CandyFab 6000

We knew that theoretically RepRap would be able to print with chcocolate. But we are pleasantly surprised that the good people of EvilMadScientist Labs have invented a technology to manufacture pieces from sugar by caramelizing layer by layer.
Watch the process in the video below:

Now I can't stop visualizing cocktails in tiny edible caramel glasses.

Cocktail-Robotic Growth & Progression

Appeal for Money!
As bartending robots become more efficient every year in developments around the globe, it becomes more and more important to uphold the values that make a true “Cocktail Robot”. An abstract concept that has been approached and exemplified for the last decade by a transatlantic mix of innovative and at the same time sensual minds from many walks of life, including but not limited to artists and techies.

The Vienna festival Roboexotica has played a crucial role in inspiring and stimulating constant efforts in bringing forth original and classy contraptions that truely add to a cultivated environment. Moderate arts grants have guaranteed that with many hours of free labor added, an annual platform for the intoxicating results of more free labor by enthusiasts from around the world could be organized.

However additional sources of money need to be sought – in order to keep up with the ever-growing expectations we ourselves but more importantly those of our regular international contributors and visitors bear towards the Roboexotica festival and which are raised in onlookers over internet and old media. Every year there are more interesting projects that need help paying for travelling costs. Every year we need more qualified assistance during the event which can’t be received for free. With increasing number of projects and use of varying venues, the number of surprise costs increases … I could go on.

Is Cocktail Robotics in general endangered?
No. Not if you get in touch right away and find out how you can hire one of the cocktail robots in your neighborhood for your next show opening / wedding / rocket launch.
The Roboexotica festival though is in a phase of transition.
It is not clear at this point what form the event will take this year nor is the date confirmed yet.
Changes are discussed for the future – like moving the event to a friendlier time of the year than Nov/Dec. The future being discussed means there will be a future.
Maybe in your hometown, if you pledge 30.000,- right now!

(smaller donations welcome to help feed the caffeine addiction of the humans involved)

Link:
http://roboexotica.org

Goals:
10.000,- by Oct. 2009 Roboexotica 2009
2.000,- by April 2010 Robogames 2010 Bartending competition
5.000,- by April 2010 Roboexotic-US event
25.000,- by June 2010 Roboexotica 2010 (if majority of contributions from overseas, meaning US in this case, Roboexotica will be held in San Francisco)
10.000,- by Dec. 2010 for stipends and development projects

By donating before Oct. 2009 you could help the following US cocktail roboticists realize their projects in Vienna: Sam Coniglio, Stuart Ferguson, Evil Mad Scientist Lab, Simone Davalos, David Calkins, Christopher T. Palmer, Mitch Heinrich and others!

iLush, Gold Bartender of Robogames

Stuart Ferguson's robot bartender iLush had in fact already won last year's Gold medal at Robogames. Actually Roboexotica has been in contact with Stuart in order to get iLush to roboeXotica Dec 2008. But due to unfavorable circumstances they didn't make it and so the first chance yours truly had to lay eyes on the contraption occured at this year's robotic equivalent to the Olympic games - Robogames 2009 ... where, as already reported,  it promptly won Gold again.

Watch iLush mix several drinks in the video below:

Basic data: mixes four Martini cocktails, which are configurable in size and dryness. Touchpad user interface. Glass magazine holds up to eight cocktail glasses. 

But most importantly - I can attest to that it doesn't just look shiny with it's blinky lights, but it also mixes pretty decent drinks! 

dorkbotSF 7th Anniversary Party

Last week Saturday I saw some crazy ass electric demonstration in Oakland involving the giant Tesla coils pictured above ... a light bulb was powered by electricity transmitted throught the air while sparks flew and didn't fail to mesmerize the watching crowd.

Inside the venue of the dorkbotSF 7 year anniversary party there were several other interesting contraptions being displayed and presented in talks. Alas I didn't get much of the performance involving a 1928 Hogan "medical" electrocution device due to large crowds, which was made up by the who is who of Bay Area robot dorks, occupying the better seats.

V. Vale had a table selling REsearch books; I left a few copies of theRoboexotica book with him (and my no-longer-needed extra battery & charger for the lost Lumix camera)

Robogames Bartending Results

The bartenting competition's winners have just been awarded their medals. iLush (to left in the pic above) came out on top, followed by Fairy Juicer and Cosmobot. Stuart Ferguson's creation had already won Gold last year and winning against such tough competition can apparently be perhaps be attributed to the fact that it was the only bot this year that was able to serve more than one specific drink, since versatility was one of the judging criteria.

More on all the winners soon on this blog.

Robogames 2009 Final Day

The hordes of combots have been weeded out as the fights get fiercer in the arena. The judging of the artbots has been completed. The humans are running on empty batteries. Cocktails are being prepared and served by robots. Candyfab is printing 3D objects from sugar.

It is the third and final day of the world's largest robot competition in San Francisco. I am missing my camera right now so I switched to my phone-cam.  Lots of photos are still waiting to be uploaded to the interwebs, lot of video waiting to be processed. Several robots will require their own post here at a later time.

Lots of family fun still to be had. Off to enjoy the last few hours now.

New Competition at Robogames: Humanoid Mechwar

This promises to be a fun new category among the over 60 competitions at Robogames 2009 - Humanoid Mechwarriors battling each other with BB gun ammunition and other weapons.

Below are two videos showing preparations of a Robonova for combat in the Mechwar arena. The first one shows how motions are captured to be programmed into the remote. The second shows target testing with live ammunition.

Robogames start this Friday June 12th at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco.

Schmello Bot the Smores Chef

Greg, the Robogames intern has come up with a marshmellow roasting robot, which he showed off in the Mills Valley kitchen of Robogames organizers Simone Davalos and David Calkins.

Others would add now "Don't try this at home." or something like it. But I just can't get myself to do that. On the contrary, let me urge you to reproduce this experiment!