Da Vinci Assembly
About Da Vinci Assembly
Leonardo's machines redrawn from the real codex folios, taken apart · drag every missing part back into place
Da Vinci Assembly shows one of Leonardo’s machines, redrawn as simplified line art from the actual notebook folio. The drawing comes apart, and you drag each loose piece home.
The machines are the aerial screw, the self-propelled cart, the giant crossbow, the ornithopter and the revolving bridge.
Every machine cites its real manuscript source (for example the aerial screw on folio 83v of Manuscript B, c. 1489, or the giant crossbow on folio 149r of the Codex Atlanticus), and the reveal after each answer shows that citation · a little Renaissance engineering with every round.
Every round is generated deterministically from a seed. Runs entirely in your browser and works offline as a Progressive Web App.
Want to deepen your skills in Da Vinci Assembly? Recommended reading: Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel .
Harvard University Press definitive work on retrieval practice, cognitive retention, and turning working memory into permanent recall.
Save Your Stats & Worksheets for Da Vinci Assembly
Lock in your percentile rankings, practice sheets, and daily streak progress. 100% free with 1-click biometric passkeys.
FAQ
-
Are these Leonardo’s real designs?
Yes · each machine is redrawn from a documented notebook folio (Manuscript B at the Institut de France and the Codex Atlanticus at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana), and every round’s reveal cites the folio. The figures are simplified re-drawings, not reproductions of the originals. -
How do I pick the right piece?
The missing part is shown as a dashed outline. Compare its shape and position in the machine with the detached piece options · canopy, mast, gear, wing, winch · and tap the one that fits. -
What does this train?
Mechanical intuition and part-whole reasoning · seeing how a machine decomposes into its working parts · plus real history: you learn which invention lives on which folio. -
Can MemPi help me study and practice this game?
Yes! Click MemPi in the header or on the game board to summon him. He observes the board, thinks out loud, and can demonstrate moves or guide you through tricky steps.