Germany: Robot bartender serves up the future

A bar with a robot bartender that helps its human counterparts serve drinks opened four weeks ago in the east German town of Ilmenau. The humanoid, named Carl, has the ability to measure spirits, mix cocktails, pre-make drinks for human bartenders and engage in simple conversations at the futuristic Robots Bar and Lounge. Invented by mechatronics engineer Ben Schaefer, the robot was manufactured by H&S Robots using disused welding robots from German company KUKA. Schaefer spent about €50,000 ($66,000) on t