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Leonardo's self-propelled cart is an invention designed by
A replica of the self-propelled cart is kept at the museum Clos Lucé, near
Self-Propelled Cart
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{{Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci projects
Leonardo's self-propelled cart is an invention designed by Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...
, considered the ancestor of the modern automobile
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
.
Info
The machine is powered by two symmetric springs hidden in drum-like casings. While one spring would be enough to move the device, two symmetric springs probably looked like a more "logically perfect" solution. Leonardo had been well aware that the powering force provided by the springs drops significantly when they unwind. In order to deliver smooth and stable motion, the machine features abalance wheel
A balance wheel, or balance, is the timekeeping device used in mechanical watches and small clocks, analogous to the pendulum in a pendulum clock. It is a weighted wheel that rotates back and forth, being returned toward its center position b ...
, as used in clocks. The control mechanism is quite complex and allows it to follow a pre-programmed path automatically. The machine also features a mechanism similar to a differential that in addition allows the turning angle to be set.
A replica of the self-propelled cart is kept at the museum Clos Lucé, near Château d'Amboise
The Château d'Amboise is a château in Amboise, located in the Indre-et-Loire ''Departments of France, département'' of the Loire Valley in France. Confiscated by the monarchy in the 15th century, it became a favoured royal residence and was ex ...
, in France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The television show '' Doing DaVinci'' also made a replica in 2009.
See also
* Atlantic Codex *List of works by Leonardo da Vinci
The Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was the founding figure of the High Renaissance, and exhibited enormous influence on subsequent artists. Only around eight major works—'' The Adoration of the Magi'', '' Saint Jerome in the ...
* Science and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci
References
External links
Self-Propelled Cart
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{{Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci projects