What name is given to Leonardo da Vinci’s self-moving cart design?

Leonardo da Vinci’s self-moving cart design is commonly called the self-propelled cart.

Drawn around 1478 to 1480, the machine used coiled springs concealed inside its drums to store energy. When released, the springs turned the wheels and moved the cart without a person or animal pulling it.

The front wheels could be set to follow a predetermined path, making the device an early example of programmable mechanical motion. Its possible uses remain uncertain. Historians have suggested theatrical effects, stage scenery, or ceremonial displays rather than practical transport.

The cart is sometimes described as a robot, but that label can mislead. It had no sensing, decision-making, or electronic control; its movement came from stored mechanical energy and preset steering. Reconstructions have demonstrated that the basic mechanism can work.