Leonardo da Vinci designed a catapult to fire stones using multiple arms. His drawings show an enlarged, mechanically assisted siege weapon intended to store and release substantial energy.
Leonardo examined ancient and medieval artillery while developing proposals for military patrons. In a large catapult, the throwing arm would be drawn back against a powerful tension system and then released, sending a projectile toward a target. Gears or winches could make loading easier and improve control.
The design should not be confused with a trebuchet, which uses a counterweight, or a ballista, which resembles a giant mechanical bow. A catapult is a broader class of projectile launcher, and Leonardo explored several variations rather than one standardized machine.
As with many of Leonardo's military sketches, there is no firm evidence that this exact design was manufactured and deployed. Its value to historians is the record of how he applied geometry, force, and mechanical advantage to older siege technology.