Leonardo da Vinci designed a tank-like armored vehicle for warfare.
His drawing, usually dated to about 1487, shows a conical, turtle-shaped cover mounted on wheels. The vehicle was intended to protect soldiers while they operated several guns pointing outward through openings in the armor. It is commonly described as an early tank concept.
The design was powered by people turning cranks connected to the wheels. Some modern commentators point out that the gear arrangement appears to make the vehicle move in the wrong direction, leading to speculation that Leonardo deliberately inserted an error. Historians cannot prove why the drawing has that feature.
Leonardo's vehicle was never built as a working battlefield tank. It also lacked the engines, tracks, and technical systems associated with modern tanks. Its significance lies in combining mobile protection, firepower, and coordinated crew operation in one design.