Top 10 Most Ingenious Inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci

Da Vinci’s inventions are revered all around the world and quite deservedly so. The man was not only a great artist but also a great visionary and, as the Leonardo da Vinci inventions images would tell you, helped create several things and machines you use today. Here mentioned are some of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous inventions

Helicopter (Aerial Screw)

One of the more famous Leonardo da Vinci inventions, the design for the aerial screw, was made by him during the 1480s. At this time, he was employed by Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan as a military engineer.
The aerial screw was one of the several aerial designs made by Leonardo da Vinci, including an ornithopter, early forms of a parachute, and hang gliders. These are considered to be some of his greatest inventions. The early renditions of Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine were the part of the manuscript which dates back to 1487 and 1490.
This pen and ink sketch

A study is an exercise painting that helps the painter better understand the object he or she paints. It is simple and clear, like sample letters in a school student’s copybook. Rough and ready, not detailed, with every stroke being to the point, a study is a proven method of touching the world and making a catalogue of it. However, in art history, the status of the study is vague and open to interpretation. Despite its auxiliary role, a study is sometimes viewed as something far more significant than the finished piece. Then, within an impressive frame, it is placed on a museum wall.
So, when does a study remain a mere drill, and when can we call it an artwork in its own right, full of life and having artistic value? Read more

shows an outline of a flying machine with a similar functioning to modern helicopters. It is based on the design of a water screw, but instead of pushing against water, it does the same with air.

Parachute

This was one of Leonardo da Vinci’s best inventions which has even more relevance in today’s time than then. The 15th century was the first time the world saw illustrative sketches of a conical parachute in Vinci’s manuscripts. His design mainly consisted of a linen cloth, sealed on all sides and held open by wooden poles, shaped like a pyramid.
These poles were about seven meters long and were designed with the hope of allowing a man to jump from a great height without them plummeting to death or experiencing any kind of injury. The preliminary stages of the design were sketched in Da Vinci’s notebook in the year 1483.

Ornithopters

Flying machines have been an integral part of most of Leonardo da Vinci’s science inventions, and this is no different. He made his first real flight studies during the 1480s, and there were over 200 Leonardo da Vinci inventions drawings that explained his inventions.
The ornithopter flying machine was designed to be an aircraft that could fly just by flapping the wings, much like a bird. Along with that, it also had a sophisticated control system, but this design lost Vinci’s interest in its preliminary stages.
He never built it. However, the design was enough to show Vinci’s imagination power and observation skills. In his notes, he mentioned birds, bats, and kites as his inspiration for the design, and it showed.

Self-supporting bridge

Another one of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous inventions, the self-supporting bridge, was most probably something he was most famous for.
However, this design was rather simple when compared to some of his other much more complicated ones. Thought in the year 1502, this design has had several implications in how engineers think about bridges in today’s day and age.
The bridge had no fasteners; however, notches were built to cut into the timbers, further adding better security to the overall structure. Such a practical design was also used as the support structure for building the footbridge in Morso, Northern Denmark.

The Robot

Out of all Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions, this was perhaps the most ingenious and proved what kind of a visionary he was. Better known as Automa Cavaliere, this was the first humanoid automation designed as well as constructed by anyone at the time.
It is believed that Vinci showcased this invention in a celebration that was hosted at the court of Milan in the year 1495. The robot could sit, stand, raise the visor and also independently move its hands, and have an anatomically perfected jaw. This machine was operated with a series of cables and pulleys.
Since the sketchbook was rediscovered, the robot was built again, solely based on the design of Da Vinci, and found to be fully functional. It was clad in Italian-German medieval armor and could make a number of human movements.

Tank

Undoubtedly one of the first fighting vehicle designs, this was another one of Leo da Vinci’s inventions that were rather revered. This was a concept design and was made while Leo was still under the patronage of Ludovico Sforza in the year 1487.
This mainly represented a conical-covered vehicle that was inspired by a turtle’s shell. The covering was made solely of wood and secured with metal plates, adding to the thickness.
The main motive was that the slanting plates would reflect any enemy fire. The machine was typically powered by two huge cranks that could be functioned with the help of four immensely strong men. This vehicle also came equipped with a set of light cannons located near the perimeter.

Diving suit

Although it is still not clear when the precise time was when Leo invented this, this was by far the most progressive underwater thing Leonardo da Vinci invented at the time.
Evidence shows that he made this invention to have the upper hand against the stronger and more powerful Ottoman Navy. He spent hours making notes of the water properties, such as the tides, the power of waves, and every intricate movement. He then came up with several drawings of diving apparatus.
However, most of Da Vinci’s invention’s sketches consisted of a leather suit along with a facemask and goggles. It also had an inflatable wineskin, allowing the diver to float or sink. He used two hollow cane tubes reinforced with steel rings as breathing tubes.
There are different renditions of the suit. While some show the breathing tubes leading to a pocket of air trapped near the diving bell, others show it attached to a floating disc. There was even a specially made pee pouch with each suit, ensuring that the divers did not have to come up whatsoever.

Machine gun

Leonardo da Vinci’s first invention of an auto-firing weapon was the best thing that had happened to the military since he joined them. It was designed to hold a number of bullets, and once fired, the rest of them would rotate around and get ready to fire again immediately.
The model was also made easy to construct. It was made using plastic and would snap in place without any requirement for glue. However, there were a few shortcomings in Leonardo da Vinci’s invention sketches. This was a rather big instrument to maneuver and would require at least two people to fire.

Anemometer

Leonardo da Vinci’s first invention of an auto-firing weapon was the best thing that had happened to the military since he joined them. It was designed to hold a number of bullets, and once fired, the rest of them would rotate around and get ready to fire again immediately.
The model was also made easy to construct. It was made using plastic and would snap in place without any requirement for glue. However, there were a few shortcomings in Leonardo da Vinci’s invention sketches. This was a rather big instrument to maneuver and would require at least two people to fire.

Undoubtedly the greatest feat in Leonardo da Vinci’s science discoveries; everyone knew how obsessed he was about flying. Leonardo da Vinci’s discovery was an instrument that would allow him to measure the speed of air.
His main goal was to enable people to know the direction and speed of the wind before attempting flight. However, this device was not really invented by him and is considered one of Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific discoveries. However, he did reinvent the design of the device and helped make it more convenient and easy to use.
It had an arched frame

It has always been important for artists and art collectors how to frame their works of art. We can paraphrase Shakespeare and say,

“What’s in a frame? That which we call a picture
In an improper frame will look less nice.”

Or, perhaps, the picture’s message will be obscured by too ornate or too plain framing. Here, we present a retrospective journey into the history of framing and its evolution, with illustrations and an expert’s commentary. Read more

, along with a rectangular piece of wood that hanged in the center. This wooden piece was connected to a hinge that would rise when brought in contact with blowing wind. Depending on the scale printed on the frame

It has always been important for artists and art collectors how to frame their works of art. We can paraphrase Shakespeare and say,

“What’s in a frame? That which we call a picture
In an improper frame will look less nice.”

Or, perhaps, the picture’s message will be obscured by too ornate or too plain framing. Here, we present a retrospective journey into the history of framing and its evolution, with illustrations and an expert’s commentary. Read more

, you could know the values.

Calculator

There is no denying how important a calculator is nowadays; however, this was also one of Leonardo da Vinci’s engineering inventions. Conceived in 1502, this was a rather complicated invention. You will be able to find all the Da Vinci’s inventions drawings in his sketchbooks that were lost but later discovered in the 1950s. This design is described as a prototype for the modern calculator functionality.