Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramid-shaped parachute intended to slow a person's fall.
The design appears in the Codex Atlanticus, a collection of Leonardo's notes and drawings. It consists of a pyramidal wooden frame covered with linen, with the sides sealed so that air resistance could support a descending person.
Leonardo did not build or test the device, and his notes do not provide a modern harness system. The concept is nevertheless recognized as an early parachute design because it uses drag to reduce falling speed.
Modern parachutes use flexible canopies rather than Leonardo's rigid pyramid. A full-scale replica tested by Adrian Nichols in 2000 reportedly descended successfully, although it required a separate safety parachute because the rigid structure could be dangerous near the ground.