Carriages

Leonardo demonstrated remarkable ingenuity in devising innovative solutions even for everyday objects, such as carts, which in his time were the most common means of transporting goods and people.

He improved their functionality and extended their operational life by inserting anti-friction devices into the wheel axles—components similar to modern bearings. These roller- or disc-shaped elements reduced traction effort and made the carts easier to pull.

Leonardo also designed systems to enable carts to move autonomously, using lantern gears and side-toothed wheels operated by a hand crank.

Among his drawings stands out the ambitious project of a self-propelled cart, long interpreted as a precursor of the modern automobile but in fact conceived as a stage machine, similar to an automaton, designed by Leonardo to inspire awe and wonder in spectators.