How did Leonardo da Vinci inventions impact the world today?
There were many inventions by Da Vinci still used today. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Leonardo’s inventions passed through history unknown and had to be re-invented by someone else, the reason for this is that Leonardo never published many of his notes and they remained unseen for several hundred years.
However, he can still be regarded as the original inventor of many things used today. What did Leonardo da Vinci invent that we still use in our daily life, and why is Leonardo da Vinci important today?
Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
The Leonardo da Vinci Bridge, also known as Ponte Vecchio, is a pedestrian-only bridge located in Florence. It was designed by Leonardo da Vinci in 1502 and was originally built in the 16th century to cross the Arno River. The bridge is made of stone and features three arches, each with a span of approximately 30 meters.
The da Vinci bridge is historically significant because it was one of the first examples of a single-span bridge made of stone, which was a major technological advance at the time. It was also one of Leonardo’s few architectural designs that was actually built during his lifetime.
The design of the bridge reflects Leonardo’s understanding of engineering and his fascination with arches, as well as his attention to detail and love of beauty.
Today, the Leonardo da Vinci Bridge is a popular tourist attraction and is considered one of the most iconic landmarks in Florence. It is also a testament to Leonardo’s enduring legacy as one of the most brilliant and versatile artists and inventors of all time.
The Ball Bearing
The Ball Bearing by Da Vinci
This Leonardo da Vinci famous invention is using in the almost every industry including aerospace, automotive, wind energy, etc, and modern society would not properly function without this great invention. A ball bearing is a rolling element bearing that facilitates motion while performing three primary functions: carrying loads, reducing friction, and positioning moving machine parts.
The Parachute
Leonardo da Vinci Parachute
Leonardo da Vinci parachute, one of the Leonardo da Vinci most famous inventions, was drawn 500 years before the first parachute was ever used, it was tested in 2000 by a British skydiver, Adrian Nichola, and found to work well.
The Mirror Grinding Machine
Leonardo da Vinci Mirror Grinding Machine
Mirror Grinding Machine is one of the Leonardo da Vinci best inventions and is still used by amateur telescope makers.
The Self Supporting Bridge
Leonardo da Vinci self supporting bridge
The prototype of Da Vinci self supporting bridge is 4 meters (13 feet) long, and the bridge can support a weight of up to 500 kg (1,102 pound).
The Canal Lock
Leonardo’s Canal Lock
The canal lock designed by Leonardo da Vinci is used on thousands of canals all over the world.
The Odometer
Leonardo da Vinci Odometer
Although Leonardo’s odometer was crude, it still measured distance accurately. The odometer helped him to draw his maps with precision and are found on almost every modern form of transport.
The Spring-Driven Mechanism
Leonardo Spring-Driven Mechaniam
Leonardo invented the first spring-driven mechanism. Among da Vinci machines, spring-driven mechanisms nowadays have been downgraded to that of toys as they cannot produce prolonged power production.
The Anemometer
Leonardo da Vinci Anemometer
Leonardo da Vinci anemometer is still used by meteorologists and many others for measuring wind speed and direction. Da Vinci encouraged ideas through his focus on flying. Consequently, he created the anemometer, a wind measurement device that some historians claim he invented.
The double hull for ships
Leonardo da Vinci double-hulled ship
Leonardo da Vinci double-hulled ship has basically a hull inside a hull, if one was punctured the ship could still stay afloat, still used by the military and larger seafaring ships. If the Titanic of 1912 had had Leonardo’s invention from 400 years earlier, it would still be afloat.
The Robots
Leonardo da Vinci Robot Drummer
Leonardo da Vinci sketched the first robot in history, this is the reason why many robotic companies use his “Vitruvian Man” as the part of their company logos.
The Rack and Pinion Gear System
Leonardo da Vinci Rack and Pinion Gear System
The rack and pinion gear system converts the rotary motion of the steering wheel to turn the car’s wheels left and right. This gear system is still used on almost every car ever built.
The Continuously Variable Transmission
Leonardo da Vinci Continuously Variable Transmission
Leonardo’s design for the continuously variable transmission (CVT) was the first type of constantly variable transmission. Nothing similar would be seen until a patent was filed by Daimler and Benz in 1886. He can, however, be seen as the original inventor of this machine.
In the late 1980’s, Subaru launched a car Justy, which was the first car in USA market to offer the electronically controlled CVT (ECVT) transmission. A CVT transmission seamlessly changes through an unending range of effective gear ratios while you drive, whereas other mechanical transmissions offer a fixed number of gear ratios and have hard shifts between each.
