What Leonardo da Vinci design is commonly called his parachute?

Leonardo da Vinci’s parachute design is commonly called the pyramidal parachute.

Leonardo sketched the design around 1485 in the Codex Atlanticus. It consists of a pyramid-shaped linen canopy supported by wooden poles. His notes suggested that a person could descend safely from a height using the structure, although the drawing did not include a modern harness or detailed deployment system.

The design is often described as an early parachute concept rather than a tested invention. Leonardo’s idea appeared centuries before practical parachutes became available. In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nicholas tested a full-scale reconstruction based on Leonardo’s sketch and reported that it descended successfully, although he abandoned it near the ground because of concerns about steering and landing.

The design should not be confused with Leonardo’s flying-machine studies. A parachute slows a descent; it does not provide powered flight.