contact-free beer
In Spain, bar bot serves up contact-free beers amid pandemic
Seville, Spain – He maybe silent and his moves mechanical but he can pull you a pint without the slightest concern about contamination: meet Beer Cart, the robotic barman serving beer in Seville. He made his debut when the southern city began enjoying new freedom as Spain eased a two-month lockdown, with bars and cafes in half of the country allowed to reopen their terraces. Sitting in the middle of the bar at La Gitana Loca (The Crazy Gypsy), the giant robotic arm with a "Captain Hook" pincer smoothly reaches over to a dispenser, takes a plastic cup then spins around to hold it at an angle under the tap. Gradually straightening the cup as it fills, the robot then places it on the counter for the customer to pick up. Serving up small draft beers -- or canas -- for just over a week in the center of Seville, the bionic barman has drawn a steady stream of both customers and curious onlookers. Spain has lost more than 27,700 people to the virus and taken a very cautious approach to lifting the lockdown, with bar and cafe terraces operating at a reduced capacity and under strict hygiene conditions.