Robotic knight

Historians agree that Da Vinci’s idea for a self propelling knight is the first invention of a humanoid robot in history to be discovered so far. Designed by Da Vinci in 1495 the sketches for the knight were not discovered by historians until the 1950s. As with many of Da Vinci’s other inventions the robotic knight relied on cranks and pulleys to move. There were two separate systems for controlling the upper half of the knight and the lower half. The knight was able to lift its visor, sit down, stand up and move its head. The knight was built and possibly displayed at a party hosted by his patron the Duke of Milan. Historians have successfully recreated this design and found that it is fully functioning.