What machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to concentrate sunlight?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a solar furnace to concentrate sunlight.

His concept used an array of mirrors to direct sunlight toward a central point. Concentrating many rays in one location can produce intense heat, making the arrangement suitable in principle for heating materials or experimenting with high temperatures.

A solar furnace differs from a solar panel, which converts sunlight into electricity, and from a simple magnifying glass, which concentrates light with a single lens. Leonardo’s design belonged to a broader interest in optics, reflected light, and the practical uses of mirrors.

The idea was not a modern industrial solar furnace and was not known as a completed working plant built by Leonardo. It is best understood as an engineering concept recorded during his investigations of light and heat.