Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions
Explore the visionary machines and designs of the Renaissance’s greatest polymath, from armored tanks and flying machines to automated robots and ideal cities.
Like Duolingo, but for Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
93 levels across 9 sections, about 186 minutes end to end, roughly 37 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Practical Tools for Daily Life, Engines of War: Offensive Power, Fortifications and Defensive Strategy, Navigating and Controlling Water, The Pursuit of Human Flight, Industrial Machines and Mass Production, Measuring the Natural World, Automata and Theatrical Wonders, and The Ideal City and Urban Design. It assumes you already know the basics.
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Key ideas in Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions
- The strategic purpose of the 'bridge of fortune' in a military context
- The mechanical principle of the interlocking timber beams
- Downward pressure forces the transverse beams deeper into the longitudinal notches
- Gravity converts the weight of the load into a tightening force for the joints
- It eliminated the need to transport heavy iron fasteners or specialized tools
- The design allowed soldiers to use local timber found near the riverbank
- The logistical advantages of the bridge for military campaigns
- The bridge is modular, meaning it can be taken apart as easily as it is built
- How gravity functions as a structural stabilizer in the design
- Portability was a primary requirement so the army wouldn't leave resources behind
- The lifecycle of the bridge from deployment to relocation
- The odometer used a vertical wheel to measure ground distance
- Precise distance data was required for accurate cartography
- The purpose and physical design of Leonardo's odometer
- The wheel's rotation drives a gear-reduction system
- A single pebble drop represents a fixed unit of distance
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
In Leonardo's 'bridge of fortune,' what does the term 'fortune' specifically represent?
Get it right to open this lesson and 92 more in the app.
How to learn Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions, step by step
Go in order. 93 short levels across 9 sections, about 3 hours 6 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Practical Tools for Daily Life
- The Self-Supporting Bridge
- Distance and Mapping Tools
- 2
Engines of War: Offensive Power
- The Armored Chariot
- Multi-Barreled Artillery
- Giant Crossbows and Ballistae
- 3
Fortifications and Defensive Strategy
- Defensive Wall Mechanisms
- Steam Cannons and Mortars
- 4
Navigating and Controlling Water
- Underwater Exploration and Sabotage
- Naval Warfare and Hull Design
- Canal Systems and Hydraulic Locks
- 5
The Pursuit of Human Flight
- The Ornithopter (Flapping Wing)
- The Aerial Screw (Helicopter)
- The Pyramid Parachute
- The Glider and Flight Controls
- 6
Industrial Machines and Mass Production
- Textile Manufacturing Innovations
- Heavy Lifting and Construction
- Metalworking and Power Tools
- 7
Measuring the Natural World
- Weather and Wind Instruments
- Improved Clocks and Timekeeping
- 8
Automata and Theatrical Wonders
- The Mechanical Knight
- The Mechanical Lion
- Stage Spectacles and Scenery
- 9
The Ideal City and Urban Design
- The Multi-Level City
- Portable and Prefabricated Housing
9 sections · 24 units · 93 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions
How do I learn Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions?
Go in order: start with Practical Tools for Daily Life, then Engines of War: Offensive Power, then Fortifications and Defensive Strategy, then Navigating and Controlling Water, and 5 more sections after that. On Tomo that's 93 short levels, about 3 hours 6 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions course free?
Yes. Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions?
93 levels across 9 sections, about 3 hours 6 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions?
No. It's pitched at an intermediate level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions today.
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