World's First Robotic Barman

The days of being served by friendly bar staff may be over after the world's first robotic barman was launched.
Not only is he faster than a human, he is an employer's dream - with no need for a loo break or a sick day.

The robot, called Mr Asahi, began his international tour at Selfridges in London, serving up shots of ice-cold Asahi beer to intrigued customers - with a robotic smile.

Made in Japan using a combination of robotics and animatronics, Mr Asahi can serve pints in less than two minutes, knocking off 13 minutes from the average 15 minute wait.

Eight engineers have taken 200 man-hours to assemble the quarter of a ton life-size robot.

He can be all yours for a cool £100,000 - a spokesperson from Sublime PR said.

Graham Sandry, event manager of Mr Asahi said: "He ties in relevantly to the modern image of Japan and also a modern up-to-date lifestyle."

Mr Asahi's movements involve some serious animatronics, developed with the use of compressed air, controlled and regulated through various valves and electrical switching mechanisms via a PC.

He even has facial features in LED lights which move from green to red as he strains to removes bottle tops.

Whilst Mr Asahi was seen as a bit of fun by most, not everyone was a fan of the robot barman.

Helda Smith from Mill Hill said: "I still would like to have contact with a real person. It's very creative though."

James Rankin from Scotland agreed. He said: "I prefer to have contact with human nature. Things are too automated as they are."

Another onlooker, Ernesto Lobera from Spain, expressed his own concerns over whether robots would take the jobs of bar staff.

He said: "I go to the bar to flirt with the bar man, so it would not be very fun for me."

But Asahi UK brand manager Christian Hamilton was convinced. "Having employed Mr Asahi and seen him at work I'm sure he'll be a great asset to the Asahi team," he said.