Leonardo da Vinci redesigned a catapult with a flexible throwing arm.
His drawings show a military engine intended to hurl stones or other projectiles toward fortified positions. Leonardo explored ways to store and release energy through a large spring-like mechanism, seeking greater power and smoother operation than a simple rigid frame.
The design formed part of his military engineering studies in the late 15th century. He often analyzed older weapons by adding mechanical systems, wheels, winding devices, and carefully arranged supports.
Leonardo’s catapult should not be confused with a trebuchet, which uses a counterweight and a long pivoting beam, or a ballista, which resembles a large mechanically powered crossbow. These machines all launched projectiles, but their energy-storage mechanisms were different.