitate the spectacle that a real bartender who has learned his profession from scratch gives you. The movements are flowing, fluid and elegant. The correct whiskey is specifically selected from up to 153 different bottles attached to the ceiling. Peppermint leaves or freshly cut lime pieces as well as ice are added to the cocktail shaker.

This stainless steel bartender was developed by the Italian robotics companyMAKRA SHAKRbased in Turin in collaboration with the designers of Carlo Ratti. They specialize in projects that promote interactions between humans and machines, especially in the food and beverage sector. The Bionic Bars on Royal Caribbean ships were the first project with which MAKR SHAKR's robots went public. There is now also a mobile robot mixer, which has so far been used primarily at IT-relevant trade fairs and events. This then even selects the right bottle from up to 173 bottles.

While waiting, the person ordering the cocktail can follow the production process in detail on four screens, each with a 55'' screen diagonal - this increases the anticipation. Payment is made in a similarly futuristic way, namely with a GPS bracelet, the WOWband. This is the constant companion of most Royal Caribbean passengers, as you can use it to pay for your purchases, open the cabin door or collect points. It replaces the classic SeaPass, which was otherwise often left behind, and is a further step towards the Internet of Things.

Nighthawks at the MAKR SHAKR

In times when self-driving cars seem to be just a stone's throw away, the bartender robot is still avant-garde. He still doesn't completely replace his colleagues made of skin and flesh, even if he is able to surpass them in terms of "quantities" with up to 100 cocktails per hour. Royal Caribbean has also recognized this - and it is obvious, since the robot can mix and hand over drinks, but voice communication does not yet take place. So the Bionic Bar is perhaps best suited for two types of thirsty people:

1. Those who would like to see how modern robotics works in everyday life
2. Those who just want to enjoy a cocktail in silence and avoid any conversation.

Just imagine Edward Hopper's famous painting "Nighthawks,” look at the lone drinker with his back turned to the viewer… and replace the bartender with a robotic gripper arm.