In a world-class research facility, spotting a vending machine stocked with juice, fruit snacks, nuts or bottled water would not seem like anything out of the ordinary. However, when the vending machine is actually for bonobos at Great Ape Trust – it draws a little more attention.

The Wittern Group, a leading worldwide vending machine manufacturer and distributor, was commissioned to design this unique machine specifically for the bonobos. The company is receiving accolades for their innovative design and technology of the world’s first vending machine for apes.

Worldwide, consumers spend more money on vended merchandise than on movies, videotapes, compact discs or professional sports. It’s no surprise then, that the bonobos new home at Great Ape Trust would have a customized vending machine in the middle of their house. Passionate for delicacies such as raisins and peanuts, the apes will earn these treats as rewards for successful communication.

The uses of the vending machine will extend far beyond simply dispensing food – it’s actually a crucial instrument for scientists to learn more about the behavior of great apes.

“The vending unit is connected to the scientists’ internal software they use to communicate with the apes,” says Heidi Chico, president of the Des Moines-based Wittern Group.

The apes are rewarded with tokens they can use in the vending machines. In addition to the communication and an understanding of their numerical competencies, the tokens will offer insight into how the apes value money.

Will they immediately spend it? Will they share with each other? Will they save the tokens? The researchers hope these are just a few of the questions that will be answered by giving the apes access to the vending machine.

Beyond housing common items such as chips and candies, the Wittern Group designs and engineers highly specialized vending units for other viable products. Their vending machines often appear on assembly lines for manufacturers, to dispense safety glasses and other important items. While the Wittern Group has received worldwide fame for its innovation and quality in design of vending products – designing a vending machine for apes created new challenges.

“Our engineering team, led by Matt Herr, worked very closely with T-3 Technologies, who handled all of the complex wiring for the facility,” Chico says. “From the conceptual stages to the design phase, it was a three-month process.”

During that time, Herr carefully studied what the scientists wanted to achieve in their research, what the apes’ expectations of the machine would be, how the apes would adapt and most importantly, how to design a machine that would not jeopardize the safety of the apes.

Rather than completely re-engineer a new vending machine, the Wittern Group was able to model an existing vending model and interface it with the software researchers use to communicate with the bonobos. Because of the strength of the apes, Wittern also designed a special stainless steel housing unit for the vending machine, to prevent the machine from tipping. The vending machine is approximately six feet tall and the housing unit is eight feet tall by two feet wide.

The majority of the company’s products look for currency in exchange for products. Therefore, using tokens as money was fairly easy to modify into the Wittern’s design matrix.

In the future, Chico says, they hope to add vending machines across the globe. One day, an ape at Great Ape Trust will be able to communicate with a fellow primate in Japan, for example, and give him or her a box of raisins.

“The facility is unbelievable,” Chico says. “And, the abilities these apes possess are absolutely mind boggling. Great Ape Trust will give humans insights into the behavioral patterns of apes, like we have never known before.”

The Wittern Group, founded in 1931 by F.A. Wittern Sr., boasts a proud history of quality products and dependable service. The company serves all segments of the vending industry, worldwide, including design, manufacturing, financing, national and international sales, multiple vending asset management, re-manufacturing programs, parts and support services. Having manufactured over 2.1 million pieces of equipment, more individuals own vending machines manufactured and financed by the Wittern Group companies than any other vending equipment manufacturer in the world.

Great Ape Trust began as the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary in early 2002. In June of 2003, work crews began developing the former sand and gravel quarry near the Des Moines River. Located about five miles southeast of downtown Des Moines on nearly 230 acres of lowlands, river forest and lakes, Great Ape Trust of Iowa will be largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.

Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501© 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). To learn more about Great Ape Trust of Iowa, go to www.GreatApeTrust.org.