What name is given to Leonardo da Vinci’s wheeled vehicle that could move without being pushed?

Leonardo da Vinci’s wheeled vehicle is commonly called the self-propelled cart.

Leonardo designed the spring-powered cart around 1478–1480. Coiled springs stored energy and transmitted it through a system of gears, allowing the vehicle to move without an animal pushing or pulling it. A steering mechanism could help determine its path, making the design more than a simple wind-up toy.

The cart was probably intended for theatrical or ceremonial use, perhaps to enter a stage or carry scenery. It was not an automobile in the modern sense, because it had no internal-combustion engine, electric motor, brakes, or passenger cabin.

A full-scale reconstruction built in 2006 demonstrated that the mechanism could work when made according to surviving drawings. The vehicle is therefore an important early example of a programmable or self-moving machine, even though its operating range was limited by the stored energy in its springs.