What robotic figure did Leonardo da Vinci design for a Milan court celebration?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a robotic knight for a Milan court celebration around 1495.

The machine was covered in armor and was designed to sit, stand, raise its visor, and move its arms. Leonardo developed the mechanism while working for Ludovico Sforza in Milan. It used cables and pulleys connected to a system of gears, with the operator’s movements translated into actions by the armored figure.

No original robotic knight has survived, and Leonardo’s drawings do not provide a complete construction manual. In 2002, roboticist Mark Rosheim built a working reconstruction based on Leonardo’s surviving notes and sketches. The result supported the idea that the mechanism was technically plausible.

The knight is often called Leonardo’s robot, but it was a mechanical automaton rather than an electronic robot. It also should not be confused with Leonardo’s later mechanical lion, another court spectacle associated with automated movement.