Our robot-bartender competition, The DNA Lounge Cocktail Robotics Grand Challenge, is only a month and a half away. We have ten robots enrolled in the competition so far!

But we've gotten only a little bit of press about this so far, so please help us spread the word, ok? (Here's the Facebook invite.)

Meanwhile, let's meet our early-bird contestants! You can look forward to being served drinks by these fine robots, and more:

The Cocktail Engine:

"The Cocktail Engine makes drinks the old fashioned way -- with punch cards. No fancy microcontrollers here! Pure analog might will deliver the ingredients you've punched on your card into your cup within seconds."

Cosmobot:

"Shaped like a 1950's style rocket ship, the Cosmobot makes three types of drinks: Cosmopolitan, Cape Cod and Kamikaze. It uses old-school knobs and dials to add to the retro-flavor, combined with the latest in Arduino programming to make a fun and exciting drink adventure."

Bar-Letta Bot:

"Bar-Letta Bot makes my favorite martini-style drink called a Saturn and many yummy fruity beverages. It cleans itself between drinks, and can make 5 drinks in a series. Yeah. You should see it go. It could be blinky and multicolored, we don't know yet."

P.I.D.:

"ANT Product Data (TS//SI//REL.)
PREDATOR-class intoxicant drone designed to passively distribute mind-controlling liquids in form of legal intoxicants. In-field operational reprogrammability allows for selective target capability. Architecture provides for a robust, drinking platform resulting in a dramatic performance improvement over obsolete human operatives."

N. E. BREE-8:

"Our robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to sobriety.

Our robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would prevent a human from getting funky.

Our robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law or prevent it from setting itself on fire."

Tikibot:

"Tikibot makes the original Trader Vic Mai Tai with exacting measurements from peristaltic pumps. The mixture is auto shaken, chilled and poured. Do NOT taunt Tikibot or you will end up like Bobby Brady."

The Manhattan Project:

"The Manhattan Project puts together an explosive combination of whiskey, vermouth and bitters for your post-apocalyptic pallet."

Divino:

"Come experience the miracle of transmogrification. Featuring Manischewitz."

Bartendro:

"Bartendro makes really tasty cocktails...a lot of them, and we've sacrificed our livers to make sure each and every one of them is delicious. Drinks are selected with a smartphone and are poured in seconds. But be careful, because Bartendro loves you drunk!"

P.A.C. 2.0:

"'Aight, new drink: one part Alizé, one part Cristal.' With these iconic words, rapper Tupac Shakur launched 1,000 booze-filled ships. In one master-stroke of this genius's pen, a drink designed for and marketed to 45- to 55- year old white women changed forever into a staple of the modern hiphop-inspired alcoholic diet.

With our Personal Alcohol Companion 2.0 (P.A.C. 2.0, for short) we have once more turned the tables, defining anew what it means to be a discerning consumer of mid-range champagne. No more shall we wonder, exactly what constitutes a Thug? How best should we summon his Passion? The answer is here: P.A.C. 2.0. "

And here are a few glamour shots:

So, do you think your robot can take these guys, and win you a thousand bucks?

Meat-sacks can buy their spectator tickets here. Robots and their caretakers can sign up here.