Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Topics: Business, Food And Drink, UK News, Technology
Anish Vij
Thinking about pouring the perfect pint - and actually doing it - are two completely different things.
But what happens if your brain was analysed by the mind-reading beer pump?
Watch below to find out:
What started 'eight years ago as an experiment' has now turned into a full-on business.
Bristol and London based company - Thirsty Thoughts - has developed a clever robot called Homer, that uses electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to track brain patterns via activity in the forehead.
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The new technology is supposed to give the punter full control of tap pouring along with the angle of the actual glass.
However, in order to pour the perfect drink, you need laser focus, as explained by entrepreneur, robotics expert and neuroscientist Seth Jackson.
"This is the world's one and only mind controlled, beer-pouring robot," Jackson said.
"It reads your mind and measures your mental focus.
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"It doesn't know what your focusing on, you could be focusing on anything, but you're controlling the robots pour of the tap and the angle of the glass.
"If you're good at it you pour the perfect pint, if you're bad at it you make a big frothy mess all over my robot."
Just eight years later, good ol' Homer has poured over 10,000 drinks.
Jackson hopes the machine will inspire young people to get into engineering.
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''We built it eight years ago as an experiment, as a prototype and it's turned into an amazing business," he said.
"It's technology for joy."
Drinkers can book Homer at their own personal leisure, whether it’s for a conference, wedding, Christmas party, or for your kitchen.
"When our CEO, Seth Jackson, approached a neuroscientist and roboticist in 2016 and asked how feasible a mind-controlled beer pouring robot was they laughed in his face," the website explains.
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"Of course, being the persuasive smooth talker that he is, Seth started working on the concept within his own innovation agency Strange Thoughts and, with the help of said neuroscientist and roboticist, rolled out the first iteration of Homer a year later.
"After seeing the success of Homer at various events across the UK the team started wondering whether there was more to this robot than just a bit of fun.
"In May 2018, two of Seth’s Strange Thoughts employees, Ed and Sam, took the plunge and asked if they could try turning this single mind controlled robot into a business… in July 2018 Thirsty Thoughts was born.
"Now having reached the ripe old age of one, Thirsty Thoughts has a base in Bristol and London, a stable of drinks inventions and a frankly never ending collection of ideas for new ones."