Color chip dispenser

A color chip dispenser comprising:

• a card shuffler device configured to receive a plurality of color chips, each color chip including a sample area displaying a color and an optical code area displaying a machine-readable optical code associated with the color;
• an optical code reader configured to read machine-readable optical codes;
• a robotic arm configured to receive and grip color chips;
• and
• a controller in communication with the optical code reader, the card shuffler device, and the robotic arm, the controller being configured to
• (i) receive a selected coating color,
• (ii) search the plurality of color chips for the selected coating color by controlling the card shuffler device and the optical code reader to sequentially move each of the color chips in the plurality of color chips in front of the optical code reader to read the machine-readable optical code displayed in the optical code area of each of the color chips in the plurality of color chips, by receiving and decoding the machine-readable optical code displayed in the optical code area of each of the color chips in the plurality of color chips, and by determining whether a particular color chip from the plurality of color chips matches the selected coating color based on the decoded machine-readable optical code displayed in the optical code area of the particular color chip, and
• (iii) in response to the particular color chip corresponding to the selected coating color, control the robotic arm to perform at least one of displaying the particular color chip in a display area of the color chip dispenser and dispensing the particular color chip to a dispensing receptacle of the color chip dispenser,
• wherein card shuffler device includes a motorized card shuffler that sequentially moves each of the color chips in the plurality of color chips in front of the optical code reader so that the optical code reader can read the machine-readable optical code displayed in the optical code area of each color chip;
• and
• wherein the display area includes a plurality of display windows and a plurality of input buttons, each input button being associated with a corresponding display window and each display window being associated with a different type of light source, the controller being further configured to receive a light source selection indicated by actuation of one of the input buttons and to control the robotic arm to display the particular color chip in a display window from the plurality of display windows that corresponds to the light source selection indicated by the actuation of the one of the input buttons.