For a bartender, figuring out who does and doesn't want to order a drink is nothing short of an art form. Scientists decided to see if a one-armed robot would be up to the task.
Researchers videotaped people at a bar to capture what type of behavior the customers displayed when they intended to order a drink, a Bielefeld University press release reported.
Contrary to popular belief, customers don't tend to wave at the bartender when they want to get a drink; one in fifteen customers would glance at their wallet when hoping to order. Over 90 percent of the hopeful customer positioned themselves towards the bar and turned towards a staff member.
People who did not want a drink would avoid these behaviors, even if it was a subconscious effort.
"Effectively, the customers identify themselves as ordering and non-ordering people through their [behavior],' psychologist Dr. Sebastian Loth, one of the authors of the study, said.
The research team created a robot named "James" that has the ability to recognize these behaviors. The computer's "face" is a tablet computer displays large cartoon eyes. James even makes eye contact with customers he thinks might be interested in ordering a drink. Once the customer puts in their order, James uses his single arm to grab the drink and serve it.
The robot is programed to memorize which customers arrived first, and which one were interested in ordering a drink.
After studying bar-goers behavior, the researchers programed the robot to take into account the findings on body language. One of the project's goals was to keep the robot from making people feel uncomfortable by misinterpreting their cues.
"With the update, James only talks to people whose position and body posture clearly indicate that they wish to order a drink," Loth said.
"The project aims at advancing technology such that James can display socially intelligent [behavior] that humans take for granted in daily life," the press release reported.
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