Where and when did Hero of Alexandria live when inventing the first known vending apparatus?
Answer
Roman Egypt during the first century AD
Hero of Alexandria, recognized as the creator of the initial vending apparatus, was active during the first century AD while residing in Roman Egypt. This places his sophisticated mechanical work nearly two millennia before the modern era of automated retail emerged in the 19th century. His invention was not born out of commercial needs but served a specific religious purpose within the local temples, utilizing principles of weight-based actuation long before electricity or complex gearing were conceptualized for such devices.
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