Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that is often described as an early robot or car.
The cart was probably created around 1478–1480. Springs wound inside its mechanism supplied power, while a system of gears controlled the wheels. A programmable feature using pegs may have allowed the cart to follow a predetermined path, making it suitable for theatrical performances or court pageants.
The design was not an automobile in the modern sense. It had no engine, steering wheel, brakes, or passenger compartment, and Leonardo left no evidence that it was built as everyday transportation. Its importance lies in the combination of stored mechanical energy, automatic motion, and limited programmability.
A full-scale reconstruction was made for an exhibition in Florence in 2006. Researchers found that the cart could move, although the exact original mechanism remains debated because the surviving drawings are incomplete. It is therefore safest to call it Leonardo’s self-propelled cart rather than claim it was definitively the first modern car.