（Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia）
Lu Ban(simplified Chinese: 鲁班) (507–440 BC) was a Chinesecarpenter, engineer, philosopher, inventor, military thinker, and statesman. He was a contemporary of Mozi, and is the patron saintof Chinese builders and contractors.
Lu Ban was born in the State of Luto a renowned family during the chaos of the Spring and Autumn Period civil wars. His original name was Gongshu Yizhi (Chinese: 公输依智). He was also referred to as Gongshu Ban (公輸班), Kungshu Pen (公输般) and Kungshu Pun (公输盘), but was most commonly known as Lu Ban.
According to tradition, he was responsible for several inventions, as described in Chapters 49 and 50 of Mozi:
·Cloud ladder—a mobile, counterweighted siege ladder.
·Grappling hooks and ram—implements for naval warfare.
·Wooden bird—a non-powered, flying, wooden bird which could stay in the air for three days. It has been suggested to be a prototype of a kite.
Other inventions were also attributed to him, such as a lifting implement to assist with burial,a wooden horse carriage and coachman,and other woodworking mentioned in various texts, which thereafter led Lu Ban to be acknowledged as a master craftsman:
·The Book of Lineages(世本), written circa the 3rd century BC.
·The Tales of the Marvelous(述异记), by Ren Fang, written circa the 5th century AD.
·The Records of Origin on Things and Affairs(事物纪原), by Gao Cheng, written circa the 11th century.
·The Origin on Things(物原), by Luo Qi, written circa the 15th century.
·The Treatise of Lu Ban(鲁班经), attributed to Lu Ban, written in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century.