Leonardo da Vinci sketched an armored tank with a conical shell and eight crew members.
Leonardo drew the fighting vehicle around 1487–1489, probably while seeking patronage from Ludovico Sforza in Milan. Its sloping, armoured cover was designed to protect the crew, while several light cannons projected through openings around the lower edge. Cranks connected to wheels would have moved the vehicle across the ground.
The machine is often called Leonardo’s tank, although it was not a modern tank. It had no engine, and its proposed propulsion system would have required human operators. A famous drawing also appears to contain a gearing problem that would prevent the vehicle from moving as shown; some historians think this may have been deliberate to keep the design secret.
Leonardo’s concept anticipated features later associated with armoured fighting vehicles, including protection, mobility, and all-around firepower. No evidence shows that the machine was built or used in Renaissance warfare.