World's first robotic barman could spell last orders for pub staff

The days of being ignored by the barman while others are served around you may be over, thanks to a robot called Mr Asahi.

The £100,000 mechanical wonder is the world's first robotic barman. Made in Japan, it took eight engineers 200 man-hours to construct the one ton machine.

Mr Asahi can open beer bottles and serve pints in less than two minutes, knocking 13 minutes off the average 15 minute waiting time at the bar. He is currently working at Selfridges in London, serving up shots of Asahi beer to curious customers.

'Hello everybody,' he told the gathering crowd in well-modulated tones.

'It's delightful to be here. Would you like an Asahi beer?'

However, it has taken Mr Asahi alot longer to learn the ropes compared to the average barman, training for six-months before taking on the robot's first official role.