Knight Robot

The Knight Robot is a fully articulated automaton built by Jacques Saunière, modeled after a design by Leonardo da Vinci. It stands on Saunière's desk in the Louvre and is later revealed to have been modified to contain a hidden listening device, making it a key piece of evidence in the surveillance operation that led to the murder of the Priory of Sion's leadership.

Identity and Origin

The Knight Robot is a life-sized, fully articulated model of a medieval French knight, designed by Leonardo da Vinci in 1495 as an outgrowth of his earliest anatomy and kinesiology studies. The internal mechanism possesses accurate joints and tendons, and is designed to sit up, wave its arms, and move its head via a flexible neck while opening and closing an anatomically correct jaw. Jacques Saunière, a talented craftsman who spent hours in his wood and metal shop, built the robot as one of his favorite pastimes, bringing Da Vinci's more obscure blueprints to life. The knight stands proudly on the desk in Saunière's office at the Louvre, and Sophie Neveu had always believed it was the most beautiful object her grandfather had ever built.

Role in the Plot

The Knight Robot appears in Saunière's office when Robert Langdon and Captain Bezu Fache pass through the alcove on their way to the Grand Gallery. Fache later stares at the miniature knight standing on Saunière's desk while coordinating the surveillance operation. The robot is also present when Lieutenant Collet sets up his audio console in the curator's office, with Collet noting the eerie, robot-like doll of a medieval knight that seemed to be staring at him from the corner of Saunière's desk.

Modification and Surveillance

The Knight Robot was secretly modified to contain a listening device. A photocopy of Da Vinci's original schematic diagram for the robot was found in the hayloft listening post at Château Villette, with notes in French in the margins outlining ideas for inserting a bug into the knight. This modification allowed the Teacher (Leigh Teabing) to eavesdrop on Saunière's conversations, including those that revealed the identities of the Priory of Sion's four top members. The bug was placed when Saunière brought the knight to Château Villette for a dinner invitation, leaving it unattended long enough for Rémy Legaludec to make the inconspicuous addition.

Discovery and Significance

During the investigation at Château Villette, Lieutenant Collet and the PTS team discovered the listening post in the hayloft, which contained a photocopy of the Da Vinci schematic with the modification notes. This evidence directly linked the surveillance operation to the murders of the Priory's leadership. The Knight Robot thus serves as a crucial piece of forensic evidence, revealing how the Teacher gathered the information needed to target and kill the four top members of the Priory of Sion, including Jacques Saunière himself.