What was the name of Leonardo da Vinci’s clockwork vehicle that could move without a person riding it?

Leonardo da Vinci’s clockwork vehicle that could move without a rider was the self-propelled cart.

Leonardo designed the cart around 1478–1480. Springs stored inside its body powered the wheels, while a programmable control system based on pinned drums determined the route. The machine could also be set to turn, making it more than a simple rolling vehicle. Because it moved using stored mechanical energy, it is often described as an early robot or ancestor of the automobile.

The surviving drawing does not provide every construction detail, so modern reconstructions have interpreted parts of the mechanism differently. In 2006, a team led by the Museo Galileo in Florence built a working model based on Leonardo’s design and demonstrated that the concept could operate.

The cart was not a practical car in the modern sense. It had no combustion engine, steering wheel, or passenger compartment. Its importance lies in combining springs, gearing, wheels, and programmed motion.