Leonardo da Vinci designed water wheels with paddle-like blades to harness moving water. His mechanical studies examined how flowing water could turn a wheel and provide useful power.
Water wheels were already established technologies before Leonardo’s lifetime. Mills used them to grind grain, power hammers and perform other work. Leonardo’s importance lies in the detailed observation and analysis he applied to machines, including wheel shapes, water flow and mechanical transmission.
The design should not be confused with a modern hydroelectric turbine. A water wheel transfers the motion of flowing or falling water directly through paddles or buckets, while a turbine uses a more compact rotor and is commonly connected to an electrical generator. Leonardo’s drawings show his continuing interest in converting natural forces into controlled mechanical motion.