What Leonardo da Vinci machine could move by itself using clockwork mechanisms?

Leonardo da Vinci’s self-moving clockwork machine was the self-propelled cart.

Leonardo designed the cart in the late 15th century, probably around 1478. Springs wound inside the mechanism supplied power, while cams controlled the turning of the front wheels. The device may have been intended for theatrical performances, where a moving machine could create a dramatic surprise.

The cart is sometimes called the first robot, although that label needs context. It did not think, sense its surroundings, or make decisions; it followed a predetermined mechanical program. In that sense, it was an early programmable automaton rather than a robot in the modern electronic meaning.

A working reconstruction was built in the early 21st century from Leonardo’s drawings. Researchers found that the design could operate when the surviving sketches were interpreted carefully. The cart demonstrates Leonardo’s interest in springs, cams, wheels, and automated movement.