What pyramid-shaped parachute did Leonardo da Vinci describe for a safe descent from any height?

Leonardo da Vinci described a pyramid parachute as a device for descending safely from any height.

He recorded the idea around 1485 in the Codex Atlanticus. His design used a rigid, pyramid-shaped wooden frame covered with linen cloth. Leonardo estimated that the structure would be about 7.2 metres high and 7.2 metres wide at its base.

The design was based on the principle that a broad canopy would resist falling through the air. Leonardo did not build or test it, so it was a theoretical invention rather than a demonstrated aircraft. Modern parachutes use flexible fabric canopies, suspension lines and harnesses instead of a rigid frame.

The pyramid parachute is often confused with Leonardo’s flying-machine sketches. A parachute is designed to slow a descent, whereas an ornithopter or aerial screw was intended to produce controlled flight.