Leonardo da Vinci: bold and surprising inventions

Da Vinci always wanted to push beyond the limits of human experience. At one point he turned his attention to the ocean depths, sketching an early diving suit, a concept still echoed in the equipment used to explore the seabed today. One of his paper designs that genuinely led to practical applications: not so far-fetched after all. 

The modern helicopter appeared only in the 20th century, yet this Renaissance genius glimpsed its potential centuries earlier. He left us the drawing of a curious machine topped by an aerial screw, driven by human power. Such a contraption could never have lifted off, but it nonetheless foreshadowed our modern helicopters. 

Da Vinci must have suspected that his aerial screw might fail in flight, should it ever take off. Mindful of safety, he also devised the first parachute in history. Its pyramid shape, prone to turbulence, was not retained for modern designs, but his brilliant idea paved the way for the parachutes we know today.

The modern tank had its baptism of fire during the First World War, but the idea of shielding troops from enemy fire is far older, as the tortoise formation of Roman legionaries shows. In 1482, da Vinci presented the Duke of Milan with a design for a conical, mobile structure bristling with cannons. 

Rapid-fire weapons came into use in European armies in the second half of the 19th century, but the concept is older still. Da Vinci sketched an early ancestor of the machine gun, a device that was never built, resting on a frame holding several barrels firing in volleys.

Weapons, flying machines, helicopters, diving suits: drawing inspiration from nature and many other sources, Leonardo da Vinci was a remarkably prolific inventor. You can discover part of his work in the heart of the Loire Valley, by visiting the Clos Lucé in Amboise.