Wei Mengbian
Wei Mengbian (flourished 340 ce) was a Chinese mechanical engineer. He devised numerous wheeled vehicles, including a type of odometer and a south-pointing carriage. He also built a wagon mill in which rotation of the wheels drove a set of millstones and hammers that automatically processed grain. His mechanisms anticipated those later used by European engineers.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Wei Mengbian
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
01 January 2026
Access Date:
November 14, 2026