Leonardo da Vinci designed a treadmill-powered machine to turn human muscle power into rotary motion for grinding.
Leonardo studied treadmills and treadwheel mechanisms as part of his broader work on machines, lifting devices, and power transmission. In this arrangement, a person walks inside or on a large wheel, causing it to rotate. Gears or shafts can then transmit that motion to another machine, such as a millstone or hoisting apparatus.
The concept did not originate with Leonardo; treadwheels and treadwheel cranes were used in Europe before his studies. His importance lies in the detailed analysis and drawings he made of mechanical systems, including how force could be transferred and multiplied.
A treadmill in this historical context is a power source, not the modern exercise machine. Leonardo’s drawings often examine practical mechanisms that could be adapted for construction, workshops, or water management.