Do you know what I love about the future? Robots.
The future is going to be absolutely riddled with robots. Robots to take care of our annoying children, robots we can ride into battle like super fast, super awesome cheetah like horses, and of course, robots to make us fancy drinks to help us forget our woes.
In a way, the future is already here.
Quantum of the Seas Has a Shiny New Bartender
In just a few short months, Royal Caribbean’s next-generation cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, is going to cast off from shore with a shiny new bartender named Makr Shakr. But this isn’t any old bartender, it’s a bright orange robotic fellow created by designers at MIT Senseable City Lab.
Mr. Shakr will live on this fancy ship and make you fancy drinks, all the while contributing to a useful scientific cause: fucking with people.
“Makr Shakr is a great example of how digital technologies are changing the interaction between people and products—a topic that our laboratory has been exploring in great depth,” said Carlo Ratti, director of the MIT Senseable City Lab.
If by “changing the interaction between people and products” you mean “acclimating people to robots replacing all of their jobs” then yes, I completely agree. If it’s not obvious, I’m OKAY with that. Robots do a better job anyway.
But you’re here to see Makr Shakr in action, right? Check this out!
The speed, the grace… simply beautiful. You see, Makr Shakr is actually programmed to mimic of the movements of Roberto Bolle, principle dancer with the American Ballet Theater, as well as Marco Pelle, an Italian director and choreographer.
Makr will make up a fancy drink with style, and then serve it on… a conveyor belt. They might need to work on that one to improve the experience a bit. They’re making great strides, though, as you can already place an order with Makr Shakr using your phone. Imagine not having to wait in line, frantically flailing a handful of money at the bartender each time you want a drink.
Wouldn’t that be grand?
