What transport device did Leonardo da Vinci design that could move without being pushed by animals?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that could move without being pushed by animals.

The cart appears in drawings from the late 15th century and is often described as an early predecessor of the automobile. Two large springs stored mechanical energy, while a system of gears transferred that energy to the wheels. A steering mechanism could be set in advance, allowing the cart to follow a predetermined path.

The vehicle was probably intended for theatrical displays or court spectacles rather than ordinary transportation. It had no engine, brakes, or modern controls, and its range would have been limited by the energy stored in the springs. A full-size reconstruction was built for a 2006 television program and demonstrated that the basic mechanism could operate. The cart is sometimes called Leonardo’s automobile, but “self-propelled cart” is the more historically precise term because it relied on wound springs rather than an internal-combustion engine.