Leonardo Da Vinci designed an artificial man shaped like an armored Germanic knight, based on detailed sketches outlining the essential components necessary for its operation. The knight was intended to be powered by an external mechanical crank, enabling the operator to control its movements. The design incorporated a sophisticated system of cables and pulleys that would allow the automaton to perform a variety of actions, including sitting, standing, turning its head, crossing its arms, and lifting its metal visor to reveal a face.

Based on findings from the Codex Atlanticus, the largest collection of Da Vinci papers and the most extensive compilation of his notes and drawings, evidence suggests he may have built a working model of his design in 1495.

In 2002, NASA roboticist Mark Rosheim used Da Vinci's scattered notes and sketches to create his version of the 15th-century automaton, known as the Rosheim Knight.

The thread runs on through the clockwork monk of the 1500s, proof that the dream of a self-moving mind kept building itself in metal.