What was Leonardo da Vinci's wheeled machine designed to do without a rider?

Leonardo da Vinci's wheeled machine was designed to move itself without a rider.

The machine is often called Leonardo's self-propelled cart. Drawn in the Codex Atlanticus around 1478–1480, it used clockwork-style springs to store energy. Gears transferred that energy to the wheels, while steering could be set in advance with a programmable mechanism. The result was a cart that could travel along a predetermined path rather than being pushed or driven by a person.

The design is frequently described as an early robot or automobile, but both labels need care. It had no engine in the modern sense, and it could not freely navigate like a modern autonomous vehicle. Its spring-powered mechanism was closer to an elaborate theatrical or ceremonial device. In 2006, engineers at the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence built a working reconstruction based on Leonardo's drawings. The reconstruction supported the basic feasibility of the mechanism, while also showing why missing dimensions and ambiguous drawings leave room for interpretation. The cart is distinct from Leonardo's armored vehicle, which was designed for warfare.