You Built What?!
A robot that tends bar like a pro (and never needs a tip)
By Gregory Mone Posted 05.07.2009 at 9:21 am 2 Comments

Happy Hour Two electric motors control Bar2D2’s beer-dispensing mechanism, while a third opens and closes the icebox John B. Carnett

A veteran of the TV show Battlebots, Jamie Price has built plenty of destructive machines. But late last year, he designed a robot with a more mellow calling: offering cold beer and cocktails. The result — a masterpiece of plywood, plastic, aluminum and electric motors called Bar2D2 — serves up everything but the sage advice.

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DIY, You Built What?!, Gregory Mone, alcohol, bar2d2, bartending, beers, cocktails, drinking, fun, geek parties, hacks & mods, How 2.0, may 2009, robots, science fair ideas, you built what?
The 35-year-old salesman from Nashville modeled his machine on the iconic Star Wars droid R2D2. He took a plastic dome from a bird feeder to use as a head and built the robot's plywood skeleton to match. To make Bar2D2 mobile, Price stripped out the seat, the control system and a pair of wheels from a used electric wheelchair, added a new 12-volt battery, and wired a receiver to the motor so he could control it using an R/C helicopter-type remote. He also created a system that lets him send drink orders wirelessly from his computer to the robot, which then mixes the spirits to make perfect cocktails.

Bar2D2 proved to be a hit when Price took it to a convention recently, but he isn't finished yet. Next he's adding a breathalyzer and LED-backed projector that displays blood-alcohol content. Give me your keys, Obi-Wan.

Read on for how Bar2D2 works.

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2 Comments

Link to this comment
imongi
05/07/09 at 7:45 pm

Ok, I have to give him props for the name, love it! Good idea too btw.

Link to this comment
romaniamac1
10/21/09 at 9:16 am

Very clever idea.

Regards
Andreas C.
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www.upub.ro
www.emailextractor14.com

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