Photos: Happy hour with robots

If robots and humans are ever truly going to bond, it's going to have to be over drinks in a dimly lit bar. That, more or less, is the notion behind Roboexotica, an annual event in Vienna, Austria, at which "cocktail robots" show whether they've committed the Mr. Boston bartending guide to memory. Some even offer a running commentary.

The mojito-mixing contraption in this picture is Robomoji. Its 32-year-old inventor, a German man named Robert Martin, spoke to the Reuters news service at this year's event, which began Tuesday and runs through the weekend. "I just love to develop my robot. I have worked on it for the past four years, and every year it goes a step further," Martin said. "Next year I'll get the bit fixed where it stirs the drink and then puts in a straw."