Leonardo da Vinci designed a water screw to produce a continuous flow of water uphill.
A water screw uses a helical surface inside a cylinder or around a shaft. When the screw rotates, water is carried upward along the spiral. Leonardo studied and drew screw-based lifting devices as part of his wider work on hydraulics, canals, irrigation, and mechanical power.
The principle is closely related to the Archimedes’ screw, an ancient water-lifting machine traditionally associated with Archimedes. Leonardo did not invent that ancient principle, but his notebooks contain detailed Renaissance investigations and adaptations of screw mechanisms.
A water screw is different from a water wheel. A wheel extracts energy from moving water to drive machinery, while a screw can use mechanical energy to raise water. The same broad principle is still used in modern Archimedes screws for drainage, irrigation, and wastewater treatment.