Everyone has that one super high-class, uppity, early-adopter friend who has the latest cool gadget before you do. He bought the world's fastest yacht before you did. His car runs on his own sense of self-satisfaction. You bought an iPhone? His was personally implanted into his frontal cortex by Steve Jobs and came preloaded with the finest escort services on five continents already on speed dial.
Today's Giftology item ensures that you get him something this year he can't possibly have: His very own robot sommelier! Scientists at Japan's NEC company and Mie University have garnered an entry into the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records by creating the world's first robot sommelier. The cute lil' robot "tastes" wine via an infrared sensor in its hand that can identify different types of wine by irradiating it at different wavelengths. The robot can identify types of wines, grape ingredients, and even the level of sweetness or dryness. It can do the same with fruits and cheese, making it an all-purpose garden-party robot.
(You're killing us softly with your song today, Japan).
Your snobby rich friend will certainly be impressed when he learns his robot sommelier can pair wines with cheeses and fruits. And the next time he brags about the 1968 Chateau Lafitte's "exceptional top notes of leather and boysenberry," you can call bulls*** on him by inviting Robo-Sommelier to the table to call his bluff. Nice.
No price is listed yet for Robot Sommelier, but if you run with super snobs who might want it, I'm sure you can afford it.
Japan serves up 1st robot sommelier (Daily Yomiuri)
Via Dvice
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Comments
Christopher Mims
says:
Robots are totally the NASCAR of Japan.
December 18, 2007 6:28 PM
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