Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK.
Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden.
Sci Robot. 2024 Oct 23;9(95):eadn1125. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.adn1125.
Paleontologists must confront the challenge of studying the forms and functions of extinct species for which data from preserved fossils are extremely limited, yielding only a fragmented picture of life in deep time. In response to this hurdle, we describe the nascent field of paleoinspired robotics, an innovative method that builds upon established techniques in bioinspired robotics, enabling the exploration of the biology of ancient organisms and their evolutionary trajectories. This Review presents ways in which robotic platforms can fill gaps in existing research using the exemplars of notable transitions in vertebrate locomotion. We examine recent case studies in experimental paleontology, highlighting substantial contributions made by engineering and robotics techniques, and further assess how the efficient application of robotic technologies in close collaboration with paleontologists and biologists can offer additional insights into the study of evolution that were previously unattainable.
古生物学家必须面对研究已灭绝物种形态和功能的挑战，因为保存下来的化石数据极其有限，只能提供远古时期生命的零碎画面。针对这一难题，我们介绍了新兴的古生物学启发式机器人技术领域，这是一种建立在生物启发式机器人技术基础上的创新方法，能够探索古代生物的生物学特性及其进化轨迹。本综述介绍了机器人平台如何利用脊椎动物运动的显著转变范例来填补现有研究中的空白。我们研究了实验古生物学中的最新案例研究，强调了工程和机器人技术的重要贡献，并进一步评估了在与古生物学家和生物学家密切合作的情况下，高效应用机器人技术如何为进化研究提供以前无法获得的额外见解。
