Do you sometimes find it difficult to get a drink at the bar? Here's the bad news. You are either: 1) Unattractive enough and 2) not flashing heaps of cash to attract attention or 3) stuck behind people who are just standing at the bar but not ordering. But what if bar service could be programmed? What if there was a robot bartender instead? Would you get better service then?

Scientists are breaking down the fundamentals of the bar experience to create a robot bartender which could zoom over and ask someone if they want to order or if they need a refill. The researchers studied bartender-customer interactions at several German bars and recorded more than 100 orders to see what kind of behavioral signals that they could use in a robot bartender.



Bartenders responded most to two obvious body signals indicating that someone wanted to order a drink. Standing facing the bar had a 95 percent success rate of being served within 35 seconds, and while looking at the bartender had 86 percent success rate. Weirdly, waving at the bartender didn't usually result in being served.

Read about the project at the link below:

[The Telegraph Hoakylan via Wikimedia Commons]