ABSTRACT
Visual. thinking. in. engineering. can. be. inspiring.. Leonardo. da. Vinci,. the. .talented. Italian. Renaissance. painter,. draftsman,. sculptor,. architect,. and. engineer.used.it.to.find.inspiration.by.looking.at.stains.on.the.wall:
da.Vinci.was.a.“Quintessential.Engineer,”—one.who.is.able.to.effectively. combine.scientific.intellect.with.artistic.creativity..Perhaps.best.known.as.an. artist,.his.name.inevitably.brings.forth.images.of.The.Last.Supper.and.Mona. Lisa..He.was.also.an.architect.and.a.scientist..Yet,. if.asked,.he.would.ultimately.refer.to.himself.as.an.engineer..Driven.by.an.unrelenting.curiosity.and. an.insatiable.hunger.for.knowledge,.da.Vinci.was.an.incredibly.innovative. thinker.who.perceived.the.world.not.only.as.his.personal.playground,.but. also.as.one.with.unlimited.possibilities..From.his.fertile.mind.sprang.designs. of.flying.machines.and.instruments.of.war,.as.well.as.practical.theories.and. concepts. in. engineering,. mathematics,. and. science-many. of. which. were. centuries.ahead.of.their.times..He.was.among.the.originators.of.the.science. of. hydraulics. and. probably. devised. the. hydrometer;. his. scheme. for. the. canalization.of.rivers.still.has.practical.value..He.invented.a.large.number. of.ingenious.machines,.including.an.underwater.diving.suit..Although.not. practicable,.his.flying.devices.embodied.sound.principles.of.aerodynamics.. Leonardo. recognized. that. levers. and. gears,. when. applied. properly,. could. accomplish.astonishing.tasks..Gears.were.at.the.heart.of.nearly.all.his.inventions,.from.the.crane.to.the.helicopter.to.the.automatic.turnspit.
