What was Leonardo da Vinci’s wheeled device for moving without an animal called?

Leonardo da Vinci’s wheeled device for moving without an animal is called a self-propelled cart. He designed it in the late fifteenth century, probably around 1478–1480, as a spring-powered vehicle.

The cart used coiled springs to store energy, much like the mainspring of a clock. Cams helped control the movement of the wheels, allowing the cart to travel forward along a predetermined path. A steering mechanism could also be set to make the vehicle follow a curved route.

It was not an automobile in the modern sense. The cart had no engine, fuel system, driver’s seat, or ability to choose its route freely. Instead, it was an ingenious theatrical and engineering device that could move automatically for a short distance. A working reconstruction was made at the Florence exhibition of 2006, supporting the view that the surviving drawings describe a workable mechanism.