Leonardo Da Vinci Inventions List

-by Sampritee Roy

— Edited by Srishti Bhattacharya

–Reading Time – 17 min Approx

Leonardo da Vinci occupies an important position in the history of scientific and social discoveries. However, the world needs to know more about the Leonardo da Vinci inventions list. He formulated his mathematical knowledge in every aspect of nature’s investigation. He discovered a set of mathematical rules which can be supported to explore nature in art, technology, and science. He is considered as one of the greatest men in the renaissance whose varied inventions are still in use in today’s day-to-day life.

Have you ever wondered What did Leonardo da Vinci do? Well, what didn’t he do?

He contributed vastly to architecture, painting, sculpture, technology, mathematics, and science. He was aware of his innovative mind and regretted when his designs fell in the wrong hands, leading to havoc.  The curiosity of Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was equal to his intelligence and talent, which gave rise to his accomplishments.  He was an all-rounder who is regarded as a botanist, mathematician, scientist, inventor, engineer, painter, sculptor, musician, painter, and architect. The Leonardo da Vinci inventions list below shows the significant and innumerable ideas brought into life by the great “renaissance man”.

Read about Leonardo da Vinci inventions list:

Other than the wide range of Leonardo da Vinci famous inventions mentioned below, some of the famous inventions of Vinci which affected the course of innovations in history are machine gun, water-lifting device, catapult, casting mould of the head and neck, automobile, drawing of machines, multi-barrel gun, flying machine, canal bridge, ornithopter, cannon foundry, design for the Da Vinci helicopter, design for Leonardo Da Vinci flying machine, design for a parabolic compass, design for a boat, design for a machine for grinding convex lenses, drawing of locks on a river, siege defences and manuscript page on the Sforza monument.

Leonardo was always busy thinking about new inventions. He was always ready with notebooks which helped him to note down his ideas. There is also a list of Leonardo Da Vinci inventions for kids. This list helps to know the kids about the different works of Leonardo. This list includes Fresco Painting, Monalisa Puzzle, Ornithopter for household items, Vitruvian Man Worksheet, Last Supper Diorama, Da Vinci’s Art Bridge, Paper Glider, etc.

The anemometer is considered to be one of the most remarkable discoveries of Leonardo da Vinci which is a valuable scientific discovery that we use today. It is a device used to measure the speed of the wind and used in other forms of aviation. Although he was not the first inventor of the anemometer, he made the devices more accurate and advanced, updating the design by attaching a frame and wooden box or other relevant features. The design of Vinci helps in measuring the speed of the wind more accurately.

Some of his other inventions are –

• Parachute:

Five hundred years ago, Vinci presented the idea of the parachute in the 15^th century. The design of Vinci is decorated by a sealed linen cloth supported by a pyramid of wooden poles that is nearly seven meters long. Despite the detailed presentation of Vinci’s idea, it was impossible to create the Parachute because of the absence of advanced technology. It was not until 1783 that a parachute was made based on the design of Vinci.

• Monalisa- Greatest among Leonardo da Vinci inventions list:

Many critics criticize the world-famous painting of Monalisa for being one of the most exotic and beautiful pictures ever made in the category of Leonardo da Vinci inventions drawings. Many may question what did Leonardo da Vinci discover through this painting? The fascinating features of The Monalisa are worth attracting the crowd. The lips of the figure took ten years to be made, and the figure had manly traits and body postures of pregnancy, the mysterious smile, and the subtle sexual hints make the portrait an impressive topic to talk about.

The portrait of Lisa Gherardini is not traditionally beautiful. Instead, it represents any common woman with its certain features, which makes her the ideal woman.

• Leonardo da Vinci flying machine:

Aviation was the favourite topic of Vinci to deal with. It is evident in his paintings and philosophy. The Leonardo da Vinci flying machine or the ornithopter is an outstanding creation by Vinci, designed as a wooden frame with a pair of elongated wings placed at a height of 33 meters. It is regarded as one of the major Leonardo da Vinci accomplishments. However, it was impossible to bring the machine into existence as a single pilot alone cannot create enough power to keep it floating in the air.

• Armored car:

Vinci invented the car that enabled the ability to carry huge amounts of arms and weapons from one place to another. He discovered a wide variety of war machines. Still, the idea of armored cars was exceptional and famous in no time, and it became renowned among the Leonardo Da Vinci inventions list.

• Spring device:

Similarly, with the help of Leonardo da Vinci science, the Spring Device is one of the many devices invented by Vinci that could have been revolutionary if it was produced physically. The technical drawing of the device is decorated with clean and neat features, which says that he was more involved in the drawing process rather than being a dedicated engineer. It is an addition to the collection of the technical drawings of Vinci that have survived.

• The Aerial Screw:

It is the first model of the helicopter that Vinci had designed. The principle of Archimedes Screw was used by Vinci along with a rotor in the shape of a helix. Though the design had many faults, such as torque reaction, many modern scientists believed human labour alone could not bring the design to life. So instead, the whole structure is expected to spiral upward, with air forming beneath it as the screw is turned rapidly.

• Clock:

Though Vinci was not the first person to discover the clock’s design, the model was innovated after a few changes to advance the clock’s mechanism. As a result, the accuracy was not uncertain to be relied upon.  Vinci helped in making the clock more accurate with the introduction of a pendulum to it. It is one of the most important inventions in the Leonardo da Vinci inventions list that we use today. He made the mechanism more advanced by harnesses, gears, and weights. Collector’s analogue timepieces, and many clocks and watches of today work on this mechanism. He replaced weights with springs which are still quite famous in today’s market.

• The Diving Suit:

The intention of Vinci behind making a diving suit was triggered by the thought of making people breathe underwater and wanting to create an opportunity for the military to strike invading ships. To avoid water pressure, he attached cane tubes joined by leather and steel rings. The diving suit based on the design of Vinci was created in 2003 by diver Jacquie Cozen which was made of bamboo tubes, pig leather, and a cork float that worked just fine in the shallow water. The design also included a container to urinate underwater.

• The Ancient Robot:

One of Leonardo da Vinci famous inventions is the Ancient Robot. However, it was more of an amusement than anything else. Vinci successfully combined military and scientific interest through the creation of the robotic knight, which was operated by gears and cables. His robots were self-automated. He also made a mechanical lion which was equally independent in movements. The creation of the ancient robot was based on weights, pulleys, and gears, which further led to the invention of the air conditioner, hydraulic power saw, and clock based on this theory.

• The urban planning of the ideal city:

Vinci planned to design a city with proper sanitation, better communication and services, and broad canals which prevented the jamming of the streets. The city was a creation of art with its technological and logical planning. The buildings had large arches and pillars, giving the best example of urban architecture. The city had a proper ventilation system and customized stables for horses.  Though the city never came into existence, the planning made a difference in the history of urban administration.

Know about the items in Leonardo da Vinci inventions list that are used today:

Vinci is known to have worked on several items and instruments that came out as a boon to modern civilization. Though he was able to go forward with the designs alone, technology did not support the manufacture of those designs.

Scientific studies of Leonardo da Vinci

Vinci spent a lot of time studying science to create his detailed masterpieces. Seven thousand notebook pages are scribbled with his scientific inventions and paintings. Nevertheless, Vinci’s difficult writing pattern was a sign that his diary was meant for his eyes only, he never intended to share it with anyone else. It was for his own education.

He was keen to study anatomy and had access to scientific and medical facilities from the hospitals where the staff respected his artistic research. The scientific study of light where Vinci invested a lot of his time gave rise to realistic paintings that gained immense popularity.

The study of Leonardo da Vinci science includes inventions about the extensive study of light that made him famous in the art technique of chiaroscuro, which is the use of dark and light shades to give the relevant depths in the painting. Though many renaissance artists had previously used the technique, Vinci was the first to use it with a different perspective. The two most distinguished paintings which gave Vinci recognition are The Monalisa and The Last Supper. In addition, the Vitruvian Man is also a well-known painting.

Consolidation of a Genius Mind:

Despite the great ideas, the innovations were incomplete because Vinci was not accustomed to the era’s technology. He was not wholly supported financially and technologically for the development of his designs by his patrons. His inventions were preserved in his diary and were restored after his death which continues to inspire the doctors and engineers of today’s world. The only intention of Vinci was to make better art, for which he made himself the master of so many subjects. His interests and research gave rise to many accomplishments in science and art, which cannot be replaced further in the future. The Leonardo da Vinci inventions list and paintings were very much ahead of time. His wide range of interests in various fields made him logical as well as mysterious.

-by Sampritee Roy