VISITORS to a Chester pub were in for a treat when the world’s first robotic barman pulled pints for them.
Mr Asahi appeared at Telford’s Warehouse as part of his 2009 national tour, where he has been serving Asahi beer to customers.
The life-size robot barman entertained pubgoers throughout yesterday (Wednesday).
Spokesman Simon Brewer was delighted with how well customers took to the robotic barman visitor.
He said: “It proved to be very interesting.
The under-18s were simply fascinated to see a proper robot in action.
“One of them remarked ‘I’m sure I’ve seen you on Star Wars’!
“The grown-ups were also interested, especially with the way it was pouring pints and half-pints of beer.
“He drew quite a few people out to the store and we’re very pleased with how it went.”
Weighing a quarter of a tonne, Mr Asahi was assembled by eight engineers, taking 200 hours to construct him.
The robot is consistently able to serve people in under two minutes, and even reply politely to questions asked by customers.
He is able to move through a range of animatronics which have been developed with the use of compressed air that is controlled and regulated through valves and electrical switching mechanisms via a PC.
Asahi UK brand manager Christian Hamilton said: “Having employed Mr Asahi and seen him at work, I’m sure he’ll be a great asset to the Asahi team.
“We were looking for a unique way to sample our beer as we go on our first national tour and we think that Mr Asahi will certainly attract attention.”
