There’s not much else that can drive a man to drink more than a bartender who doesn’t notice when your beer is almost empty and neglects to ensure that a refill is ready before the dreadful moment arrives. Luckily, some brilliant German scientists (leave it to the Germans to come up with beer inventions) have invented the Smart Beer Coaster.

My new heroes are Andreas Butz of the University of Munich and Michael Schmitz from Saarland University, the men behind the idea. The disc-shaped mat of the Smart Beer Coaster contains a pressure sensor and radio transmitter to alert the appropriate authorities of the need for a refill. The current prototypes cost $100 to make, but Butz and Schmitz believe that the cost would shrink if the mat were to be mass-produced.

Here’s an article at the NewScientist.com that provides further details of this glorious invention. Now, if you don’t mind, I seem to have an overwhelming desire to pop down to the pub for a pint.

[via The Raw Feed]