Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramid-shaped parachute for a person to descend safely.
Leonardo described the design in a manuscript now associated with the Codex Atlanticus. His concept used a rigid, pyramid-like wooden frame covered with linen. The canopy was intended to trap air during a descent, creating resistance against gravity.
This was a theoretical invention, not a documented flight test. Leonardo specified a structure about 7 metres high and 7 metres wide, making it much larger than many modern recreational parachutes. The design is often cited as an early serious study of controlled vertical descent.
A common mix-up is calling the device a glider. A glider is designed to generate lift and travel forward, while Leonardo’s parachute was intended primarily to slow a falling person. Modern parachutes use flexible canopies rather than his rigid pyramidal framework.