Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute with a pyramidal wooden frame and linen covering. His design appears in the Codex Atlanticus, where he proposed that a person could descend safely from a great height using the broad, fabric-covered structure.
The design was not a modern round parachute. Its canopy was shaped like a pyramid, with a square base supported by a rigid frame. Leonardo estimated that it could lower a person from any height without injury, although he did not test the idea himself.
The sketch is important because it shows Leonardo applying observations about air resistance to a practical safety device. Centuries later, parachute designs used flexible canopies, suspension lines, and harnesses rather than Leonardo’s heavy framework. A 2000 test by Adrian Nichols demonstrated that a modified full-scale version could function, though it was too cumbersome for ordinary use.