Who invented brakes?

While many people contributed to the development of brakes over time, the first person widely credited with their invention is Leonardo da Vinci in the late 15th century. Da Vinci sketched and described a simple, hand-actuated brake consisting of friction wedges in one of his codices known as Codex Atlanticus. This design used wooden blocks attached to ropes controlled by levers pulled by hand to exert friction upon wheels, aiding in deceleration and stopping. His work provided a key conceptual foundation for early braking mechanisms during his time. Later on, numerous engineers and inventors built upon and perfected the concept of frictional brakes over several centuries.