Gigantic and terrifying was my definition of dinosaurs when I saw them as a child at a Jurassic park-themed exhibition. They seemed more intimidating compared to other living animals. Later I realised they went extinct millions of years ago. The memory came back when I recently read this article. It was about developing robots to understand how fish transitioned from water to land millions of years ago. Such robots were termed palaeo-robots. Let us delve deeper.

A little prehistory

Life began in the oceans more than 3.5 billion years ago. 380 to 400 million years ago, a few fish-like creatures emerged from the ocean to inhabit land. They became the first terrestrial vertebrates or tetrapods. Fossils have helped us understand how these transitions may have occurred during pre-historic times.

Tiktaalik is an early tetrapod which developed pectoral fins with elbows and wrist bones, and spine to support its body against gravitational force  (Image courtesy: www.wikimedia commons.org) 

The mudskipper, a modern-day fish offers a preview of how prehistoric fishes (for example, Tiktaalik) made the water-to-land transition (Image courtesy: www.wikimedia commons.org) 

With time, fossil discovery has become limited. The ones already discovered by palaeontologists do not offer much insight. Often fossils are studied by comparing them with those of their living descendants. Although this helps form hypotheses, it renders an incomplete picture of ancient life.

Enter robots

Through simulation, robots can test these hypotheses, thus offering new insights. But computational modelling can do the same thing. So why robots?

Robots have the advantage of accurately showing the water-to-ground transition. Computational modelling requires understanding the natural world interactions, which is cumbersome. Robots can directly collect environmental data without worrying about the interaction problem. 

Technology is aiding our progress towards the future, so why should we bother about the past? What do palaeosciences contribute? The answer is that palaeosciences helps us understand how our past shapes our present and future. It serves the purpose of comprehending the early evolution processes and activities whose effect lingers in our current existence. 

Thanks to the strenuous efforts by palaeontologists, it has been ascertained that the modern day birds evolved from dinosaurs. Palaeoanthropology or the science of human evolution affirms that homosapiens and apes share a common ancestor. These findings suggest that we all are indirectly related, indicating that extinction of a particular animal species affects the survival of humans and other living beings.  

Palaeo-inspired robotics could widen our understanding of how prehistoric vertebrates transitioned from a marine environment to becoming terrestrial creatures. It can also answer questions concerning their anatomy for body weight support against land. For example, the evolution of pectoral and pelvic fins in ancient fish could provide valuable data regarding the above.

Diagram of Placoderm, a prehistoric fish  (Image courtesy: www.wikimedia commons.com)

Palaeo-inspired robotics can also help researchers answer questions concerning fossils of ancient marine lizards and fish. This can further provide us with clues about their habitat. Factors such as atmosphere, food, and water affect the development of bones and tissues. This means that if traces of certain minerals are found in a fossil, then those minerals were present in the environment when the prehistoric creature was alive. 

Integrating modern technologies 

Palaeontologists decipher the anatomical structure and other characteristics of a prehistoric creature through fossil examination. For example Tiktaalik, which despite having fins was  built for movement on land. Building a paleo-inspired robot will require a similar approach. Roboticists can begin by understanding an extinct animal’s anatomy, including muscle movements. They can proceed towards designing a soft robot with motors and actuators. These should replicate the creature's muscles and tissues.

Now comes the exciting part. Roboticists can incorporate IoT (Internet of Things) technology into the palaeo-inspired robot. Let us see how this can materialise:

1. A palaeo-inspired IoT robot goes to a palaeontologically relevant site

2. Equipped sensors for measuring pressure, temperature, humidity, force etc., collect necessary data. This can be the swimming force in water or energy usage while walking on the ground

3. Transducers convert this collected data from analogue to digital

4. This digital data is transmitted to a remote server for further processing. Also known as cloud computing

5. The centrally located data is now easily accessible by researchers from any corner of the world

In the words of Michael Ishida, the lead researcher in the palaeo-inspired robot project, the (collected) data can help confirm or challenge existing theories about how these early animals evolved while helping us understand why these animals moved the way they did. 

The proposed palaeo-inspired robot design (Image courtesy: www.cam.ac.uk) 

So, we can infer the following from the above image:

• a,b,e - Using 3D printing technology, the body of a fish, including fin size and shape, can be designed from a water resilient elastomer or any other suitable soft material  

• c,d - Electronics such as motors/actuators, sensors, transducers and relevant computation tools housed inside the body generate fish motion, orientation, and data collection in water

A space robot has various measurement and analysis tools integrated into it. Likewise, a palaeo-inspired robot can carry the necessary tools with itself. The prospect of a robot mimicking a fish transitioning onto land is appealing. However, it would have to overcome a few complications:

1. Temperature, humidity, and dust of a rugged environment can play havoc with the robot’s electronic circuitry

2. Spending long durations at the site can increase the robot’s energy consumption, making it inoperable

3. On the cloud side, sensitive data is prone to hacking. Its security is a significant concern

Global reality check

The progress in the field of bio-inspired robotics has been encouraging. In 2018, efforts were made to develop a palaeo-bio-inspired robot. Inspired by snakes, lizards, octopuses, and squids, several robotic inventions have become possible. Interestingly, they all have more in common with their prehistoric reptilian and marine ancestors.

Artificial intelligence has also aided a lot in developing such robots. The advancement in flexible electronics has led to the devising of underwater robots. This has progressed to palaeobionics, creating marine creature-inspired soft robots such as Rhombot. Witnessing these breakthrough creations provides hope for the success of palaeo-inspired robots.

At home in India, the robotics research ecosystem is to realise its full potential. As per a 2024 report, the Indian research output lags compared to global initiatives. Limited collaboration between academia, industry, and government is a huge problem. Only a handful of Indian institutes and organisations actively pursue research and development in robotics. 

As per this report, India has immense potential for artificial intelligence innovations in future. At the same time, the robotics ecosystem has shown slight growth. There is potential for improvement, which will pave the path for palaeo-inspired robotics. Tackling the next challenge is equally important. 

Indian palaeontology needs growth

Palaeontology in India faces numerous obstacles: lack of research, severely underfunded institutes, and fossil poaching are some of them. Adding to the misery is the bitter fact that palaeontology does not receive the attention it deserves. India is a hotbed of prehistoric fossils, especially dinosaur fossils. 

During the late Cretaceous age, modern-day southwest India separated from the supercontinent Gondwana and drifted upwards to forge present-day Asia. Dinosaurs existing in that region also came along. Some are Rajasaurus, Kotasaurus, Indosuchus, and Barapasaurus. Their fossils have been discovered mostly in western, central, and southern India. 

Widespread awareness in school curriculums and rural areas (where fossil sites also exist) is a good starting point. Adequate funding will promote improved infrastructure, which in turn can lead to greater cooperation across various Indian states and the Indian subcontinent as well.

Anticipating the best

The collaboration between palaeontologists and roboticists along with geologists and biologists can actualise palaeo-inspired robots. This will help answer puzzling questions related to marine-to-terrestrial evolution. Nature has inspired robots to perform various tasks in imaginative ways. Now it is robotics' turn to reciprocate. Let us see how it turns out in the future.

Edited by: Samatha Mathew