Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramid-shaped parachute for controlled descent from a height.
The design appears in a manuscript associated with Leonardo’s studies of flight and air resistance. It consists of a rigid-looking pyramidal frame covered with cloth. Leonardo proposed that the structure would slow a falling person by presenting a broad surface to the air.
The design was never known to have been built or tested during Leonardo’s lifetime. It is therefore more accurate to call it a parachute concept than a working invention. The idea is often discussed alongside his flying-machine sketches, but it was intended for descending rather than gaining altitude.
Modern parachutes use flexible canopies and suspension lines, so Leonardo’s pyramid is not the same as contemporary equipment. In 2000, Adrian Nicholas made a full-scale replica and tested it successfully, although he used a modern parachute for the final landing.