Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci
As a true "Renaissance Man," Leonardo da Vinci's interests extended well beyond the arts. He also showed great promise in areas such as architecture mathematics, physics, and civil and mechanical engineering. Throughout his life, he created designs for many contraptions so far ahead of their time, that their dynamics could not be grasped by scientists until hundreds of years later. Amazingly, many of the fundamental principles of his designs would used as inspiration for many modern-day devices including the plane, helicopter, automobile, tank, machine gun, and robotics. Constrained by the limited technology of his time, most of his "inventions" were never built or tested by da Vinci himself, but modern-day Renaissance Men have successful reconstructed many of these designs with varying success.
Some of his most interesting and impressive inventions include:
Helicopter
Leonardo called his device an "aerial screw." It's screw-shaped canopy would push compressed air downwards (just like modern helicopters), creating enough thrust to lift the vehicle off the ground. While scientists believe this device would never have obtained flight without a modern combustion engine, its designs are considered the precursor for modern helicopters.
Parachute
Leonardo created a design for a parachute more than 200 years before it was officially created. Da Vinci included the following description with his sketch:
"If a man have a tent made of linen of which the apertures have all been stopped up, and it be twelve braccia (23 feet) across and twelve in depth, he will be able to throw himself down from any great height without suffering any injury."
Amazingly, his design was recreated and successfully tested in 2000 by Daredevil Adrian Nichols, who noted the descent felt smoother than modern parachutes.
Self-Propelled Cart
Also considered to be the world's first robot, da Vinci designed this mechanized cart capable of moving without being pushed. It was powered by coiled springs that, when released, would push the cart forward. It also included steering and brakes. While the mechanics eluded scientists for some time, in 2006 the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence recreated the vehicle using da Vinci's original designs. Incredibly, it worked exactly as intended.
Underwater Breathing Apparatus
While working in Venice, da Vinci designed the original Scuba Gear. It consisted of an airtight leather suit and mask, with tubes connected to a cork bell that floated on the surface. It also included a valve-operated balloon used to control buoyancy, a precursor to the ballast tanks used in modern submarines.
Some of his most interesting and impressive inventions include:
Helicopter
Leonardo called his device an "aerial screw." It's screw-shaped canopy would push compressed air downwards (just like modern helicopters), creating enough thrust to lift the vehicle off the ground. While scientists believe this device would never have obtained flight without a modern combustion engine, its designs are considered the precursor for modern helicopters.
Parachute
Leonardo created a design for a parachute more than 200 years before it was officially created. Da Vinci included the following description with his sketch:
"If a man have a tent made of linen of which the apertures have all been stopped up, and it be twelve braccia (23 feet) across and twelve in depth, he will be able to throw himself down from any great height without suffering any injury."
Amazingly, his design was recreated and successfully tested in 2000 by Daredevil Adrian Nichols, who noted the descent felt smoother than modern parachutes.
Self-Propelled Cart
Also considered to be the world's first robot, da Vinci designed this mechanized cart capable of moving without being pushed. It was powered by coiled springs that, when released, would push the cart forward. It also included steering and brakes. While the mechanics eluded scientists for some time, in 2006 the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence recreated the vehicle using da Vinci's original designs. Incredibly, it worked exactly as intended.
Underwater Breathing Apparatus
While working in Venice, da Vinci designed the original Scuba Gear. It consisted of an airtight leather suit and mask, with tubes connected to a cork bell that floated on the surface. It also included a valve-operated balloon used to control buoyancy, a precursor to the ballast tanks used in modern submarines.
Its crazy to think that so many of Da Vinci's inventions are relevant to so much of the technology we use today! I really liked the pictures you chose to illustrate some of his accomplishments.
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