The Evolution of Vending Machines

For more than 2,000 years, vending machines have made purchasing goods more convenient.

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Today, vending machines are an ordinary sight in offices, hospitals, subway stations, and other high-traffic locations, offering everything from snacks and drinks to fresh meals with the tap of a card. But the idea of purchasing a product without interacting with a seller is far from modern.

The first known automated dispensing device was designed in Roman Egypt — an imperial province that served as an economic powerhouse for the Roman Empire from 30 BCE to 642 CE — by a Greek engineer and mathematician named Hero of Alexandria. The automated device served as a tool to ration goods and prevent theft without requiring regulation by a temple attendant.