What did Leonardo da Vinci invent?

Leonardo da Vinci, the renowned Italian polymath of the Renaissance, was not only an accomplished artist but also a prolific inventor and visionary thinker. While many of his designs and inventions were not built or realized during his lifetime, they reflect his innovative and ahead-of-his-time ideas. Some of the notable inventions attributed to Leonardo da Vinci include the following.

Flying Machine (Ornithopter)

Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine, often referred to as an "ornithopter," was one of his visionary designs aimed at achieving human flight. While Leonardo did not build a working model of his ornithopter, his sketches and notes provide insight into his innovative thinking and exploration of flight. The ornithopter was designed to mimic the motion of bird wings, with the idea that the flapping motion could create lift and propel the machine through the air. Leonardo's detailed sketches depicted a machine with wings that moved in an up-and-down motion, resembling the wings of birds or bats.

The design included a framework resembling a set of wings and a mechanism that, when operated by the pilot, would allow for the flapping motion. Leonardo's ornithopter design also featured a system of pulleys and cables to transmit the pilot's motion to the wings. Leonardo's flying machine was part of his broader fascination with the concept of human flight, and he explored various ideas and designs related to aviation in his notebooks. While the ornithopter itself was never built or flown during Leonardo's lifetime, the principles behind his design laid the groundwork for later innovations in aviation. It's important to note that the technology of Leonardo's time did not allow for the construction of a practical flying machine based on his ornithopter design. However, the visionary nature of his ideas and his contributions to the understanding of aerodynamics have earned him a place in the history of flight and aviation as a pioneering thinker.

Parachute

Leonardo da Vinci's design for a parachute is another example of his innovative thinking in various fields. Although he never built a working model of the parachute, his sketches and notes from the late 15th century suggest a detailed understanding of the principles behind such a device. Leonardo's parachute design, found in his notebooks around 1485, features a pyramid-shaped frame made of wood and covered with fabric. The fabric is believed to be linen or another strong and lightweight material. The parachute was intended to slow the fall of a person or object from a great height, providing a safer descent.

The design includes a square base, and each side of the square has a triangular panel attached to it. The entire structure is suspended from a wooden frame, and Leonardo proposed using a mixture of starch and eagle's grease to treat the fabric and make it impermeable to air. While there is no historical evidence that Leonardo's parachute design was ever tested or built during his lifetime, the concept and sketches influenced later inventors and pioneers in the field of aviation. The idea of a parachute, a device that slows the descent of a falling object or person by creating air resistance, eventually became a crucial safety tool in various applications, including aviation and parachuting. Leonardo da Vinci's parachute design reflects his curiosity, scientific inquiry, and inventive spirit. Even though the technology of his time did not allow for the practical implementation of his parachute concept, his contributions to the understanding of aerodynamics and his visionary designs laid the groundwork for future advancements in parachute technology and aerial safety.

Machine Gun

Leonardo da Vinci's design for a machine gun, often referred to as the "33-barreled organ" or "violin," is an example of his inventive ideas in the realm of weaponry. Leonardo's sketch, found in his notebook dated around 1485, depicts a multi-barreled device that could potentially fire multiple shots in rapid succession. The machine gun design features a circular arrangement of 11 barrels on each of the three levels, making a total of 33 barrels. Each barrel has its own firing mechanism, and the entire device could be rotated manually. The idea was that as one set of barrels was firing, the others could be loaded, allowing for a continuous and rapid rate of fire.

It's important to note that while Leonardo's sketches showcase his ingenuity, the technology of his time did not allow for the practical construction of such a complex and mechanically demanding weapon. Additionally, the machine gun concept was not realized until many centuries later, with the development of firearms technology in the modern era. Leonardo's machine gun design is one of several examples where he explored innovative ideas in military technology. His notebooks contain numerous sketches and concepts related to various weapons and war machines, reflecting his fascination with mechanics, engineering, and the potential applications of his inventive designs in the context of warfare.

While the machine gun design itself was not a practical invention during Leonardo's lifetime, his contributions to the understanding of mechanics, engineering, and military technology have contributed to his legacy as a polymath and visionary thinker. The machine gun concept, like many of Leonardo's ideas, demonstrates his ability to conceptualize innovative devices far ahead of his time.

Diving Suit

Leonardo da Vinci's design for a diving suit is an example of his forward-thinking ideas in various fields, including engineering and exploration. His sketches of the diving suit, found in his notebooks from the early 16th century, depict a device intended to allow humans to explore underwater environments. Leonardo's diving suit design includes a full-body covering made of leather or similar material. The suit would cover the entire body, including the head, with a transparent faceplate made of glass or crystal to allow the diver to see underwater. The suit also featured a system of tubes and floats designed to provide the diver with a continuous supply of air. In the sketches, Leonardo proposed the use of a breathing tube that extended above the water's surface, connected to a float that would supply air to the diver. The float would rise and fall with the diver's movements, ensuring a constant flow of air while submerged.

While Leonardo's diving suit design was never built or tested during his lifetime, it reflects his curiosity about the natural world and his interest in developing tools and technologies for exploration. The concept of a diving suit, allowing humans to explore underwater environments while breathing air from the surface, became a reality centuries later with advancements in diving technology. Leonardo's design for a diving suit is part of a broader collection of his sketches and ideas related to engineering, anatomy, and various inventions. His ability to envision concepts like the diving suit demonstrates his multidisciplinary approach to understanding the world and creating innovative solutions to challenges, even if the technology of his time did not permit the practical realization of all his ideas.

Aerial Screw (Helicopter)

Leonardo da Vinci's aerial screw is one of his visionary designs for a flying machine, often considered an early conceptualization of a helicopter. Found in his notebooks dated around 1485, the aerial screw design reflects Leonardo's fascination with human flight and his exploration of mechanical devices that could achieve vertical lift. The aerial screw concept consists of a helical (spiral) rotor mounted on a central shaft. In Leonardo's sketches, the machine resembles a large, screw-like structure that a person could stand on or be attached to. The idea was that by turning the central shaft, the helical rotor would generate lift, allowing the device to ascend into the air. While Leonardo's aerial screw design was a significant conceptual leap in the exploration of vertical flight, it's important to note that he never built a working model of this device during his lifetime. The technology of the 15th century did not provide the materials or power sources necessary to construct a practical helicopter-like machine.

Leonardo's aerial screw, along with his other flying machine designs like the ornithopter, showcased his ingenuity and ahead-of-his-time thinking in the field of aviation. The principles behind his conceptual designs contributed to the understanding of aerodynamics and laid the groundwork for future developments in helicopter technology. Centuries later, in the 20th century, advancements in materials, engineering, and power sources eventually led to the successful development of helicopters based on principles similar to those envisioned by Leonardo da Vinci. While he did not witness the practical realization of his aerial screw, his contributions to the field of aviation continue to be acknowledged, and his visionary designs are celebrated as important milestones in the history of flight.

Tank

Leonardo da Vinci's design for a tank is one of his imaginative concepts for military technology. Found in his notebooks from around 1485, Leonardo's tank design reflects his innovative thinking in the context of Renaissance warfare. The tank design, also known as the "armored vehicle" or "turtle," featured a cylindrical, covered structure mounted on wheels. The exterior of the tank was reinforced with metal plates, and it had a conical roof designed to deflect projectiles. Inside the tank, Leonardo placed a series of cannons pointing outwards in different directions. The tank was intended to be powered by manpower, with soldiers inside turning cranks to move the wheels and propel the machine forward.

While Leonardo's tank was never built or used in actual warfare during his lifetime, the design showcased his creativity and strategic thinking. The concept of an armored, mobile vehicle capable of carrying firepower from within a protected shell was an innovative idea, and Leonardo's tank design is considered a precursor to later developments in military technology. Leonardo's tank concept was part of a broader collection of his sketches and designs related to various weapons and war machines. His notebooks contain numerous ideas for fortifications, siege engines, and other military innovations, reflecting his fascination with engineering and his desire to apply his inventive thinking to practical challenges. While the technology of Leonardo's time did not allow for the construction of a practical tank, his contributions to the understanding of mechanics, engineering, and military technology have contributed to his legacy as a polymath and visionary thinker. The tank design, like many of Leonardo's ideas, demonstrates his ability to conceptualize innovative devices far ahead of his time.

Anemometer

Leonardo da Vinci's design for an anemometer, found in his notebooks from the late 15th century, reflects his curiosity about the natural world and his interest in measuring and understanding various phenomena. An anemometer is a device used to measure the speed of the wind, and Leonardo's design for this instrument demonstrates his early contributions to meteorological instrumentation. In Leonardo's sketches, he proposed a design featuring a series of cups mounted on horizontal arms. These arms were connected to a vertical shaft, allowing the cups to rotate freely in the wind. As the wind caught the cups, they would spin around the central shaft. The speed at which the cups rotated would be an indication of the wind speed. While Leonardo's anemometer design was not built or used during his lifetime, the concept behind it laid the foundation for later developments in meteorological instruments. Anemometers are commonly used today to measure wind speed, and modern variations of Leonardo's design include cup anemometers, vane anemometers, and other types of wind-measuring devices.

Leonardo da Vinci's interest in measuring natural phenomena extended beyond the anemometer. His notebooks contain numerous sketches and designs related to diverse fields, including anatomy, engineering, and various inventions. His ability to observe the world around him, conceptualize innovative solutions, and document his ideas has left a lasting impact on science, engineering, and the history of invention.


Leonardo da Vinci's inventions and designs, while not always practical in their time, showcase his remarkable imagination, scientific curiosity, and foresight. Many of his ideas have influenced later generations and continue to inspire inventors and engineers across various disciplines.