Leonardo da Vinci’s pyramidal device intended to let a person descend safely from a height is commonly called a parachute.
Leonardo sketched the design in the Codex Atlanticus, describing a pyramid-shaped canopy made from linen held open by a wooden framework. The surviving notes indicate dimensions of about 7.2 metres for the base and height, although historical units and translations require care.
The drawing is important because it shows a clear attempt to use air resistance to slow a fall. Leonardo did not record a completed test, and the design’s rigid frame would have made it heavy and awkward compared with modern parachutes.
In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nichols built and tested a modified version based on Leonardo’s drawing. It descended successfully, although Nichols eventually abandoned it at a low altitude and used a modern parachute for safety. The experiment demonstrated the basic aerodynamic plausibility of the concept, not that Leonardo had created a modern parachute.