Why can't we build a vending machine that will accept a wrinkled dollar bill?

Question

We can send men to the moon. We can develop life in a test tube. So, why can't we make a vending machine that will take a wrinkled dollar bill?

Answer 1

As long as people will keep retrying to get a better bill into the machine slot (straightening the old one, trying a new one, rubbing the old one flat, etc) there is not much motivation for the machine makers to try harder. If people jsut tried once and then walked away to use another machine then machine makers would care.

The latest factor is the dollar coins - why improve bill recognition when the government now has a gold colored dollar coin? Machines love coins because they are so easy to check. Now if they can herd people into using coins only the machine people have it all made - no bills required.