Leonardo da Vinci designed a parachute in 1485 that resembles a modern parachute.
His drawing shows a pyramid-shaped canopy made from linen held open by wooden poles. Leonardo proposed that a person could descend safely from a height using the device, although there is no evidence that he built or tested it.
The design appeared in Leonardo’s notebooks, including the Codex Atlanticus. Its canopy was much more rigid and geometric than modern fabric parachutes, which use flexible cloth and suspension lines. Leonardo’s concept was based on controlling air resistance rather than producing powered flight.
In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nicholas tested a full-scale reconstruction based on the drawing. It descended successfully, although Nicholas used a modern parachute for the final landing because the wooden structure could become dangerous near the ground. The experiment showed that Leonardo’s basic aerodynamic idea was workable.