Leonardo da Vinci designed an anemometer to measure wind speed.
His design used a vertical board or plate that could move in the wind. A graduated scale indicated how far the plate moved, allowing the observer to estimate the wind’s strength. Leonardo developed the instrument while studying atmospheric motion and the possibilities of human flight.
An anemometer is any instrument used to measure wind speed or, in some designs, wind direction. Leonardo’s device was an early wind-speed instrument, but it did not provide the precise digital readings produced by modern cup, vane, sonic, or laser anemometers.
The design illustrates Leonardo’s habit of connecting flight research with measurement. Rather than relying only on observation, he sought instruments that could turn natural forces into quantities that engineers could compare.