Leonardo da Vinci designed an armored tank with a conical roof and sloping protective plates.
The fighting vehicle was a covered, circular platform intended to protect people inside it from enemy fire. Its angled outer shell was designed to deflect projectiles, while openings around the platform allowed weapons to be used against opponents. The vehicle was supposed to move using mechanisms operated by people inside.
Leonardo’s drawing is often described as an early tank concept because it combines armor, mobility, and mounted weapons. It was created in the late 15th century, centuries before tanks powered by engines appeared on battlefields. The design was part of Leonardo’s military-engineering proposals for powerful patrons.
A well-known problem is that the gearing shown in the drawing would make the vehicle difficult or impossible to drive as presented. Some historians have suggested that this was deliberate or that the drawing contains an error. The concept should therefore be distinguished from a proven working tank.