This Raspberry Pi Cocktail Maker Was Inspired By Blade Runner

This Raspberry Pi bartender project was inspired by Blade Runner. It's creator, known on Reddit as MakerDonald, calls it VK-01 after the Voight-Kampff test seen in the 1982 movie. It was originally constructed as an entry for the Cocktail Robotics Grand Challenge in San Francisco but the event was canceled—MakerDonald decided to show it off online.

The machine uses eight 12V peristaltic pumps to create and manage a variety of pre-programmed drinks. The pumps funnel to a centralized hub, finished with RGB LEDs right above your glass. To complete the experience, the menu is hosted by Orson Welles using clips from an old commercial.

The machine uses a Raspberry Model B, two Adafruit ItsyBitsy 5V boards, along with a DC Motor HAT from Adafruit to drive the motors. 

Many components in the final build are 3D printed, including the keypad panel. Above the keypad is an RGBW Neopixel stick to keep the pad well-lit in dark rooms. The machine also uses a card reader to scan RFID cards as a security check before dispensing the requested cocktail.

If you want to read more about how it works or even create one yourself, check out the full instructions on Instructables. You can also follow MakerDonald on Reddit for future projects.