Leonardo da Vinci designed an armored tank-like fighting vehicle for moving soldiers across a battlefield.
His drawing shows a conical, turtle-shaped cover made from wooden plates reinforced with metal. Several men inside would turn cranks connected to wheels, allowing the vehicle to advance while protecting its occupants from arrows and other weapons.
The machine was never built for Leonardo’s patrons, and historians debate whether its apparent gear problem was deliberate or simply a design error. The vehicle is commonly called Leonardo’s tank, although it lacked the engine, tracks, and modern military technology associated with twentieth-century tanks. Its significance lies in combining armor, mobility, and weapons in one concept.