Leonardo da Vinci’s anemometer was designed to measure wind speed.
An anemometer is an instrument for determining how fast air is moving. Leonardo’s version used a flat plate that could be pushed upward by the wind along a graduated scale. The height reached by the plate provided an indication of the wind’s force, allowing observations to be compared rather than relying only on a subjective description such as “strong wind.”
Leonardo’s interest in air movement was connected with his studies of flight, birds, weather, and mechanical devices. His instrument was not the cup anemometer commonly seen on weather stations today. Cup, vane, and ultrasonic instruments are later forms that use different principles.
The device is sometimes described as measuring wind force. That wording reflects the plate’s response, but the instrument’s practical purpose was to estimate wind speed. Leonardo’s work helped develop the broader history of scientific meteorological instruments.