What device did Leonardo da Vinci sketch in 1485 as a proposed human parachute?

Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramidal parachute in 1485 as a proposed human parachute. His design used a rigid, pyramid-shaped wooden frame covered with linen, creating a broad surface intended to slow a person's fall.

The drawing appears in the Codex Atlanticus, a large collection of Leonardo's notes and sketches. The concept predates the parachutes used in modern aviation by several centuries, but it shows Leonardo applying geometry, materials, and observations about air resistance to a practical problem.

Leonardo did not record a successful test, and the design was not built during his lifetime. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nichols constructed a version and tested it, reporting that it descended successfully, although he used a modern parachute as a safety precaution.

The pyramidal parachute is often called Leonardo's parachute, but it was a design proposal rather than a mass-produced invention. Its importance lies in its early attempt to use a large drag-producing canopy to make controlled descent possible.