What was Leonardo da Vinci’s human-powered vehicle designed to do?

Leonardo da Vinci’s human-powered vehicle was designed to move without being pushed.

Leonardo’s self-propelled cart, drawn around 1478–1480, is often identified as an early ancestor of the automobile. It used springs wound in advance to provide power, with the stored energy transmitted through a system of gears. A steering mechanism could be set in advance, allowing the cart to follow a predetermined route.

The machine was not powered by a person sitting inside and turning pedals. Instead, operators would wind its springs before release. That makes it a mechanical self-moving cart, although modern reconstructions and interpretations differ over details of its exact operation.

The cart may have been intended for theatrical performances or court spectacles, where a vehicle could move across a stage without an obvious driver. It was not a road automobile: it had no combustion engine, brakes, suspension system, or practical method for changing direction during travel.