Leonardo da Vinci’s pyramid-shaped design is widely described as an early parachute.
Leonardo sketched the device in the Codex Atlanticus around 1485. His design used a sealed linen canopy stretched over a pyramid-shaped timber framework, intended to slow a person’s descent from a height. The surviving drawing is a design study rather than evidence that Leonardo tested it himself.
The idea reflects Leonardo’s broader interest in air resistance, falling bodies, and human flight. Modern parachutes use flexible canopies, suspension lines, and harnesses, so Leonardo’s rigid structure would behave differently from contemporary equipment.
A common mix-up is calling the drawing a functioning modern parachute. It is more precise to call it an early parachute concept or parachute design. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nichols tested a modern recreation based on the sketch, though he used a separate parachute for safety.