Kite
Cometa
- Date
- c. 400 BCE · confidence low
- Place
- State of Lu (Shandong) and Chu, China
- Credited to
- Mozi and Lu Ban (tradition); wooden and bamboo birds
- People
- 👤 Lu Ban👤 Mozi470 BCE–391 BCE
- Field
- Movement
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A lightweight structure of bamboo and silk (later paper) held aloft by the wind and tethered by a line. The first flying device controlled by a human being.
The legendary Mozi dates are unverifiable; the first paper kite is from the Han period (2nd century CE).
What it led to
- Military signalling, distance measurement and long-range message delivery
- Manned kites and aerodynamic experiments (Cayley, the Wrights)
- Research into atmospheric electricity (Franklin)
- Diffusion to Korea, Japan, India and Europe (16th century)