What did Leonardo da Vinci design for moving itself without being pushed or pulled?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that could move without being pushed or pulled.

The design, usually dated to around 1478–1480, used coiled springs to store energy. When released, the springs would turn the cart’s wheels through a system of gears. The front wheels could be set to follow a predetermined path, making the machine an early programmable mechanism as well as a vehicle concept.

The cart may have been intended for theatrical use, such as moving scenery or appearing during a court performance. Leonardo’s surviving drawings do not provide every construction detail, so modern reconstructions differ in their interpretation of the mechanism.

It was not powered by an engine in the modern sense. Its motion came from stored mechanical energy in springs, much like a large clockwork toy. That distinction separates it from later steam- and gasoline-powered vehicles.