Self propelled cart

Sometime during 1478 Da Vinci drew a design for what is considered history’s first automobile. Its original purpose is unknown; possibly it was designed for one of Da Vinci’s rich patrons or as a spectacular attraction at a fair. The vehicle moved via a coiled spring. Da Vinci had taken into consideration the instability of the movement of an uncoiling spring and had designed a special wheel to rectify the issue. The cart was over five feet long and four feet wide. The design used five different types of wood and even the cogs were made out of wood. The cart even had programmable steering (although it could only turn right) which was locked in by rearranging wooden blocks within the gears. Da Vinci’s cart didn’t have a driver or a passenger seat. Due to the fact that it required no human intervention to move many historians consider Da Vinci’s self propelled cart to be the world’s first robot.