Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that could move without a person or animal pushing it.
Drawn around 1478–1480, the cart used two large springs to store mechanical energy. The springs drove the wheels through a system of gears, while a steering mechanism helped control the path. The design is often described as an early programmable machine because adjustable blocks could determine the cart’s movement.
Leonardo probably intended the device for theatrical performances or court festivities rather than transportation. It was not a motor vehicle in the modern sense: it stored energy in wound springs and did not use an engine or fuel.
A reconstruction built in the late twentieth century demonstrated that the mechanism could work. The cart is therefore an important example of Leonardo’s interest in automation, gearing and mechanical control.