Milan – Italian architect Carlo Ratti and his team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created MakrShakr, a new robotic bar that lets users make bespoke drink combinations.
The robotic bar consists of three robots that can mix an almost endless combination of drinks. Users simply download an app to their smartphone or tablet and decide what they wish their drink to contain, and the robots will mix it for them.
With their use of human gestures, such as shaking and pouring the mixing tumblers, the robots offer a vision of the bar staff of the future.
The bar is designed to be a social experience, and users are encouraged to share their drink combinations with others through social media, and follow drink recipes to create the next time they visit the bar.
The MakrShakr prototype was previewed at Milan Design Week on 9–14 April 2013. For more on Milan, read our Milan Review Part 1 and Part 2.