Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramid-shaped parachute to slow a person’s fall from a height.
He recorded the concept around 1485 in the Codex Atlanticus. His drawing shows a rigid, pyramid-like wooden frame covered with linen cloth. The design was intended to create enough air resistance for a person to descend safely.
Leonardo did not build or test the parachute, and the design differs substantially from modern fabric parachutes. In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nichols constructed and tested a replica based on Leonardo’s drawing. It descended successfully, although Nichols used a modern safety parachute as a precaution.
The idea is often described as an early parachute rather than the first practical parachute. Modern parachutes use flexible canopies, suspension lines, and harnesses, while Leonardo’s design relied on a large, framed canopy.