Vending Machine – 2nd c. BCE
Do you believe that until now, there are still millions of people in the world who have not seen and used a vending machine? And would you believe that as early as the 2nd century CE, vending machine was already invented by Hero of Alexandria. This engineer and mathematician invented a vending machine that accepted a coin and then dispensed a fixed amount of holy water. When the coin was deposited, it fell upon a pan attached to a lever. The lever opened up a valve which let some water flow out. The pan continued to tilt with the weight of the coin until it fell off, at which point a counter-weight would snap the lever back up and turn off the valve.
Compass -4th c. BCE
The compass had long been invented in China before the Europeans invented it. This significant invention, especially in navigation and exploration, was invented in the 4th century BCE in China. This gadget is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the Earth’s magnetic poles.
Odometer – 3rd c. BCE
This is quite unbelievable but the Odometer had long been invented hundred years before vehicles powered by machines were invented. It was invented in the 3rd century BCE by Archimedes. An Odometer is a gadget that indicates distance travelled by a car or other vehicle.
Automatic Calculator – 1623
The first automatic calculator was invented in 1623 by the German polymath Wilhelm Schickard.
Adding Machine – 1642
The first adding machine was invented in 1642 by Blaise Pascal.
Steam Power
Steam Power or Steam Engine was invented in the 2nd century by Hero of Alexandria in Roman Egypt. This invention is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.
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