What emergency descent device did Leonardo da Vinci design in 1485?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramid-shaped parachute in 1485.

The sketch appears in the Codex Atlanticus and shows a pyramidal canopy made from linen held open by a wooden frame. Leonardo wrote that a person could jump from a great height while protected by a structure about 12 braccia wide and 12 braccia deep. The braccio was a historical Italian measure, so the exact modern conversion varies.

Leonardo’s parachute was never tested during his lifetime, and the design was much more rigid and bulky than modern parachutes. It nevertheless correctly identified the central principle: a broad canopy creates air resistance and slows a falling person.

The design is sometimes called the first parachute, although earlier cultures used forms of controlled descent and later inventors developed practical devices. A modern replica tested by Adrian Nicholas in 2000 was reported to work, though he used a safer secondary parachute before landing because the wooden frame could be dangerous near the ground.