What type of mechanical machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to resemble a walking soldier?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a mechanical knight to resemble a walking soldier.

The automaton was planned around 1495 for a pageant in Milan. Its internal system of gears, pulleys, and cables was designed to make the knight sit, stand, raise its arms, and move its head and jaw. The armor-like exterior made the machine appear human.

No original mechanical knight has survived, and the design was reconstructed from Leonardo’s notes and drawings discovered in the 20th century. A modern reconstruction demonstrated that the mechanism could perform several of the intended movements.

The machine is often called Leonardo’s robot, but it was not an electronic robot. It was a Renaissance automaton powered by mechanical linkages and possibly human or spring-driven input.