Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramid-shaped parachute in 1485 for descending safely from high places.
His design used a rigid wooden frame covered with linen, forming a structure about 7.2 metres high and 7.2 metres wide. Leonardo reasoned that the trapped air would slow a person's fall.
The drawing appears in the Codex Atlanticus, where Leonardo described the device as allowing a person to jump from any great height without injury. It was a theoretical design rather than a documented working invention of his lifetime.
Modern parachutes use flexible canopies, suspension lines and harnesses, so they differ greatly in construction. In 2000, Adrian Nicholas tested a full-scale replica and reported that it descended successfully, although he used a modern parachute for the final landing because the wooden frame could be dangerous near the ground.