Editing South-pointing chariot (section)

{{Short description|Chinese two-wheeled chariot}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=September 2015}}
[[File:South-pointing chariot (Science Museum model).jpg|thumb|Exhibit in the [[Science Museum (London)|Science Museum]] in London, England. This conjectural model chariot incorporates a [[Differential (mechanical device)|differential]] gear.]]
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = 
| picsize = 
| piccap = 
| t = 指南車
| s = 指南车
| p = zhǐ nán chē
| j = zi2 naam4 gui1
| y = jí nàahm guī
| qn = xe chỉ nam<br />chỉ nam xa
| hn = 車指南<br />指南車
| hanja = 指南車
| hangul = 지남차
| rr = jinamcha
}}
The '''south-pointing chariot''' (or '''carriage''') was an ancient Chinese two-wheeled vehicle that carried a movable pointer to indicate the [[south]], no matter how the chariot turned. Usually, the pointer took the form of a [[doll]] or figure with an outstretched arm. The chariot was supposedly used as a non-magnetic [[compass]] for [[navigation]] and may also have had other purposes.

The ancient Chinese invented a mobile-like armored cart in the 5th century BC called the [[Dongwu Che]] ({{zh|c=洞屋车}}). It was used for the purpose of protecting warriors on the battlefield. The Chinese war wagon was designed as a kind of mobile protective cart with a shed-like roof. It would serve to be rolled up to city fortifications to provide protection for [[sappers]] digging underneath to weaken a wall's foundation. The early Chinese war wagon became the basis of technologies for the making of ancient Chinese south-pointing chariots.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Fighting Techniques of the Oriental World 1200-1860 |last=Haskew |first=Michael E. |last2=Jorgensen |first2=Christer |last3=McNab |first3=Chris |last4=Niderost |first4=Eric |publisher=Metro Books |date=2008 |isbn= 978-1905704965 |page=179 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of Chinese Science and Technology |last=Lu |first=Yongxiang |publisher=Springer |date=2014 |isbn=978-3662441626 |volume=3 |publication-date=October 20, 2014 |page=516 }}</ref>

There are legends of earlier south-pointing chariots, but the first reliably documented one was created by the Chinese mechanical engineer [[Ma Jun (mechanical engineer)|Ma Jun]] ({{circa|200}}&nbsp;&ndash; 265) of [[Cao Wei]] during the [[Three Kingdoms]]. No ancient chariots still exist, but many extant ancient Chinese texts mention them, saying they were used intermittently until about 1300. Some include information about their inner components and workings.

There were probably several types of south-pointing chariot which worked differently. In most or all of them, the rotating road wheels mechanically operated a [[gear]]ed mechanism to keep the pointer aimed correctly.  The pointer was aimed southward by hand at the start of a journey. Subsequently, whenever the chariot turned, the mechanism rotated the pointer relative to the body of the chariot to counteract the turn. This kept the pointer aiming in a constant direction, equal to the starting position. Thus the mechanism did a kind of directional [[dead reckoning]], which is inherently prone to cumulative errors and uncertainties. Some chariots' mechanisms may have had [[Differential (mechanical device)|differential]] gears.