Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute concept with a pyramid-shaped canopy.
Around 1485, Leonardo drew the design in the Codex Atlanticus. His proposed canopy was made from linen held open by a wooden framework, creating a structure much larger and more rigid than a modern fabric parachute. He wrote that a person could jump from a great height and land safely with it.
The drawing is an important example of Renaissance engineering because it applies geometry and air resistance to controlled descent. Leonardo did not document a successful full-scale test, so the design remained a theoretical invention in his lifetime.
A modern parachute is usually flexible and packed into a container, unlike Leonardo’s framed pyramid. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nichols tested a modified version and reported that it worked, although he used a modern parachute for safety during the landing.