Slashdot Mirror
Linux-Based Bar-Monkey
An anonymous reader writes "The Bar-Monkey is a bar built around a 486 running linux that can dispense an 8 ounce mixed drink in under 10 seconds. It uses a Matrix Orbital Serial LCD panel with a keypad built into the bar surface for user input. Three Harvey Mudd College students built the bar in their spare time last semester. The bar holds 16 ingredients with which it can currently mix 188 drinks stored in its drink database. Total project cost: $235."
Pfff, they did this in Short Circuit way back in the 80's.
And THOSE things had lasers, fix you right, mate!
Hell, it's even cheaper than some versions of Windows, and it pours liquor!
---
When I grow up, I want to be a kid again.
a beowlfu clstr of theeeeeeeeeeesse
*hic*
Help savingAmigaOS and a free PowerPC market
Dispenses 16 bottles of liquor for $235? Even if the hardware was free, I don't think I'd be drinking anything that came out of this "monkey."
Wondeful.
We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.
looks like the bar is smoking...
this was the very first slashdotted bartender...
"You want some more?"
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Apparently the Bar Monkey is serving Harvey Mudd's web site as well...
All Your Memory Are Belong To Java
"Barmonkey.."
bleep bloop
"Tea, Earl Grey, Hot."
Trolling is a art,
Coupled with the latest study on alcohol and the heart, it looks like we can now officially say that Linux is good for your health!
GreyPoopon
--
Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?
Can it make a Flaming Homer..
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb." Dark Helmet - Spaceballs
Does it require a designated driver?
Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise. - William Shakespeare
I didn't see ice being dispensed. How about a Lego robotic arm to grab a couple cubes and toss them in the glass!
Do really dense people warp space more than others?
Bahaha that was a great scene.
For those of you who missed the reference, it's from the highly underrated Fifth Element. This guy is pouring out his heart to a bartender, and asks if he knows what he means.
Camera angle cuts over and the bartender's a robot. It shakes it's head no and askes "You want some more?", which is funny since that's pretty much the reaction I've gotten from human bartenders the two or three times I've gone to drown serious sorrows.
Using an unreliable battery-operated device to replace a pad and paper to store names and addresses? Nope.
Making our lives miserable and giving us the attention span of hyperactive gnats by making us always available for harassment via telemarketers, pages, e-mails, and instant messages? Nope.
Giving us carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis just to move a cursor around the screen or pilot Mario around? Nah.
Making it so our kids can't use a paper library or fix their own spelling errors? No way...
Making it so the documents and esigns we spend our lives writing and creating have a recoverable life span less than a tenth that of the lowest-grade _paper_ available? Not even close...
Mixing a perfect gin and tonic? Now THAT'S technology!!!
it doesn't have a web server built in then we could /. it and keep people from getting there drinks. Maybe a fight would break out and spread to the street. A few bystanders get involved and we have the first /riot.
I came to the datacenter drunk with a fake ID, don't you want to be just like me?
Right, let's get some of these out of the way
- Can it mix a flaming Homer?
- To add a new drink do you need to recompile the kernal
- Can you get KPeanuts?
- It'd do it in 9 seconds if it ran Gnome
- To get ice do you have to type MixScotch -ice
- Ah, but will it listen to how bad your day was. "Barmonkey? yeah Windows 98 crashed again"
Hmm, that's probably all of the non technical posts for this story.
... Does that include the drinks?
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Wasn't that the guy Captain Kirk condemned to live w/a bunch of robot replicas of his wife?
.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
TEN Seconds? For crying out loud! That is an eternity when my glass is empty! Human bartenders are much quicker, well after I get them properly trained.
Then again, this thing might be a lot faster with draft Fosters only, rather than having all of thos other confusing ingrediants mucking things up.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
16^2-16 = 240. Where'd the rest of them go? :-)
Now imagine if you will, a Linux powered lunch counter cook...
Man: Well, what've you got?
Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam...
Oh, wait, it's already been predicted. Nevermind.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The Bar Monkey
Designed and Implemented by Steven Avery, Dustin Cooper, and Brad Greer
of Harvey Mudd College
The Bar Monkey, simply put, is a vending machine that serves mixed drinks. It houses 16 reservoirs which currently contain the following ingredients:
* Vodka
* Rum
* Tequila
* Whiskey
* Gin
* Amaretto
* Triple Sec
* Kahlua (or coffee liqueur)
* Midori (or melon liqueur)
* Orange Juice
* Pineapple Juice
* Cranberry Juice
* Sour Mix
* Cola*
* Tonic*
* Grenadine*
*Ingredients currently under consideration for replacement
Using these 16 ingredients, a total of 188 different drinks can be made, with the included ability to add ounce increments of each ingredient to customize (or create) a drink. The drink database is easy to update and nearly infinitely expandable.
Customers sign up for a user account, for which they are assigned a unique, 5-digit, hexadecimal PIN. The account is debit-based, with each drink charging the customer at cost for the drink they are purchasing, automatically deducting from their account balance.
All told, the project took about 3 months and $235 to complete. It is worth mentioning, however, that the LCD (the most expensive single component) was donated (approx. value: $100+), and various other components were otherwise acquired for free. The Bar Monkey was graciously funded by West Dorm HMC, even though we were overbudget by $85. Continual maintenance and occasional improvements are still always a concern.
Some Pictures:
Beta Testing
Here's the cabinet when it was just a few shelves holding empty 2-liter bottles. One pump is hooked up to the computer for the purpose of taking time-constant data.
Soldering I
Having collected the time-constant data, Steve and Brad dutifully solder half-inch jumpers to each of the 4 leads on each of the 16 relays. Neither of us knows, to this day, why we did this outside.
Soldering II
Closeup of the meticulous but tedious jumper-soldering process.
Bartop Under Construction
The unfinished bartop, with various tools, containers, and other helpful things strewn across it in the midst of hard work.
The Monkey's Central Nervous System
The finished relay board, connected to the computer via parallel ports. The computer is running the Bar Monkey program, which displays the drink code prompt on the LCD.
LCD and Keypad Closeup
The above-mentioned drink prompt, but closer.
Behind the Scenes of the Relay Board
It looks really nice and neat on top, but the relay board was quite possibly the most difficult part of the entire project. What you see here are 16 relays, 16 diodes, 16 resistors, 16 transistors, and approximately 70 small segments of wire (not counting the 64 jumpers).
Inside the Finished Product I (shown above)
Pretty self-explanatory. The pumps and their respective reservoirs in place, the computer and relay board safely tucked on a shelf, the LCD behind a half-inch of acrylic, and all the tubes pulled through the PVC dispenser neck.
Inside the Finished Product II
Same as above, but from a different angle.
Electronics Closeup
The LCD, with extension cable to the keypad and serial cable to the computer, is at the top right. The bottom of the computer is unimpressive, though dominant in the frame, and the relay board is seen off to the side.
Outside the Finished Product
Here we see the Bar Monkey as customers see it, complete with Dustin's excellent stencil design and the nozzle, which is removable for cleaning.
The Finished Bartop
The top of the Bar Monkey, covered in rugged black plastic with a viewing window for the LCD.
Finished LCD and Keypad Closeup
It still looks pretty much the way it did when it was unfinished, only now it isn't just laying on the floor.
Drink Confirmation
The true beginning of the customer's experience with the Bar Monkey.
Technical Specs:
* Runs a program written in C by Dustin Cooper, in Linux.
* Bartop is approximately four feet above the ground.
* Holds approximately 1.75 liters of each ingredient.
* Uses 16 windshield washer pumps run by a 12V adaptor. Pumps are connected in parallel and run sequentially by the program.
* Dispenses an 8 oz. mixed drink in less than 10 seconds.
* Currently has 30 registered user accounts, with expected rapid growth as people cease being broke.
CounterCentral hit counters
Since 10:00 PM EST on Jan 7, 2003
Now that I think about it, this is actually a very good money making idea. This could work wonders in resturaunts and bars where heavy volume is a problem. Id probally do it a little differently so instead of reservoirs you just attach the actual bottle to it (similar to the Jaggermeister dispensers if youve ever seen one), but if youve ever seen resturaunt employees who have to wait on an overworked bar staff, you could imagine the potential for this. This is actually a very interesting idea, I give props to the creators..
If you beowulf them do you get an AA meeting?
My
Limekiller
1 can of Mountain Dew
2 shots Finlandia vodka
splash of triple-sec
twist of lime
straw for networking
Serve with ice.
Made this up as a joke at an ACM party back in college (we had a "Windows" too, but it was horrible and weak), but the Linux continues to be a favorite of mine.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
You have to sign-up for an AdultCheck(TM) ID before you can get an account.
Remember kids, prior to a thorough slashdotting, always remember to mount a scratch BARMONKEY!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
My biggest beef with the interface is you have to enter a numeric code to pick a drink thus requiring some chart of all 188 drinks. Once you've partaken of the Monkey a few times, are you really going to be manage it? A-ha! The interface is intentially difficult to act as a throttle on consumption. Once you're sufficiently drunk, you can't manage to order another.
For v.2 I'd use a bigger LCD and display actual drink names, possibly grouped hierarchically by type or primary ingredient. Drink numbers would remain to act as a shortcut for patrons who remember the number of a drink they order often. A touch screen would kick ass but I think they're less robust and more expensive.
Since each patron has an account, I'd give it a "The Usual" button which could be set for each patron. Instead of a PIN, I'd also consider a card swipe. They're students so they could use their student ID as the card.
Th
...of a machine at my university:
"The Stochastic Bartender"
Basically, it's a modified slotmachine, where instead of the three cherries, bananas and apples, there is a type of hard liquor, one liqueur and one mixer.
Drinks from The Stochastic Bartender cost half, on one condition - you only get to pull that lever once.
I'm telling you - that devil piece of machinery can come up with some truly repulsive shit:
4cl Bäska Droppar ("Bitter Drops", Swedish vodka spiced with wormwood, this stuff makes you feel like a man)
Blue Curacao
Grapefruite juice
This guy is using windshield washer pumps to move the fluids.
YUCK!
Sorry, I'd rather use something less likely to contaminate the fluid I was moving.
A peristaltic pump would be far better - you get volumetric measuring free, and you can use medical grade non-contaminating tubing.
www.eFax.com are spammers
Haven't you heard the motto: Avoid Drinking and Driving - get drunk at home.
RonB
It is human nature to take shortcuts in thinking.
This is awesome! This has plausable commercial implications. How nice would it be to goto a bar and not have to worry about tipping someone, you just slide your credit card or insert your money and select your drink and you get it in 10 seconds. If I owned a bar I would consider it. After all, the money stuff would be pretty standard to implement, people have been doing stuff like that for years. So say you need 3 for your bar to operate efficiently and you would normally have 2 bartenders working. So you spend $500 a piece on the robots, and you normally pay 2 bartenders $5/hour+tips to work the bar and your bar is open from noon to 3 am each day. That accounts for $150/day in employee expenses.
Now you implement the robots and your initial investment in them is $1500 and cost to run is literally nothing but electricity. In addition you would need 1 person there responsible for checking IDs and swapping out liquours, so that is say $100/day because you aren't giving the person tips anymore. You've saved yourself approximately $50/day in operating costs which means in 30 days the robots have paid for themselves and you see profits increase by $50/day which over the course of the year is $18,250. I'd say this is a bloody good idea if someone had the resources to market and mass produce this.
Memories become legend, Legend fades to myth, and even myth is forgotten by the time that age comes again.-Robert Jordan
Windows would incorporate Drinking Rights Management to ensure kiddies are only served root beer.
Before each drink request, imbibers of legal age must slide their driver's license through a slot for verification, along with the card of a preauthorized designated driver (even for home use). Remember to make each successive drink request with the same glass you used for your first request, or nefarious activity will be suspected and the tap will shut down, forcing you to call Microsoft for a reactivation code.
So now you can punch the monkey, and it gives you a drink.
And if you are two drunk to punch the monkey, you need to go home.....
- - - - - - - - - - -
I am a programmer. I am paid to produce syntax not grammar. Deal with it.
Can it handle a Big Gulp Gin and Tonic?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
and brings a monkey along with him. The bartender notices the monkey stealing martini olives, sticking them up his butt and then eating them.
The bartender asks the man "What the hell is wrong with your monkey?"
To which the man replies "He ate a cue-ball last week. Now he measures everything before he eats it."
I've always wanted to do little projects like this, where a computer controls various relays. The only thing I don't know how to do is get the computer to control them! Are there inexpensive kits that connect to, say, a serial port? I'd love it if anyone who has experience with similar things can tell me how to do this cheaply.
Yeah, except I don't think I'd get as much thrill out of watching my drunk friend hit on a machine as when he hits on the 40 year old 350lb woman that works at our bar.
Can all fish swim?
After about 3 drinks this machine will be useless. Who's going to remember a 5-digit, hex PIN.
At least it's not voice recognition, then I'd be in BIG trouble.
I'ddd liiikke an Aba..laamba Slaammmer plleease.
I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people. - Jack Handey
Ah! Found the agreement...
This Drink Mixing and Consuming Agreement (DMCA) is between Microsoft Corporation (known hereon as The Company) and yourself (known hereon as The Consumer).
The Consumer agrees that all recipes and formulations for any and all potables known by The MS-BarMonkey and any and all future additions to the drink library are the property of The Company.
The Consumer agrees that The Consumer will not attempt formulating these consumables without the use of the MS-BarMonkey.
The Consumer agrees that The Company may revoke this license at any time at which time The Consumer will pour all liquor and mix in their abode down the drain.
The Consumer will not share these drink formulations with outside parties as they are The Company's trade secrets.
..
..
Trolling is a art,
Since the user would get all their drinks from the machine, it could generate a report on what a user's BAC is likely to be (x number of drinks over y amount of time, adjusted to body weight). It could flash this info the the user everytime they buy a drink, so they know if they're going to be over the legal limit for driving or if they're getting close to dangerous levels. Hell, the barmonkey could even cut people off.
"I'm sorry, the Monkey says you've had enough, dude."
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Ahh! I used up my mod points yesterday... Please someone mod the parent up -- this is really funny! And for those who don't get the reference...
Long version: http://www.acme.com/jef/netgems/scratch_monkey.htm l t ch-monkey.html
Short version: http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/scra
"It seems like you're trying to get hammered. Would you like to make your next drink a double?"
Tuus crepidae innexilis sunt.
Port Eliza to it, and it'll listen to your problems as well.
Lately democracy seems to be based on the skybox, the Happy Meal box, the X-box, and the idiot box.
What I wanna know is if it can make a pangalactic gargleblaster.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Hmmm, that's entirely up to the owner of the machine but your ideas will show up in the WindowBar that Bill Gates will make. It will be advertised for three years, on the market in five years, cost four times as much, give you advice you don't want, report all this info back to Microsoft, then cut you off when your license runs out. Have you seen the clippy animation where he flips you off and calls you a weenie? You will.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
"we were overbudget by $85"
Wonder how that happened...
"Beta Testing"
Nevermind...
Use your computer's printer port - 8 bidirectional lines you can wiggle to make things happen.
I'd suggest using solid state relays (SSR)'s - your printer port wouldn't drive a normal relay directly, but it could drive an SSR.
Either that, or use the printer port to drive a transistor, then use the transistor to drive the coil on a standard relay.
Don't forget to add a snubber network across the relay coil - either a diode or a capacitor. Otherwise the inductive kickback from the coil when you de-energize it could fry things.
www.eFax.com are spammers
actually the solution is to use solenoid valves and CO2.
if you would simply buy a few old pepsi or coke premix containers that are stainless steel and simply use older but still purchaseable at low cost soda fountian parts you can have each of the canisters hold each ingredient in a fridge. pressurize each canister as they are supposed to be via CO2 and use stainless solenoid valves. you wont get super accurate dispensing unless you do aholding bottle... open valve 1 fill 1 ounce length of line, close valve one open valve 2 to dispense while valve 3 opens to purge the line to actually do the dispensing.
I'd just go with a simple timer and open the valve for a certian time constant.. if someone accidnetly get's a stronger drink... whooptie doo.
I discovered adding a soda bar to by basement is dirt cheap if you go for the older technology.. I purchased the premix-canisters from ebay for $5.00 each and simply use food grade tubing and CO2 is the absolute cheapest gas on the planet.
PROBLEM... Orange juice is horribly acidic and will attack anything... including stainless steel. get low acid juice or remove that ingredient from your selection.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.