Leonardo da Vinci was a renowned artist, engineer, and scientist of the Renaissance era. He was known for his interest in innovation and inventions, including a wide variety of war machines and defensive structures. If he were alive today, with access to modern technology, materials, and scientific understanding, it’s fascinating to imagine what kinds of weapons or defensive systems he might conceive. Of course, it’s important to note that da Vinci had a deep appreciation for life and a keen interest in the natural world, so his inventions might lean towards defensive measures or non-lethal weapons.

da Vinci with a gun
Twenty-first century Leo would have probably been an operator. He also might have been on Duck Dynasty. Original art by SOFREP.

Advanced Drones: Building upon his designs for the ornithopter (a flying machine inspired by birds), da Vinci might create advanced drones for surveillance or defense. These could incorporate AI and machine learning for autonomous operation.

DaVinci Drone

 

Energy Shields: Da Vinci had designs for fortifications and protective structures. With today’s technology, he might conceive of an energy shield or force field to protect buildings, cities, or military bases from various threats.

Biological and Chemical Sensors: Da Vinci was also a pioneer in the study of anatomy and chemistry. He could use this knowledge to create highly sensitive sensors for detecting biological or chemical threats in a battlefield or urban environment.

Robotic Soldiers: Given da Vinci’s fascination with the mechanics of the human body (he created plans for a robot-like armored knight), it’s plausible that he would be interested in the creation of robotic soldiers or exoskeletons that could protect human soldiers from harm.

Da Vinci robots

Directed Energy Weapons: Given his sketches of light-focused apparatus (like his design for a giant mirror to reflect sunlight), Leonardo could potentially conceive directed energy weapons, such as lasers or particle beams.

Non-lethal Crowd Control Devices: Consistent with da Vinci’s respect for human life, he might focus on non-lethal crowd control weapons. These could include advanced sound-based devices, or perhaps innovations in the area of electromagnetic or neural inhibitors.

Eco-Weapons: In line with his love for nature, da Vinci could come up with ecologically balanced warfare strategies or bio-inspired designs. These could include biological agents that disable enemy equipment without harming people or the environment, or devices that manipulate natural elements for defense.

Mosquito men
Flying “Mosquito Men” who harmlessly extract DNA samples from their master’s enemies. Original art by SOFREP.

Of course, all of these are speculative and based on extrapolations of da Vinci’s known interests and inventions. While da Vinci did design many devices that could be used in warfare, he was also a great lover of peace and deeply interested in the natural world, anatomy, and the arts. It’s just as likely that his genius, if transported to the modern day, would be focused on inventions that promote understanding, health, and harmony.