What self-moving vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci sketch for theatrical effects?

Leonardo da Vinci sketched a self-propelled cart for theatrical effects.

The vehicle was powered by coiled springs hidden inside its body. As the springs unwound, gears transferred their motion to the wheels, allowing the cart to move without being pushed by a person or pulled by an animal. Leonardo’s drawings suggest that the mechanism could be set to follow a predetermined path.

The cart is often called Leonardo’s automobile, but that modern label can mislead readers. It had no engine, steering system, or road-going design comparable to a modern car. Historians generally connect it with Renaissance theatrical machinery, where hidden mechanisms created surprising movements during performances and ceremonies. A working reconstruction was displayed in 2006, demonstrating that the basic spring-driven mechanism could operate as represented in Leonardo’s surviving sketches.