Most publications about Leonardo da Vinci's machines (1452–1519) are limited to facsimiles or simplified illustrations, which may be completely incomprehensible to an unprepared reader. The author of this book relies on accurate virtual 3D models created based on modern engineering design principles using methods similar to CAD modeling. This allows not only to show what the machine looked like but also to explain how it worked!
Mario Taddei is an industrial designer, digital artist, project designer, teacher, and leading expert on Leonardo da Vinci. He has made several significant discoveries and conducted a number of studies related to Leonardo's machines. He has curated and organized dozens of exhibitions and events dedicated to da Vinci around the world. He has published numerous books on Leonardo's machines, reference guides on drawing, digital art, and NFTs. He founded the Leonardo da Vinci Academy, which focuses on the study and dissemination of scientific knowledge using digital tools.
The expert offers realistic reconstructions of such complex mechanisms for the first time in world practice, including:
— an automatic loading system for crossbows
— a multi-barreled circumfolgore
— a flying ornithopter with biomechanical control
— an android with hydraulic drive
These reconstructions are based on the correlation of disparate records from various codices, representing an archaeology of Vinci's knowledge—a method that is almost absent in domestic literature.
A beautifully illustrated gift edition will become a desktop guide and will be of interest to all fans of Leonardo da Vinci's work, as well as historians, cultural scientists, philologists, engineers, designers, architects, artists, and a wide range of readers.