After the engineers at Teknic were finished creating their new industrial motion and I/O controller with Arduino IDE compatibility, they got to thinking… “What would be the best way to demonstrate the power and multi-functional capabilities of this new industrial microcontroller?” And then it happened…what else but a high-speed, fully automated bartender that can make over 130,000+ drink selections in a blink of an eye!

Well, since a blink of an eye (on average) is 100-150 milliseconds, perhaps that objective was a bit “short sighted” and optimistic. However, the automated bartender can do many things well (and fast) such as making your drink neat or with ice, giving your drink a gentle stir or an aggressive muddle, dispensing a single ingredient or a tantalizing concoction, etc.

This robotic bartender uses integrated brushless servo motors to control the mixer carousel, the liquor carousel, a stirring/muddler station, an ice dispenser and a high speed linear actuator to move your glass from station to station for non-stop action. The robotic bartender also uses pneumatic valves to control CO2 for proper carbonation, solenoids to actuate a professional juice dispenser gun, a sensitive load cell to weigh your alcohol/mixer ratios for a perfect blend every time, and a touchscreen HMI so thirsty patrons can customize their personal drink selection.

The entire robotic bartender is controlled by a single ClearCore microcontroller powered by a Cortex-M4 processor. Teknic wrote an Arduino wrapper so the ClearCore shows up in the Arduino IDE board manager just like any of the other Arduino microcontroller. But unlike most of the hobbyist oriented microcontrollers, the ClearCore design is rugged and robust with protection against ESD, overvoltage, overcurrent and even inductive flyback.

Servo motors are powerful by design and the ClearPath motors are no exception. So how do we keep the over zealous patrons from getting in harm’s way while this high speed bartender works its magic? Simple – we incorporated a fully monitored redundant safety subsystem (controlled by ClearCore) that prohibits the patron from accessing their drink until their formulation is complete, presented to the unload station, and all hazardous power has been removed. Only then will the access door lock be released allowing the party to continue….

“But that’s not all…” The robotic bartender is more than just an advanced mixologist. It is also an entertainer! During the drink ordering and dispensing process, the audience is entertained with a light and sound show complete with clever quips from the bartender. With no showing up late, calling in sick, or mixing up your drink order, the robotic bartender might just be your favorite bartender ever!