Leonardo da Vinci sketched an armored vehicle commonly described as an early tank.
The design, made around 1487, resembles a covered, conical vehicle with sloping armor and multiple light cannons projecting around its sides. Inside, men would turn cranks connected to wheels, allowing the machine to move across a battlefield while shielding its crew.
Leonardo’s fighting vehicle was never built for a Renaissance army. Some modern reconstructions note that the gearing shown in the drawing would make the vehicle difficult or impossible to drive as drawn, possibly because of an intentional drafting error or an overlooked mechanical problem.
It was not a tank in the modern technical sense, because it had no engine, turret, tracks, or modern armor. The label refers to its protected mobile fighting role and its broad resemblance to later armored vehicles.