What human-powered vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design to move without an animal?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that could move without an animal.

The machine, drawn around 1478 to 1480, used springs to store mechanical energy. A system of gears transferred that energy to the wheels, while a programmable steering mechanism could guide the cart along a preset path. The concept resembles a small mechanical vehicle rather than a modern engine-powered automobile.

The cart may have been intended for theatrical performances or court entertainment. Its ability to move on its own would have created a striking effect for Renaissance audiences, even though it could not travel indefinitely and required its springs to be wound.

For centuries, historians could not be certain whether the drawing represented a workable machine. In 2006, researchers in Florence built a model based on Leonardo’s plans and demonstrated that the mechanism could operate. The cart is therefore an important early example of programmable mechanical motion, not a gasoline car.