Leonardo da Vinci gave his parachute design a pyramid shape.
He described the design in the Codex Atlanticus, probably around 1485. His sketch shows a large pyramid-shaped canopy made from linen held open by a wooden framework. Leonardo specified dimensions of about 7.5 metres for both the height and the square base.
The design was intended to let a person descend safely from a great height, although Leonardo did not record a full-scale test. In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nichols built a modern interpretation and tested it successfully, though he used a conventional parachute for the final part of the descent.
Leonardo’s parachute is often called the first practical parachute concept, but it was not the first object ever proposed for slowing a fall. Its importance lies in the unusually precise engineering idea and its clear recognition that air resistance could support a human body.