Las Vegas is about to get its first bar where robots mix the drinks

By Luke Dormehl June 19, 2017

The Tipsy Robot Las Vegas Bar Attraction

There are plenty of different hypotheses about whether the currently happening rise of the machines will be a net positive for humanity or not. But one move which surely won’t win us too many brownie points with our future robotic overlords is to take some of their best representatives and force them to mix and serve us drinks!

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Still, that’s the business plan the folks behind an upcoming Las Vegas bar are running with. Called the Tipsy Robot, the results of their plan is a cocktail bar that’s set to open later this month. It allows you to order drinks via iPad, and then have them mixed by one of two smart robots behind the bar, whose arm motions mimic those of a human bartender. That means stirring, shaking, mixing and garnish-adding moves that would have Cocktail-era Tom Cruise fearing for his future job.

The robots — or “Galactic Ambassadors” as they’re known — have previously been used to whip up custom cocktails on the Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas cruise liner. Their new job on the Las Vegas strip represents their first outing on dry land.

As with many uses of automation, one of their big advantages is the continued speed that they’re able to operate at. Throughout their shift, the robots can each pour 120 per hour without taking a break. Customers get to order whichever beverage they want from the expertly-crafted cocktail menu, and even receive an accurate arrival time prediction the moment they place their request.

The retro-futuristic joint will open its doors for the first time at Las Vegas’ Miracle Mile Shops on Friday, June 30. From that point on, it will be open for business 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends.

In addition to the bionic bartenders, entertainment at the cocktail lounge will come from a live social media wall, photo booth, and — most exotic of all — some human bartenders, should you wish to interact with someone whose chat isn’t all ones and zeroes.

In true “paperclip maximizer” doomsday scenario, we presume these human bartenders will be the first to go when the robots do finally assume control!

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…

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