What self-moving machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to enter court performances without a visible driver?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that could move without a visible driver during court performances.

The cart used springs as its stored source of energy. Gears controlled the release of that energy, while a steering mechanism could be set in advance so the vehicle followed a predetermined route. The design is usually dated to the late 15th century and is associated with theatrical spectacles at Italian courts.

It was not an automobile in the modern sense. The cart could travel only a limited distance and depended on wound springs rather than an engine or fuel. Its purpose appears to have been entertainment and controlled movement, not ordinary transportation.

A reconstruction made for the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death in 2019 demonstrated that the mechanism could work when built according to the surviving drawings. Historians still distinguish the reconstructed machine from proof that Leonardo personally built the original.