What kind of cart did Leonardo da Vinci design to move by itself using wound-up springs?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart powered by wound-up springs.

The cart appears in drawings from around 1478 to 1480 and is often called Leonardo’s self-propelled cart. Springs stored mechanical energy, and that energy was released through a system of gears to turn the wheels. The steering mechanism could be set in advance, allowing the cart to follow a predetermined path.

The machine may have been intended for theatrical performances or court entertainments rather than transport or warfare. In 2006, a reconstruction in Florence demonstrated that the basic mechanism could work when built from Leonardo’s drawings and adjusted to account for their incomplete details.

The cart was not powered by steam, electricity, or an internal-combustion engine. It is therefore better understood as a programmable mechanical device and an early ancestor of automated vehicles, not as a modern automobile.