4 ms·

WHY ARMS? Why not just hook up a 30 hoses to bottles, add a shaker, a decent ice dispenser AND have it pour into a damn glass. Done. Use a massive screen with 1

WHY ARMS? Why not just hook up a 30 hoses to bottles, add a shaker, a decent ice dispenser AND have it pour into a damn glass. Done. Use a massive screen with 100 drinks + games (sometimes you win doubles etc). Walk into mc donalds they already do this (one nozzle for 20 drinks).

hipsterelitist 10y ago
Showmanship/Entertainment. The whole point of being in Vegas or on a cruise ship (prior installation), is to have a spectacular experience. An efficient, mundane, McD's dispenser isn't quite the same.
- toomuchtodo 10y ago
  > The whole point of being in Vegas or on a cruise ship (prior installation) My best friend works on RCCL's Quantum (or rather, its one of the ships he's worked on recently), and one of his responsibilities is maintenance of the robotic arms that perform the drink making experience [1]. He's says they're constantly down or in need of major repair while operating. Will robotics get there? For sure. Are they there yet? Not in a cost effective manner. Still cheaper to have someone making tips behind the bar (unless, as you said, its purely showmanship). [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBF7EE2xnN4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBF7EE2xnN4
  - MegaButts 10y ago
    Any idea what it costs?
    - toomuchtodo 10y ago
      I don't unfortunately, I'm just told they're constantly down for maintenance. A typical new robotic arm is ~$80k-$150k (varies widely based on implements, programming, etc); unsure of the exact model RCCL uses, but even at the low end the install cost ~$200k considering equipment costs + tech labor on board.
deleted 10y ago
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forgottenacc57 10y ago
That's a drink machine, not a step toward a humanoid, which is what people find interesting.
aaron695 10y ago
How do you get around cross contamination? I don't want sugary crap in my $100 bottle of whiskey on the rocks. I guess you could use water to flush part of the tube system. But I'd have to trust it. For all alcohol (And food) a big part of the reason you buy it is anchored impressions. It's never 100% about the taste. How it's served is important.
- JoeAltmaier 10y ago
  Contamination is a big issue. Lowly McDonalds changed to a 'flavor robot' shake machine, where the ice cream(sic) is always vanilla and they deliver other flavors (chocolate, strawberry, mint etc) through tubes for each dispense. I like vanilla, but can't get it any more. I get a mixture of vanilla and whatever-the-last-guy-got. Because, tubes leak/drip/have to void of the previous flavor.

hipsterelitist 10y ago

Showmanship/Entertainment. The whole point of being in Vegas or on a cruise ship (prior installation), is to have a spectacular experience. An efficient, mundane, McD's dispenser isn't quite the same.

toomuchtodo 10y ago
> The whole point of being in Vegas or on a cruise ship (prior installation) My best friend works on RCCL's Quantum (or rather, its one of the ships he's worked on recently), and one of his responsibilities is maintenance of the robotic arms that perform the drink making experience [1]. He's says they're constantly down or in need of major repair while operating. Will robotics get there? For sure. Are they there yet? Not in a cost effective manner. Still cheaper to have someone making tips behind the bar (unless, as you said, its purely showmanship). [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBF7EE2xnN4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBF7EE2xnN4
- MegaButts 10y ago
  Any idea what it costs?
  - toomuchtodo 10y ago
    I don't unfortunately, I'm just told they're constantly down for maintenance. A typical new robotic arm is ~$80k-$150k (varies widely based on implements, programming, etc); unsure of the exact model RCCL uses, but even at the low end the install cost ~$200k considering equipment costs + tech labor on board.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

forgottenacc57 10y ago

That's a drink machine, not a step toward a humanoid, which is what people find interesting.

aaron695 10y ago

How do you get around cross contamination? I don't want sugary crap in my $100 bottle of whiskey on the rocks. I guess you could use water to flush part of the tube system. But I'd have to trust it. For all alcohol (And food) a big part of the reason you buy it is anchored impressions. It's never 100% about the taste. How it's served is important.

JoeAltmaier 10y ago
Contamination is a big issue. Lowly McDonalds changed to a 'flavor robot' shake machine, where the ice cream(sic) is always vanilla and they deliver other flavors (chocolate, strawberry, mint etc) through tubes for each dispense. I like vanilla, but can't get it any more. I get a mixture of vanilla and whatever-the-last-guy-got. Because, tubes leak/drip/have to void of the previous flavor.