Leonardo da Vinci designed an automatic loom to mechanize parts of the weaving process.
His notebooks contain studies of textile machinery, including mechanisms that could move threads and coordinate repeated actions. A loom interlaces lengthwise warp threads with crosswise weft threads, and automation requires these operations to occur in a reliable sequence. Leonardo’s drawings show his interest in cams, gears, shuttles, and timed movement.
The design should not be confused with the later industrial power loom. Leonardo did not create a factory-ready machine driven by steam or electricity, and many of his textile concepts remained on paper. His work nevertheless illustrates how he applied mechanical systems to repetitive craft labor.
A spinning wheel makes yarn from fibers, while a loom turns yarn into fabric. That distinction matters because Leonardo studied both textile production and general machine motion, but an automatic loom belongs specifically to weaving.