HI-TECH BEERMAT

Hi-tech beermat tells barman it’s time for a refill:

German inventors have devised an interactive beermat that can be used for pub games and tell the barman when it’s time for a refill.

The device, created by computer scientists Andreas Butz of the University of Munich and Michael Schmitz of Saarland University, comprises a small, flat baseplate with a traditional cardboard beermat on top.

The plate conceals a pressure sensor and accelaration sensor that react to the weight of the glass and to the position and movement of the beermat on the baseplate.

The sensors relay this data by radio link to the bar, where the signal is interpreted by a computer.

The inventors believe the gadget could be used as a voting device — for instance to judge the performance of a karaoke singer or to give an opinion on referee decisions on big-screen matches in sports bars.

A “Yes” vote, for instance, could be registered by raising the glass, causing the sensors to move.

A “No” would be registered by raising the glass and then turning the cardboard mat over and replacing it on the baseplate, thus causing a telltale double movement of the sensors.

When the glass is empty, the drinker can use the cardboard beermat to order another beer. The customer conveys the urgency of the request by “flapping” on the sensor with the mat, and by using a stack of mats can express the number of drinks ordered.

The inventors showed off their brainchild at Ubicomp 2005, an conference on “ubiquitous computing” held in Tokyo from September 11-14. The device is also reported in Saturday’s issue of New Scientist, the British news weekly.

I still prefer a nice cleavage to a crappy beermat :D :D :D