What type of machine did Leonardo da Vinci sketch to automate weaving in the 15th century?

Leonardo da Vinci sketched a mechanical loom to automate parts of the weaving process.

A loom interlaces lengthwise warp threads with crosswise weft threads to make fabric. Leonardo’s studies explored mechanisms that could move components in a repeated sequence, reducing the amount of manual labor required from a weaver. The sketches belong to his broader interest in machines, gears, cams, and coordinated motion.

Leonardo did not create the first loom, and his design should not be confused with the fully industrial power looms developed centuries later. Renaissance textile production already used many hand-operated looms, while later inventions added water or steam power and increasingly automatic control.

The value of Leonardo’s loom studies is that they show him analyzing a familiar craft as a system of repeatable mechanical actions. As with many of his invention drawings, surviving sketches do not establish that he built a working machine from the plans.