The Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by Charles Babbage in the 1830s. It was intended to perform any calculation and was revolutionary for its time, featuring concepts like an arithmetic logic unit, control flow through conditional branching, and memory storage. Although the Analytical Engine was never completed during Babbage's lifetime, its design laid the groundwork for modern computing. The machine was meant to use punched cards for input, similar to those used in Jacquard looms, and it inspired future generations of computer scientists and engineers.