For the 67 years Leonardo Da Vinci spent on earth, he made numerous contributions to art, science, and technology. Most people remember him for famous works such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. However, unlike other brilliant minds from his era, a couple of Leonardo’s inventions fly under the radar. Here are some of the top 9 lesser-known Leonardo Da Vinci’s inventions.
1. Ornithopter (A Flying Machine)
Throughout his life, Leonardo Da Vinci was always fascinated with making humans fly. Therefore, he started studying flight in the 1480s. Around 1486, Leonardo Da Vinci drew a flying machine, which he named the Ornithopter. This concept was borrowed from the shape of kites and flying birds.
It’s important to note that the Ornithopter was just a drawing, and Da Vinci never built an actual model. Scientists have argued that Leonardo’s Ornithopter is impractical and couldn’t be used to make a flying plane. Be as it may, Leonardo’s drawing played a significant role in the invention of aircrafts.
Still on aircrafts, Leonardo Da Vinci is credited with inventing the concept of the helicopter. In the 1800s, he sketched an “aerial screw” that closely resembles a helicopter. It is, however, an impractical design because, back then, there wasn’t enough workforce to keep such a device airborne.
2. Diving Suit
Images of Leonardo Da Vinci’s diving suit resemble an outfit that can be used by the cast of horror movies. However, a closer look reveals the work of a genius. One of Leonardo’s lesser-known inventions is a diving suit that would allow humans to breathe underwater. It featured a leather jacket with a mask and goggles. The jacket had pockets where divers could carry knives and a horn to notify other divers that they were swimming to the surface.
Historians claim that Leonardo invented this suit for military purposes. He also considered this invention extremely deadly to the point he kept its details a secret. Leonardo Da Vinci never built a diving suit, but his concept was used to create it one year later.
3. A Battle Tank
There are a lot of people who take credit for building the first battle tank. Examples include William Tritton, Lancelot de Mole, and John Fowler & Company. However, this concept was conceived by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci in 1487. He created a prototype of what would resemble a modern-day battle tank.
It looked like a carriage that was fitted with metal sheets all around. Along these metal sheets were holes where soldiers could shoot at opponents while still being covered. Unlike modern tanks, Leonardo’s prototype was human-powered. Five years later, he shared this idea with the Duke of Milan, but the project of building one was unsuccessful. He referred to it as an armored vehicle.
4. Leonardo’s Robot
Also referred to as Leonardo’s mechanical knight, this was a humanoid automation design built by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1495. On the outside was an armor constructed to resemble a knight. Inside, there was a set of ropes, pullies, and cranks that facilitated movement and action. Leonardo was able to make this knight move its arms and open its mouth. This invention came to life in 2002 when an actual replica was built by a roboticist called Mark Rosheim.
5. The Parachute
There is a lot of controversy surrounding who invented the parachute, especially considering there is evidence of a similar device being used in China in the 11th century. Also, there is a manuscript with sketches of a parachute older than Da Vinci.
However, credit still goes to Da Vinci for inventing the first practical parachute. This was proven in 2000 when Adrian Nicholas created a parachute with the same sketches drawn by Da Vinci, and it worked perfectly. Historians date this invention to around 1485.
With that in mind, no records of Da Vinci building and using the above parachute exist. According to his drawings, the parachute was way more advanced than its predecessors and featured a pyramid structure made out of linen and supported by wood.
6. Self-Propelled Cart
Because of the many flaws associated with this invention, it’s not one of Leonardo’s famous works. As the name suggests, this is a cart that can move independently. It has one wheel in front and four wheels at the back.
For a long time, scientists could not figure out how Leonardo’s self-propelled cart worked until Professor Carlo Pedretti made a significant discovery in the 1990s. He discovered that this cart was propelled by a mechanism controlled by springs.
7. The Blender
This is another invention by Da Vinci that was also marred by flaws and didn’t make it to history books. According to Da Vinci’s blender, it would be powered by hand. The prototype was so massive that some of his colleagues mistook it for a war weapon. One of the reasons Leonardo Da Vinci’s blender wasn’t actualized was because of several errors in his calculations.
8. Pot Lid
It’s a wonder how people do not appreciate Leonardo Da Vinci for coming up with such a nifty kitchen accessory. Before Leonardo invented a metal cooking pot lid, people covered their food with linen or other types of fabric that would change the taste of meals. The pot lid didn’t just retain the flavor of the food, but it was sturdy and didn’t fall out easily.
9. The Corkscrew
In 1499, Leonardo Da Vinci was gifted a wine yard in Milan by Ludovico iL Moro. Even before that, Leonardo had always been a huge fan of wine. So, to preserve one of his favorite drinks, Leonardo Da Vinci invented the corkscrew. If you have ever wondered why most corkscrews are easier to open with the left hand, it is because the inventor himself was a leftie. However, the first corkscrew patent was given to Reverend Samuel Henshall in 1795.