Leonardo da Vinci designed a parachute as a pyramid-shaped canopy for descending safely from heights.
His parachute concept appears in the Codex Atlanticus and is generally dated to the late 15th century. The design described a sealed linen canopy supported by poles, with a pyramid-like form intended to resist the air during a descent.
Leonardo’s notes proposed that a person could descend from a height using the device, but there is no evidence that he tested it. The idea depended on aerodynamic drag rather than powered flight: the canopy would slow a falling person by presenting a large surface to the air.
Modern parachutes use flexible fabric, suspension lines, and harnesses rather than Leonardo’s rigid framework. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nichols tested a replica based on the design, using a modern parachute as a precaution.