Show HN: da Vinci Codex-open physics sims of Leonardo's machines (w UQ and FMEA)

1 hunterbown 0 9/17/2025, 1:03:13 PM github.com ↗

Hi HN!

I got completely sidetracked during a patent law lecture & ended up building physics simulations of Leonardo da Vinci's 500-year-old mechanical designs with the new GPT-5 Codex.

I built an open repository that reconstructs Leonardo's machines as digital twins. Each invention links to folio-level provenance (original codex manuscripts), includes uncertainty quantification for key parameters, and ships with FMEA safety notes.

The repo has runnable Jupyter notebooks for: - Ornithopter: Flight dynamics with modern material upgrades - Parachute: Terminal velocity analysis (preliminary results ~7 m/s) - Self-propelled cart: Range/energy studies with spring mechanics - Aerial screw: Lift generation vs power requirements - Mechanical odometer: Measurement accuracy analysis

All simulations include parameter sensitivity studies and link back to original Renaissance manuscripts. Everything's open source with comprehensive documentation.

I'd love feedback on: (1) modeling assumptions and unit choices, (2) where reconstructions diverge from museum builds, and (3) which inventions to prioritize next.

Repo: https://github.com/Shannon-Labs/davinci-codex

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Show HN: da Vinci Codex-open physics sims of Leonardo's machines (w UQ and FMEA)

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