What is the usual name for Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart design?

Leonardo da Vinci’s spring-powered vehicle is usually called Leonardo’s self-propelled cart.

Leonardo designed the cart in the late 15th century, probably around 1478 to 1480. Its movement was intended to come from coiled springs mounted inside the vehicle. Cams and gears would control the release of energy, allowing the cart to travel without a person pushing or pulling it.

The cart is sometimes described as a precursor to the automobile, but that comparison needs qualification. It had no internal-combustion engine and was designed mainly as an automaton or theatrical machine. It may have been intended for court spectacles, where a moving object could create a dramatic effect.

A full-scale reconstruction was built in 2006 by a team led by Carlo Pedretti and Paolo Taddei. The reconstructed cart demonstrated that the mechanism could work, although its exact original purpose and performance remain subjects of historical interpretation.