Leonardo da Vinci’s ornithopter was a flying machine design that he sketched and described in his Codex on the Flight of Birds. It was a flying device that he believed would allow human beings to fly by flapping their wings like a bird.

The design of Leonardo’s ornithopter was based on his observations of birds in flight. He envisioned a machine with a pair of wings that would flap up and down, powered by a person pedaling a set of gears and cranks. The machine was also designed to include a system of pulleys and ropes that would enable the pilot to control the direction and speed of flight.

While Leonardo’s ornithopter was never actually built or flown during his lifetime, his design is considered to be an important precursor to modern aviation. The principles that he developed in his studies of flight and aerodynamics, including the concept of lift, have been influential in the development of modern aircraft.

Today, ornithopters are still being developed and tested, with some researchers using Leonardo’s design as inspiration. However, the technology required to build a functional human-powered ornithopter remains a significant challenge, and no such machine has yet been successfully flown.