Project Grant 2534968
- This National Science Foundation (NSF) project grant under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) aims to develop the world's smallest functional bipedal robot, multi-legged robot, and wheeled robot, each approximately 100 times smaller than the current state-of-the-art. The $854,461 award to Carnegie Mellon University, spanning from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027, will establish scaling laws to understand how actuation, joint losses, and contact properties change at smaller scales. This...
- This Project Grant award, valued at $325,097 and effective April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2030, was provided by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to the University of Colorado (CU). The funding will support research to enable transformative locomotion in insect-scale robots through the development of shape-shifting capabilities for agile and adaptable movement in complex, confined environments. Key research objectives include designing body articulation...
- This $372,195 federal Project Grant, awarded by the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050), supports a collaborative research project to study the effects of climate change on mammalian functional diversity using a high-resolution fossil record and novel AI workflows. The key products and services to be delivered under this 3-year award, which began on November 1, 2024, include: Generating 3D datasets from micro-CT scans of mammalian fossils to characterize functional...
- This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the NSF Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $421,935 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop an insect-scale quadrupedal robot with advanced climbing and grasping capabilities. The key objectives of this 3-year project, starting January 1, 2025, are to: (1) develop analytical models of adhesion and lubrication principles to enable inverted and vertical climbing with feedback control; and (2) demonstrate...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) supports research at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to develop simulation tools and control methods that enable robots to reliably navigate and manipulate complex environments. The $600,000 award, running from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2030, focuses on two key technical goals: 1) creating multi-physics simulation capabilities for emerging applications like space and underwater...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) program (CFDA 47.070) provides $526,083 to Northwestern University to research "differentiable evolution" techniques for the efficient automatic design of embodied intelligence in robots. The research aims to generalize error tracing and automatic optimization approaches used in machine learning to enable the scalable design of novel robots with...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $331,272 to the University of Illinois to develop new legged robots that combine agility over rough terrain with speed and efficiency. The project aims to create robots that can match human speed, even over long distances, to assist with tasks such as package delivery, emergency response, and scientific exploration. The university will attempt to combine single-degree-of-freedom,...
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Engineering (CFDA 47.041) awarded a $451,667 Project Grant to Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) to conduct fundamental research on creating plant-inspired growing robots capable of long-duration monitoring missions in complex, dynamic environments. The research aims to develop robotic hardware and capabilities that mimic plant-like "growth" and adaptation, enabling real-time and long-term...
- This National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Program (CFDA 47.041) project grant, awarded on January 1, 2025 for $325,497.00, supports research to enable insect-scale legged robots with the capability to climb on inverted surfaces and grasp irregularly shaped objects. The key goals are to investigate fundamental principles of adhesion and lubrication, construct new adhesion mechanisms, design climbing gaits and grasping modalities, and develop control methods. The project will provide...
- This $419,234 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) supports research to study the effects of climate change on mammalian functional diversity over long timescales. Key objectives include: Analyzing changes in mammal functional diversity, floral composition, and abiotic factors like temperature before, during, and after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) climate event in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. This will elucidate the...
This EAGER: EXTINCT DOES NOT IMPLY UNFIT: PALEOBIOLOGY, DEFOSSILIZATION, AND NEW SOURCES FOR NOVEL ROBOTS federal project grant, awarded by the Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation under the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), provides $261,912 in funding to Carnegie Mellon University. The goal is to demonstrate the potential for transformative robot engineering through reconstructing the backbone and limb anatomy of extinct four-legged animals from over 235 million years ago. The project aims to reveal unique movement strategies evolved by extinct species that could inform the design of new robots capable of robust traversal of uneven ground, confined spaces, and dense vegetation. The research will also develop an educational module on dinosaurs and robots for afterschool programs. The project period runs from September 1, 2025 through February 28, 2027.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $261.9k | 8/3/25 |