What Leonardo da Vinci road vehicle was powered by coiled springs?

Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart was a spring-powered vehicle designed to move without a person pushing or pulling it.

Leonardo drew the cart around 1478 to 1480. Its power came from coiled springs hidden inside the vehicle, while a system of gears transferred the stored energy to the wheels. Steering was controlled through a programmable mechanism, making the design an early example of a self-moving machine.

The cart probably had practical uses in theatrical performances or court entertainments rather than transportation. It was too small and mechanically limited to function like a modern car. The design also depended on the springs being wound before operation, so it did not create energy independently.

A full-scale reconstruction was built and demonstrated in Italy in 2006. The vehicle is sometimes called a “robot car,” but “self-propelled cart” more accurately describes Leonardo’s spring-driven machine.