An automated dispenser receives a canister of small objects secured atop the dispenser using a bar-code matched gate operated by a central controller. A hopper below the gate directs small quantities of objects into a charge block which urges them into a circular counter and atop a movable plate forming the bottom of the counter. The plate bears slots around its perimeter adjacent the cylindrical walls of the counter. The central controller operates a servo motor to rotate the plate in measured increments, urging a precise count of objects into a port through which they fall one at a time into a receptacle. Means on the cylinder walls orients objects so that only a single one at a time may fall into each slot, thereby preventing overfilling. An exit sensor counts the objects as they fall to verify quantity and guard against under-filling.
