Leonardo da Vinci’s armored military vehicle designed to move using hand-operated wheels is commonly called Leonardo’s tank.
Leonardo drew the fighting vehicle in the 1480s, probably while seeking military patronage from Ludovico Sforza, ruler of Milan. The machine had a conical, shell-like cover intended to protect soldiers and carried several light guns around its perimeter. Inside, operators would turn cranks connected to wheels.
The vehicle is often described as an early tank, but it was never built or used in battle during Leonardo’s lifetime. It was a conceptual war machine rather than a tested armored fighting vehicle. Its sloped covering may have helped deflect projectiles, while its circular arrangement of guns allowed fire in multiple directions.
A famous modern observation is that some reconstructions appear unable to move because of an apparent gear mismatch in the surviving drawing. Historians debate whether this was an error, a deliberate flaw, or a copying problem. The vehicle also differs greatly from powered twentieth-century tanks.