Wolfson Ro-bar-t to call time on traditional bar keeper?
DPhil student invents booze computer that tracks orders, organises staff rotas and even chooses the music
A £35 computer is slowly taking control of the Wolfson bar thanks to the efforts of one doctorate student.
Not the plot of a low budget Terminator spin off, but the work of one Johan Paulsson, studying for a doctorate in theoretical physics.
A network of sensors allow the Raspberry Pi computer to warn when the bar is running dry, organise staff rotas and alter the music level depending on the crowd.
Currently in the early stages of its working life, the inventor is already planning the next tasks for his mechanical minion to take over.
Paulsson told tech magazine wired.co.uk that it’s only British law that’s preventing the droid from pouring the pints too:
“The Pi doesn’t do any form of the dispensing at all.
“Although that is possible, it would run afoul of British law, since you need a ‘responsible person’ behind the bar and I don’t think a computer counts, even though it would technically meet all of the legal requirements.”
However he warns the all seeing eye “could see which user in college is down in the bar most often”.
So big dogs of Wolfson watch out, the lashhounds could soon be on the leash.