He pours the perfect pint every time, never disappears for a break and listens with a permanent smile on his face as customers unburden their troubles.

But anyone hoping for a bit of banter or friendly advice will have to look elsewhere, for the barman in question happens to be a robot.

With massive hydraulic arms and whirling pincers for hands, Mr Asahi can pull pints, pour shots and open bottles at high speed and without breaking sweat or asking for orders to be repeated.

Martin Leppard, the technical manager for the Japanese beer company Asahi, which has been looking after the robot on its tour of the UK, said: "I think everyone loves the novelty of a robot that can pour beer. We've had a few bartenders who have said 'with this guy on the scene, my job's in danger', but given that he cost £100,000 to make, it may be a while before that happens.

"He's been pretty reliable so far. It's just a matter of making sure the beer cooler is on and that he's booted up properly before serving."

Constructed by engineers in the UK and Japan using the latest robotic technology, it took eight engineers 200 man hours to assemble. Mr Asahi's movements involve animatronics, usually used in film special effects, with compressed air controlled and regulated through valves and switching mechanisms.

Concealed under his revolving bar top is hardware that drives the robot and a barrel of beer, meaning Mr Asahi weighs a quarter of a ton. His creators claim he can consistently serve people in less than two minutes. But for flesh and blood bartenders, being quick on the pour is just a small part of the job.

Regis Lemaitre, chairman of the Scottish branch of the United Kingdom Bartenders' Guild, said: "A major part of bartending is the social skills, being able to read the customer and engage in conversation, know when they're getting ready for another drink. It's down to the personal touch, the way you handle the glass and mix the cocktail.

"Certainly, I have to say 'bravo' to the people who created a robot that can bartend, it's quite something to have invented such a complex machine, but I think human bar-staff jobs are quite safe."

Jeni Green, of Sloans Bar in Glasgow, agreed. "When you work behind a bar, you're involving yourself in somebody's life," she said.

"And while a robot might be sitting there smiling as it's pouring your drink and doing it really quickly, there's nothing better than being met at the bar by somebody who has a genuine smile on their face and can engage with you properly. It can be just asking how they are, having a joke, making that person comfortable.

"Having a robot bartender would be a novelty. It would be fun to see one of them in the bar and experience being served by it, but it would be a gimmicky thing."