What rotating machine did Leonardo da Vinci propose to lift water from a low level?

Leonardo da Vinci proposed an Archimedes’ screw as a rotating machine for lifting water from a lower level. His notebooks include studies of the screw-shaped device and its use in hydraulic engineering.

An Archimedes’ screw consists of a helical surface inside a tube or around a shaft. When it rotates, pockets of water move upward. The ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes is traditionally credited with the device, although similar water-lifting mechanisms may have older origins.

Leonardo did not invent the basic screw, but he examined how mechanical motion could improve water management. His hydraulic studies covered canals, pumps, locks, and flood control. The device is different from a water wheel: a water wheel extracts energy from moving water, while a screw can use rotational power to raise water.