| By :
Mark Etinger
In the history of mankind, there are but two constants: death and snack vending machines. Ok, so that may be a slight exaggeration. But the fact remains that the original vending mechanism actually came to be centuries ago. The Hero of Alexandria, an ancient Greek who lived from 10 AD to 70 AD, was the first vending machine manufacturer in recorded time. His machine accepted a Roman coin, than dispensed a specific amount of Holy Water. The entire mechanism worked because of the coin: upon delivery it fell into a pan, which would then pull a lever that opened the valve containing the Holy Water. Since then, there have been a plethora of different style machines, a list that is seemingly unlimited. There are the most well-known ones, which accept bills and coins and react to a number pushed in by the consumer. These types typically dispense things like a bag of chips or a regular sized candy bar. There are also the soda vending machines, which accept bills and coins, but instead of numbers they typically just have buttons that give the consumer a choice of which product they want. One of the major differences between the typical soda vending machines and snack vending machines is that the snack ones usually are made of glass that allows buyers to see the product they are selecting, while drink vending machines typically don't show the product. When it comes to the category of 'vending machines,' however, many people aren't aware that the three-foot-high newspaper machines on the street corners are included. That's right, these machines aren't limited to the snack and drink variety: newspaper vending machines count as well. Also, gumball machines that ask for a quarter and give you a circular piece of horrible chewing gum that loses its flavor in seconds and is likely a whole bunch older than anything you've ever eaten before in your life. Yep, those are considered vending machines as well. The entire scope for vending machines has grown significantly since the days of the Hero of Alexandria. There are now drink vending machines that can see if an ID holder is over the age of 21 and dispense wine. Recently, an Italian restaurant owner built a dispenser that distributes slices of pizza. But that's not all. Members of the medical community are developing a functional prescription drug dispensing machine. Another has been created to perfectly dispense a cup of coffee. These are just a handful of some of the crazy examples of how vending machines have developed over time, and continue to develop.
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