# EAGER: Extinct Does Not Imply Unfit: Paleobiology, Defossilization, and New Sources for Novel Robots

> **NSF 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Carnegie Mellon University (PA) · $261,912

## Abstract

This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award supports research to extend the sources of bio-inspired robotics beyond extant species and into the fossil record. Present-day challenges in robot locomotion may be solved by unique strategies evolved by animals that subsequently became extinct for unrelated reasons. These strategies may be revealed through careful study of surviving skeletons, including computer simulation of likely muscle and tendon arrangements, a process sometimes referred to as “defossilization.” The specific goal of this collaboration between a roboticist and a paleobiologist is to demonstrate the potential for transformative robot engineering through reconstructing backbone and limb anatomy from a variety of four-legged animals that lived over 235 million years ago. New robots created based on the results look to highlight how body shape, joint configurations, and movement patterns may be customized to robustly traverse uneven ground and confined spaces, allowing freedom of movement through dense vegetation areas or in industrial clutter. The project will also develop a "Dinosaurs and Robots" educational module suitable for afterschool programs.
 
Ninety-nine percent of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. Many of these species had unique morphologies not seen today, and their extinction was typically unrelated to their functional fitness. This project seeks to demonstrate the value of these lost adaptations through a study 

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2534968
- **Awardee organization:** Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** U3NKNFLNQ613
- **PI:** Aaron M Johnson
- **Primary program:** 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** RESEARCH EXP FOR UNDERGRADS, ROBOTICS, EAGER, UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, SUPPL FOR UNDERGRAD RES ASSIST, REU SUPP-Res Exp for Ugrd Supp
- **Estimated total:** $261,912
- **Funds obligated:** $271,912
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 02/28/2027

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2534968

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2534968, EAGER: Extinct Does Not Imply Unfit: Paleobiology, Defossilization, and New Sources for Novel Robots. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2534968. Licensed CC0.

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