CULTURE WATCH : Need a Mate? Try DaterBase

Are you ready for an automated-teller romance? Just walk up to the machine, put money in and, possibly, pick out a date.

This high-tech, low-cost matchmaker is called DaterBase. One of seven in the country, it’s located in a high-traffic area for upwardly--or outwardly--mobile singles: Yankee Doodles, an upscale pool hall in Santa Monica. It looks like a video game but is programmed to match singles by likes, dislikes, age and other particulars--all for $2.

The person behind this love machine is Eric Panitz, whose background in video dating led to the idea for a dating service that’s accessible--and affordable.

“It has the ability to reach many more people” than other dating services that can run $1,000 or more, Panitz says. “It’s a fun thing for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money.”

What the Daterbase doesn’t do is personal screenings. But potential daters can view photos of their matches (snapped after you insert your $2) and a profile based on answers to numerous questions.

If you make a selection and want to meet your match, you send a message. It costs $1 to log back on to retrieve and send messages.

“It’s a completely different market,” Panitz says. “There are a lot of reasons people would do this but not a video dating service.”