Barbot 2010 - Californian Cocktail Robot Fest

Last week our friends on the american west coast celebrated Cocktail Robotics at San Francisco's DNA Lounge.
Roboexotica's Johannes Grenzfurthner was there to hold the opening speech and he brought some of his students along who had been excelling at Roboexotica last Dec with their Whiskey serving robot.

The video above looks like it was quite the success, and I did spot one or two new cocktail robots, yet unknown to myself. David Calkins and Simone Davalos of Robogames, who organize Barbot have managed to demonstrate just how hot the hotbed of cocktail-robotics has become in the Bay Area!

Our Stimulus Package for California

Help Austrian Cocktailrobots travel to the US and provide Californians with a cerebral stimulus package in spring 2009! Donate now with paypal or CC.

Austrians have a 10 year tradition of building cocktail-mixing and serving robots, like this one, or that.
And robots with other achievements in the sector of modern cocktail-culture, like this one, or that.

We (the people doing the annual Cocktailrobotics-festival ROBOEXOTICA since 1999) want to bring a couple of the local pieces (and their makers) over to San Francisco's Bay Area, so that Californians too can enjoy a rich cocktailrobotic environment. By now we can look back on two years of successful roboexotic ventures overseas: 2007 we sent our emissaries to Maker Faire and Robogames, where Chris Veigl's Cockbot One won Gold in the bartending robots category. 2008 Roboexotica was present at Maker Faire again and for the first time we held a dedicated cocktail-robotics event in SF (very much evoking memories of the early years at VEKKS)... the Roboexotic-US, a cooperation with the makers of Robogames who had been regulars at Roboexotica with their own award winning bots for a while.

This year we also have a book to promote: the catalogue we published last december commemorating 10 years of Roboexotica, featuring texts by participants like Karen Marcello, Cory Doctorow, Douglas Repetto, Kal Spelletich and others.

If we get around $1000,- we’ll be able to send an emissary to promote cocktailrobotic values, represent Austrian efforts in the field and carry a few books with him or her.

Between 2000,- and 5000,- will provide for a scalable delegation with robots being sent over.

>5000,- means we can seriously consider sending Robomoji, which we have been debating. Fact remains shipping of this collossus will need some serious sponosorage.

Thank you very much for helping us help you get intoxicated stimulated!

Wednesday May 15 - Roboexotic-US Closing Night

Rumors of a cocktail hour or two on Wednesday night are thickening to a degree where it seems appropriate to send out an invite -
If you missed the opening, visit us at 360 (!) 5th St. SF, Cocktail Hour(s) starting at Wednesday 9pm.

Anthony Fudd's Horton

Behold Horton the robotic elephant pour one of our plants shots of pure clean water.

If needed Horton could be told to pick up additional ingredients for a well balanced nutritious plant cocktail.
Here's another short vid of a test-run on the floor.

Roboexotic-US - Wired Gallery

The Wired Gallery of our opening is online, 9 great shots each with a witty paragraph of text. Our press department is happy.

Roboexotic-US Exhibition

Firstly, thanks to all who made the grandiose opening on Saturday happening - Simone Davalos, David Calkins, Skot Kuiper of Space, the exhibitors, the helping hands and the crowd who were eagerly embracing cocktail-robotics.
Tonight the exhibit will be open to the public between 8-10pm, at 354 5th St. SF - the entry is different from the party, it's next to the window-room, where you will be able to see the robots from outside.

Roboexotic-US Opening

Yesterday night - finally - I had a chance to see Chassis serving beer (Al Honig, one of the creators informed me it's easily possible to serve pre-mixed cocktails) ... beautiful Chassis! Sprung right out of a 50s science fiction fantasy he rolled about and poured people delicious beer. And communicated via a human operator, who lent the service robot's performance during the evening an even more crowd pleasing quality.

For the bestest photo shots turn to Scott Beale's Laughing Squid blog and follow the links to flickr!

Another novelty for me to see was Anthony Fudd's Lego Shot Bot which served two alternative shot drinks, but could also be made to mix a drink from two ingredients. I talked with Anthony about avenues for the future regarding cooling and mobility and got the impression he might be eager to join the competition of cocktail-roboticists called Annual Cocktail Robot Awards ...

Finally, here's a short notice on yesterday's Wired blog - with promises of more photos today ...