Leonardo da Vinci designed an anemometer to measure wind speed and support his studies of flight.
His version used a vertical plate that moved in the wind. The height reached by the plate on a graduated scale indicated the wind’s force. Although it was less precise than modern cup or sonic anemometers, it represented a practical attempt to quantify atmospheric conditions.
Leonardo’s interest in wind measurement was connected to his investigations of birds, wings, gliding, and proposed flying machines. He understood that air movement could help or hinder flight and that observations needed to be recorded rather than treated only as visual impressions.
The device is often described as an early anemometer, not necessarily the first possible wind-measuring instrument. Modern instruments calculate wind speed with rotating cups, propellers, or sound waves, while Leonardo’s design relied on wind pressure and a scale.