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Leonardo DaVinci’s Robots History Podcast for Kids. Robot Lion, first self-driving cart, and robot lion all from the 1400’s! Share and press like.

Early Life: 1452- 1519 born into a challenging circumstance in Florence, Italy, but was given an apprenticeship at a painter's studio. Fishing reference.

Robots:

Leonardo’s Mechanical Knight: 

The knight’s existence was discovered in 1957 by historian Carlo Pedretti.

Designed 1495 wearing German-Italian armor. According to records, it is believed the knight was built and at a celebration for Duke Ludovico Sforza in the court of Milan.

The knight worked via gear and pulley.

2002 the knight was rebuilt by robotics expert Mark Rosheim.

The knight went on to NASA helping in designing the planetary exploration robots.

Robotic Cart: 

1478 the design was based on clock works with the power coming from wound up springs to regulate the cart’s drive mechanism. The direction or steering could be programmed with pegs put in round holes which would guide the carts directions to move at specific times. The drawing were found in the early 1900’s by Girolamo Calvi who dubbed the cart “Leonardo’s Fiat.”

In 2004 a working replica was made in Florence at 1:3 scale.

Take a look at these and then look up the Mars Land Rover.

Recreations and Applications to Current Robotics: 

Da Vinci Lions:

According to records he built two automated lions for the French King Louis XII in 1509. It is said that one could rear up on their hind legs and present lilies (the flower of France). The second was a gift to Francois I when he visited, you guessed it Lyons (a city in France) in 1515. The King was so impressed with his new mechanical pet he offered Leonardo a permanent home in the French court.

Unlike the cart and the knight, we have far more records of the lions. Michelangelo wrote on the second lion’s abilities and design.

The lion was powered by a key capable of 10 steps before needing to be turned again. 

In 2019 the lion was remade for The Italian Culture Institute in Paris. The lion was 10 feet long and 7 feet tall.

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