What Leonardo da Vinci vehicle was designed to move using clockwork-like springs?

Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart was designed to move using clockwork-like springs.

Leonardo drew the vehicle around 1478–1480. It had three wheels and was powered by coiled springs concealed inside two drum-like mechanisms. A system of gears transferred the springs’ force to the wheels, while steering could be set in advance through a mechanism connected to the front wheel.

Because the cart could follow a predetermined route without a person pushing it, it is often described as an early programmable vehicle or an ancestor of the automobile. It was not powered by an engine in the modern sense, and its range would have been limited by the stored energy in the springs.

The design’s exact purpose is uncertain. Historians have suggested theatrical or ceremonial uses, possibly for moving scenery or carrying an object during a pageant. Reconstructed versions have demonstrated that the basic mechanism can work.