Michael Belfiore for Bloomberg:  Industrial-size robots have been serving cocktails on cruises since 2014, thanks to Makr Shakr, a company created by MIT professor Carlo Ratti. Now, a tabletop cocktail bot from startup Somabar is headed for restaurants, bars, and lounges and may replace hotel room minibars. 
The Benefit: Makr Shakr’s robotic arms pull cocktail ingredients selected via touchscreen or app from a network of bottles above the bar. Its creators say the machines can work in places without bartenders, help humans handle busy rush hours, and eventually do more. “Bartenders will one day be replaced,” says Somabar Chief Executive Officer Dylan Purcell-Lowe. “Without a doubt.”  Full Article: