Leonardo da Vinci proposed a diving bell as a form of artificial respiration for a submerged diver.
A diving bell is a chamber that traps air underwater. A diver can breathe from the enclosed air, although the supply is limited and pressure changes create serious dangers. Leonardo’s studies of underwater equipment included a bell-like arrangement intended to provide air below the surface.
The design belonged to a wider group of Renaissance ideas for underwater work. Leonardo considered breathing systems, protective clothing, and ways for divers to operate beneath the water. His drawings are important evidence of systematic engineering thought, but they do not prove that he successfully tested a complete underwater breathing apparatus.
A diving bell differs from a modern scuba set. The bell provides an air pocket or chamber, while scuba equipment carries compressed breathing gas in tanks. It also differs from a diving suit supplied by surface tubes, another underwater concept found in accounts of Leonardo’s designs.