Some creative visionaries harness the power of technology to help people work more efficiently¹ or to stay connected with friends and family in different parts of the world. Eunchan Park, however, had a different goal in mind. The South Korean inventor wanted to put his robotics knowhow to use in making alcoholic² beverages³ taste better.

 

And thus was born Park's robotic drinking buddy⁴, who's appropriately named Drinky.

 

The inspiration for Drinky came during a dateless Christmas which Park spent with a bottle of soju (the traditional Korean alcohol called shochu in Japan). During his solo drinking session, Park decided⁵, on a whim⁶, to pour a second glass and place it in front of himself, as though he were drinking with a friend. He found that doing so improved not only the atmosphere in the room, but also how he perceived the soju's flavor, and figured that even more benefits could be reaped with a robotic companion.

 

Drinky's operation is as straightforward⁷ as his name. Simply pour him a drink and he'll jovially⁸ clink glasses with you, before downing the liquid in a single manly⁹ gulp¹⁰.

 

Since no one likes drinking with someone who's reactionless or otherwise morose¹¹, Drinky finishes off each shot by flashing a thumbs up as his cheeks flush with color.

 

Best of all, Drinky can hold his liquor, both figuratively and literally¹². Not only will he never become weepy or belligerent¹³, every drink he takes is stored in the glass jar that makes up his body. The container is removable, giving you the option to drink that alcohol yourself later or pour it back into Drinky's cup.

 

Just be sure to keep an eye on the jar's level as the night goes on. Its capacity isn't limitless, and if you don't empty it the booze will start dribbling¹⁴ down Drinky's chin just like any human booze hound who's had one too many.

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