Foodservice

Robotic Dippin' Dots vending machine nominated for Connecticut award

Image: Adobe Stock

August 14, 2026

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Connecticut manufacturer Chapco Inc.'s DIVI robotic vending machine has been named one of 16 nominees in the CBIA Foundation's Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut contest, according to a WTNH report. The machine, which dispenses Dippin' Dots ice cream, combines automated retail technology with robotics to retrieve and deliver frozen products to customers.

The CBIA Foundation is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the state's largest business organization.

DIVI uses a robotic vacuum arm to select the customer's product from a horizontal chest freezer and move it to the dispensing area. Chapco says the chest-freezer design is more energy efficient than other ice cream vending configurations and can keep products frozen longer during a power outage. Customers can also watch the robotic arm retrieve their purchase, adding an entertainment element to the transaction. DIVI stands for "Dream It, Vend It" as a nod to the company's approach to automated retail solutions.