What type of hydraulic machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to raise water from a lower level?

Leonardo da Vinci designed an Archimedes’ screw as a hydraulic machine to raise water from a lower level.

The device consists of a helical surface or blade arranged inside a cylinder or trough. Turning the screw carries water upward along the spiral. Leonardo studied and drew versions of this ancient principle while investigating canals, drainage, irrigation, and other water-management problems. His work helped document how the mechanism could be incorporated into practical engineering systems.

Leonardo did not invent the underlying screw. The machine is traditionally associated with Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE, although the history of the device may be more complicated. Leonardo’s contribution was to analyze, depict, and adapt mechanical and hydraulic ideas for Renaissance projects. The mechanism remains useful today for moving water, sewage, grain, and other materials, especially where a gentle lift is preferable to high-pressure pumping.