Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramid-shaped parachute as a way for a person to descend safely from the air.
Around 1485, Leonardo described a linen canopy supported by wooden poles. His notes proposed that a person could jump from a great height while remaining protected beneath the structure.
The design differs from a modern parachute, which usually has a flexible, rounded canopy and suspension lines. Leonardo’s version was rigid and pyramidal, so it is often discussed as an early parachute concept rather than a practical finished device.
A full-scale replica was tested in 2000 by Adrian Nichols, who reported that it descended successfully but was difficult to control. The test demonstrated that the basic aerodynamic idea could work, even though the original design was not built in Leonardo’s lifetime.