What kind of machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to reproduce human movement in armor?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a humanoid robot intended to reproduce human movement inside armor.

The machine is known as Leonardo’s robot or Leonardo’s mechanical knight. Drawings from around 1495 show an armored figure with an internal system of gears, cables, and pulleys. The mechanism was designed to make the figure sit, stand, raise its arms, and move its head and jaw. It was probably intended for a spectacular court performance rather than practical labor.

Leonardo developed the design while working in Milan for Ludovico Sforza. The machine reflects his studies of anatomy and mechanical motion: he treated the body as a system of linked parts that could be imitated by engineered joints and transmissions. No original robot is known to have survived, and the historical evidence does not prove that the complete design was built in the 15th century.

In 2002, roboticist Mark Rosheim constructed a working model based on Leonardo’s drawings. The reconstruction demonstrated that the mechanism could produce several of the proposed movements. It is therefore best described as an early humanoid automaton concept, not a programmable electronic robot.