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Humanoid bartender a feature of MSC Virtuosa galactic-themed bar

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The MSC Starship Club has been six years in the making
A lifelike, robotic bartender by the name of Rob will serve passengers at MSC Starship Club on board MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa.

With an LED-lit face, which can convey human-like expressions and emotions based on the influences of its surroundings, Rob is able to automatically detect languages spoken by passengers and respond in either English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese or Japanese.

Dressed as a waiter, the humanoid can engage in conversation with guests while preparing cocktails like a conventional barman: pouring, shaking, building and stirring.

Design

Designed to reflect a futuristic world, MSC Starship Club has been in development for six years and has required the efforts of multiple robotics and automation experts.

Following the theme of ‘the spaceship of the future,’ 3D holograms, an immersive digital art wall and a 12-seater infinity digital interactive table will offer passengers the potential to explore space as part of a personalised galactic tour.

Using specifically designed vertical and digital cockpits to place their order with Rob, the status of cocktail preparations will be shown on digital monitors plus a ticker-tape-style LED strip above a robotic island.

Passengers will be able to return to the club multiple times over the course of the cruise, experiencing new interactions with Rob on every occasion; both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails will be served in custom-designed futuristic glasses, which visitors to the bar can collect as souvenirs.

MSC Virtuosa

MSC Cruises’ newest ship, MSC Virtuosa will enter service on April 16.

After completing three, four and five-night cruises in the Mediterranean, the vessel will be deployed to Northern Europe in summer 2021, where it will sail the Norwegian fjords and Baltic capital cities.