What name is given to Leonardo da Vinci’s armored fighting vehicle concept?

Leonardo da Vinci’s armored fighting vehicle concept is commonly called Leonardo’s tank.

Leonardo designed the vehicle around 1487 for military use. Its conical, covered shell was intended to protect the occupants while mounted weapons projected through openings around the structure. The vehicle was meant to move across the battlefield and frighten or disrupt opposing forces.

The machine was powered by people turning cranks connected to wheels. A famous modern observation is that the gears shown in Leonardo’s drawing would make the vehicle move in the wrong direction if built exactly as depicted. Some historians interpret this as an error; others have suggested that Leonardo may have deliberately included the problem to keep the design from being used.

Calling it a tank does not mean it was a modern tracked tank. Leonardo’s vehicle had wheels, no engine, and no armored turret. The nickname is retrospective, based on its protected body and battlefield role. It remains one of Leonardo’s best-known military engineering concepts, even though there is no evidence of a completed prototype.