5 Things You Didn’t Know Leonarda Da Vinci Invented

Here are five inventions that you probably didn’t know were crafted by Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci [Public domain] / Via picryl.com

Leonardo da Vinci is famous for being an artist, but this 15th-century Italian “Renaissance Man” also invented some things that society still uses to this day. In addition to his inventions, he made improvements to existing mechanisms and processes to enhance the lives of everyone. Here are five inventions that you probably didn’t know were crafted by Leonardo da Vinci.

Giant Crossbow

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This giant version of the standard crossbow was invented to intimate enemies into submission. Six wheels were attached so that people could move the bow, which had a width of 27 yards. Leonardo da Vinci was mostly known to be a pacifist, and he hoped that the sight of the massive weapon would be enough to scare off invading forces without ever having to use it.

Parachute

Nevit Dilmen [CC BY-SA 3.0 (creativecommons.org] / Via commons.wikimedia.org

Even though previous societies were thought to have used items like parachutes for safe landings, Leonardo da Vinci is credited for inventing a reliable version of the parachute that still holds up today. Skydivers like daredevil Adrian Nichols have even used his model of the parachute to prove its reliability.

Rolling Mill

Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia "Leonardo da Vinci" [CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org] / Via commons.wikimedia.org

While it’s difficult to pinpoint who exactly was the first to create a rolling mill, a mill used for custom sheet metal fabrication, not crushing wheat, the earliest sketches of this innovative machine came from none other than da Vinci himself. Astonishingly advanced for its time, the rolling mill of da Vinci’s sketches was later built around 1590, and utilized two heavy cylinders that pressed metal together to alter their thickness.

Tank

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Another advancement in warfare, da Vinci’s armored vehicle was made to fit cannons and other weaponry that could be used to combat enemy forces. Men inside the vehicle provided mobility. This early version of the armored vehicle was used as a prototype for the first tanks and other modern-day armored vehicles.

Diving Suit

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To make breathing underwater possible, da Vinci crafted a diving suit that was made up of a leather jacket and pair of trousers. A helmet that included glass goggles for seeing was also part of the suit’s design. Air was supplied through a breathing tube that rose above the water. This diving suit made it possible for men to explore the ocean floor in ways never before possible.

The lesser-known inventions of Leonardo da Vinci have still played important roles in how society has progressed over the centuries and continues to evolve. Knowing about these inventions and how they have impacted modern manufacturing, science, and technology helps us see how science, art, and culture are inseparably connected.