Color chip dispenser

A color chip dispenser comprising:

• an optical code reader configured to read machine-readable optical codes of a plurality of color chips within a color chip deck;
• a robotic device configured to retrieve color chips from the color chip deck;
• an input device configured to receive user input;
• a display area having a plurality of display windows and a plurality of types of light sources, each display window of the plurality of display windows being associated with a different type of light source of the plurality of types of light sources;
• and
• a controller configured to
• (i) receive input from the input device indicating a particular color chip;
• (ii) search the plurality of color chips using the optical code reader to identify the particular color chip within the color chip deck based on a machine-readable optical code displayed on the particular color chip,
• (iii) receive a first selection from the input device indicating whether to display the particular color chip or to dispense the particular color chip,
• (iv) control the robotic device to dispense the particular color chip to a dispensing receptacle of the color chip dispenser in response to the first selection indicating to dispense the particular color chip, and
• (v) in response to the first selection indicating to display the particular color chip:
• (a) receive a light type selection from the input device indicating a particular type of light source from the plurality of types of light sources,
• (b) control the robotic device to display the particular color chip in a display window of the plurality of display windows associated with the particular type of light source,
• (c) receive a second selection from the input device indicating whether to dispense the particular color chip or return the particular color chip to the color chip deck,
• (d) control the robotic device to dispense the particular color chip to the dispensing receptacle in response to the second selection indicating to dispense the particular color chip, and
• (e) control the robotic device to return the particular color chip to the color chip deck in response to the second selection indicating to return the particular color chip to the color chip deck.