What kind of vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design to move without being pulled by animals?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart intended to move without being pulled by animals.

The cart is usually dated to around 1478–1480 and is often regarded as an early ancestor of the automobile. Its motion would have come from coiled springs, with the stored energy transferred through gears to the wheels. A steering mechanism allowed the cart to follow a preset route.

Leonardo may have intended the machine for theatrical performances or court entertainments rather than transportation. The vehicle was small and had no engine, fuel system, or passenger cabin comparable to those of a modern car.

The original cart does not survive, but historians and engineers have built reconstructions based on Leonardo’s drawings. Some reconstructions have shown that the basic mechanism can work. The design is sometimes called a “robotic cart” because its programmed steering could make it perform a repeatable movement.