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Intelligent Coasters Keep Beer Mugs Full

Posted by Zonk on from the best-science-ever dept.

Dotnaught writes "CNN.com is reporting that two German students have invented a beer mat, or coaster, that uses sensor chips to determine when the beer glass it supports is empty and then radios the bartender for a refill. One of the students interviewed for the story suggested that lifting mugs from sensing mats could double as a voting system during karaoke competitions." From the article: "Unlike the usual cardboard beer mats, the invention is made out of plastic, which means it does not absorb water. Butz said that to get around the problem, ordinary cardboard mats could be placed on top of the plastic version to absorb liquid and display advertising. 'Cardboard beer mats could still sit on top of the plastic mat and there could still be advertising, and you would just exchange the cardboard mat when you wanted to change the advertising.'"

4 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. mitsubishi by scapermoya · · Score: 2, Interesting

    These are almost exactly the same as the in-glass system I read about in a Mitsubishi R&D pdf a while back. linky, google html conversion it uses the table for power and data transmission, and detects liquid level through electric resistance measurements. neat stuff

    --
    Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch.
  2. New from O'Reilly - Advanced Beer-mat Hacks by LithiumX · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So can these things be modified to handle pitchers? I rarely ever get individual beers, as I count my beers by the liter.

    Also, this brings us one step closer to humanities highest achievement to be...

    ...the robot barkeep, R2 style.

    --
    Do not confuse "Freedom of Choice" with "Free Will".
  3. Embedded coasters? by patdabiker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    How about you embed these in tables/bars? Then you don't have to worry about it getting stolen, and you make the process more transparent to the client. And you can keep the standard coasters. Just make it intuitive that the place you put your cardboard coasters is on top of the embedded plastic one.

  4. Czech System: Simpler, Free, Better by putko · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The Czechs at U Zlateho Tigra have a simpler system.

    They serve one beer. (an excellent one).
    They serve one kind of mug (half-liter).
    It is presumed that if you have an empty in front of you, you want another.

    A guy goes around the room looking for empties. He carries as many beers as he can hold. He takes your empty, puts down the new beer and marks your coaster to "add" the new beer to the tally. Then he goes back to the bar, loads up with more beers and heads out.

    If you don't want the beer, you must say "no!"

    When finished, you pay. He counts up and you are done.

    That's it: free but for the paper (or coaster) used for the tab. Works great. No need to even talk to the guy.

    Ruthelessly efficient.

    --
    http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_s tone_your_children/dt21_18a.html