What self-moving invention did Leonardo da Vinci design to travel without a person pushing it?
Answer
Self-propelled cart
Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that could move without a person pushing it.
The cart is described in drawings made around 1478 to 1480. Two large springs stored energy, while a programmable control system based on pins and blocks determined how the wheels turned. The mechanism resembles an early theatrical automaton or programmable vehicle rather than a modern automobile.
Leonardo may have intended the cart for stage performances and court spectacles. Its stored mechanical energy could make it travel a limited distance, and the steering arrangement allowed it to follow a planned path.
A full-size reconstruction was built in 2006 by researchers at the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence. The reconstruction worked, supporting the interpretation that the drawings represented a practical mechanical design rather than only a thought experiment.