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Robotics and automation news covering Houston, Texas, and the industry at large.

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General June 24, 2026

Why Texas Became the Capital of Autonomous Trucking

Driverless trucks are now hauling real freight across Texas — Aurora running fully driverless lanes including Dallas-Houston, and Kodiak targeting a long-haul driverless launch. A guide to why Texas became the proving ground for autonomous freight, how the technology works, and where Houston fits in.

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Houston's Intuitive Machines Scales Up Its Lunar Robotics Operation With a New Center of Excellence

Intuitive Machines, the Houston Spaceport-headquartered lunar lander company, is expanding its dedicated robotics operation with a 69,000-square-foot Mechanisms and Robotics Center of Excellence, backed by a $1 million Maryland state grant. The team builds the robotic mechanisms behind the company's Nova-C Moon landers.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 24, 2026

Houston Is Mission Control — and a Robotics Lab: Inside Space Robotics at Johnson Space Center

NASA's Johnson Space Center has spent decades building some of the most advanced robots ever made — Robonaut, the Valkyrie humanoid, the free-flying Astrobee. That work is now a talent engine for Houston's commercial robotics industry, with JSC-trained engineers building the robots that work in space, on the Moon, and in Gulf Coast energy facilities.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 24, 2026

Inside Surgical Robotics at the Texas Medical Center: How Houston Became a Capital of Robotic Surgery

The Texas Medical Center runs robotic surgery at a scale matched almost nowhere on earth — and a Houston startup, EndoQuest Robotics, is pioneering surgery with no incision at all. A guide to how surgical robots work, the systems in use across Houston's hospitals, and the frontier being pushed in the world's largest medical complex.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 24, 2026

Nauticus Robotics Pivots Its Subsea Robots Toward Deep-Sea Critical Minerals With a $250M Credit Line

Webster, Texas subsea robotics company Nauticus Robotics has secured a $250 million equity line of credit to fund a strategic push into deep-sea critical-mineral exploration, repointing its autonomous Aquanaut underwater vehicle from offshore energy work toward the rare-earth supply chain — while also taking on new defense work.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 24, 2026

Inside Houston's Subsea Robotics Industry: Why the Gulf Coast Builds the World's Underwater Robots

Houston is the global headquarters of subsea robotics — home to Oceaneering's 200-plus ROV fleet, TechnipFMC, Helix, and Nauticus. A look at the industry behind the machines: its scale, why it clustered on the Gulf Coast, and how it's pivoting from oil and gas toward offshore wind, deep-sea minerals, and defense.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 21, 2026

A New University of Houston Lab Is Designing AI Robots Around the People Who Fear Them Most

The University of Houston's new ELARA Lab is developing AI companion robots for older adults — and doing it by putting seniors at the center of the design process. Led by Assistant Professor Chorong Park, the lab tackles social isolation and disability while confronting hard questions about surveillance and unhealthy attachment.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 19, 2026

Houston's Robotaxi Race Heats Up: Uber, Nuro, and Lucid Join Waymo on City Streets

Uber, Nuro, and Lucid are bringing a new autonomous ride-hail service to Houston, joining Waymo in turning the city into one of the country's most active robotaxi markets. The service will pair Lucid EVs with Nuro's Level 4 self-driving platform, with a premium Uber rollout planned for mid-2027.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 19, 2026

Persona AI Teams With Under Armour to Armor Its Humanoid Robots for the Shipyard

Houston humanoid robotics startup Persona AI has partnered with Under Armour to adapt the sportswear maker's performance textiles into protective skins for robots working in hazardous industrial environments like shipyards — a novel crossover between athletic apparel engineering and industrial robotics.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 19, 2026

Houston Community College Is Building the Region's Robotics Workforce From the Ground Up

Houston Community College Southwest is expanding hands-on AI, robotics, and cybersecurity training at its West Loop campus, where a dedicated AI and Innovation Lab and robotics floor are preparing Houston residents for the jobs that Gulf Coast energy and manufacturing companies are actively hiring for.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 10, 2026

The Woodlands Is Ground Zero for Energy Drone and Robotics This Month — Inside the 10th Annual EDR Summit

The 10th Annual Energy Drone & Robotics Summit convenes June 22–24 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, bringing 1,500+ energy industry professionals together for three days of keynotes, live demos, and operational sessions on drones, robotics, and AI across oil and gas, utilities, and infrastructure.

Houston Robotics Staff Jun 10, 2026

Houston Startup Aquanta Vision Puts AI Methane Detection Directly on Inspection Drones

Aquanta Vision has developed AI software that runs natively on drone-mounted optical gas imaging cameras — automating methane plume detection in real time during aerial inspections, without new hardware. The Houston startup's pre-seed backers include Chevron Technology Ventures and Marathon Petroleum.

Houston Robotics Staff May 29, 2026

Pony.ai's Robotaxi Revenue Grew 395% in Q1 — and It's Just Getting Started

Autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai posted 395% year-over-year robotaxi revenue growth in Q1 2026, raised its year-end fleet target from 3,000 to 3,500 vehicles, and launched what it calls Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb — putting real commercial numbers behind the autonomous vehicle industry's promises.

Houston Robotics Staff May 29, 2026

Stord Raises $250 Million to Build the Robotics-Powered Amazon Alternative

Fulfillment tech company Stord has raised $250 million at a $3 billion valuation — backed by Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, and Franklin Templeton — while simultaneously launching Stord Labs, a dedicated robotics and physical AI facility that tests autonomous systems against real warehouse orders before deploying them across its 100-facility network.

Houston Robotics Staff May 29, 2026

Persona AI Teams with Under Armour to Build Performance Gear for Industrial Humanoid Robots

Houston humanoid robotics startup Persona AI has announced a research collaboration with Under Armour to develop advanced performance textiles for its industrial humanoid robots — addressing thermal regulation, abrasion resistance, and mobility in the punishing environments where Persona's robots are designed to work.

Houston Robotics Staff May 29, 2026

Waymo Suspends Houston Robotaxi Service After Vehicles Drive Into Floodwaters

Less than two weeks after announcing its World Cup expansion, Waymo has paused robotaxi service in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio following a high-profile incident in Atlanta where an unoccupied Waymo vehicle drove into a flooded road and sat stranded for an hour — exposing a core software flaw the company had not yet fully fixed.

Houston Robotics Staff May 29, 2026

Inside Houston's Maker Robotics Scene: TXRX Labs and the Houston Robotics Club

Every Saturday afternoon, more than 3,000 Houston-area builders, engineers, and hobbyists gather at TXRX Labs in the East End to build robots, swap knowledge, and work on everything from Arduinos to autonomous vehicles. Here's what makes Houston's hands-on robotics community one of the most active in Texas.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

Robotics Jobs in Houston: Salaries, Who's Hiring, and How to Break In

Houston's robotics industry spans offshore energy, the Texas Medical Center, NASA JSC, port logistics, and a growing startup scene — and it's hiring. Here's a practical guide to what robotics jobs exist in Houston, what they pay, who the major employers are, and the fastest paths to landing one.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

Gulf of Mexico ROVs: How Underwater Robots Keep Offshore Oil and Gas Running

The Gulf of Mexico's offshore infrastructure — thousands of miles of subsea pipelines, hundreds of platforms, and deepwater facilities operating at crushing depths — is maintained almost entirely by robots. Here's how remotely operated vehicles work, and why Houston is the center of the offshore robotics world.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

FIRST Robotics Championship Houston: The Complete Guide

The FIRST Robotics Championship — the Super Bowl of high school robotics — calls Houston home through 2034. Here's everything you need to know: what the event is, how teams qualify, what to expect at the George R. Brown, and why NASA shows up every year.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

Houston Robotics: Why the Energy Capital Is Also America's Automation Hub

Houston is home to one of the most concentrated robotics ecosystems in the United States — spanning offshore energy, the world's largest medical complex, NASA's Johnson Space Center, the Port of Houston, and a growing humanoid robot manufacturing presence. Here's the full picture.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

Unitree Built a 9-Foot Piloted Mech You Can Buy for $574,000

Unitree — the Chinese robotics company that shipped more humanoid robots than anyone else in 2025 — has unveiled the GD01: a 500kg, 2.8-meter piloted mech that transforms between bipedal and quadruped forms, priced at 3.9 million yuan ($574,000) and classified as a civilian vehicle.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

A Humanoid Robot Just Cleaned a Real Apartment. A Startup Called Gatsby Did It First.

Gatsby, a San Francisco startup backed by NVIDIA Inception, completed the first humanoid robot residential cleaning service for a U.S. consumer on May 14 — $150 flat via an iOS app, with no hardware of its own, building the consumer platform layer on top of whatever robot hardware is best.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

Waymo Doubles Its Houston Footprint Just in Time for the World Cup

Waymo is nearly doubling its Houston robotaxi coverage from 25 to 50 square miles, adding the Texas Medical Center, EaDo, and NRG Stadium ahead of FIFA World Cup matches beginning next month — making Houston one of the first cities where autonomous vehicles will serve a major global sporting event.

Houston Robotics Staff May 25, 2026

Rocket Lab Acquires Motiv Space Systems, Bringing Mars Robot Heritage In-House

Rocket Lab announced the acquisition of Motiv Space Systems — the Pasadena robotics firm whose arms and actuators flew on NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover and CADRE lunar rovers — bringing proven deep-space robotics hardware into Rocket Lab’s spacecraft manufacturing stack.

Houston Robotics Staff May 18, 2026

Mind Robotics Hits $1 Billion Raised in 60 Days, Deploying AI Robots Inside Rivian's Factory

Mind Robotics — the industrial AI robotics company spun out of Rivian and chaired by CEO RJ Scaringe — closed a $400 million round led by Kleiner Perkins, bringing total funding past $1 billion in less than 60 days as it actively deploys robots inside Rivian's manufacturing plant.

Houston Robotics Staff May 18, 2026

Figure AI Raises $1 Billion at $39B Valuation — Then Runs Its Robots for 81 Hours Straight

Figure AI closed a $1 billion Series C at a $39 billion valuation this week, backed by Nvidia, Qualcomm, Salesforce, and others — then immediately ran three of its humanoid robots autonomously for 81 consecutive hours, sorting over 101,000 packages without human intervention.

Houston Robotics Staff May 18, 2026

Robot Orders Are Holding Steady — But the Mix Is Shifting Fast

North American companies ordered 9,055 robots worth $543 million in Q1 2026, according to new A3 data. Automotive is slumping, but cobots are up 55% and life sciences, semiconductors, and food manufacturing are driving a broadening of automation demand.

Houston Robotics Staff May 14, 2026

Tesla Is Building Its Robot Factory in Texas — 10 Million Optimus Units a Year

Tesla has begun Optimus humanoid robot production at its Fremont facility and is breaking ground on a Texas Gigafactory line targeting 10 million units annually — phasing out car production lines to make room for what it calls a robotics-first future.

Houston Robotics Staff May 14, 2026

Humanoid Robots Are Headed to Real Factory Floors — Schaeffler Just Proved It

UK startup Humanoid signed one of the largest humanoid robot deployment deals ever announced, committing to put thousands of wheeled robots into Schaeffler's live manufacturing operations across Germany by 2032 — with first units running before year-end.

Houston Robotics Staff May 14, 2026

Persona AI Taps Amazon Robotics Veteran to Lead Global Manufacturing

Houston humanoid robotics startup Persona AI has hired Brian Davis — a former Amazon Robotics and Dell Technologies manufacturing executive — as its head of global manufacturing, signaling a push to scale production of its industrial humanoid robots.

Houston Robotics Staff May 10, 2026

Serve Robotics Acquires Moxi's Maker, Bringing Hospital Robots Into a New Era

Serve Robotics completed its $29 million acquisition of Austin-based Diligent Robotics — maker of the Moxi hospital logistics robot deployed in over 25 facilities — merging two of the most commercially proven autonomous robot platforms in the country.

Houston Robotics Staff May 9, 2026

Foxconn Is Deploying Humanoid Robots at Its Houston NVIDIA Server Plant

Foxconn's Houston facility — which manufactures AI servers for NVIDIA — is set to become one of the first factories in the world to deploy humanoid robots powered by NVIDIA's Isaac GR00T platform, putting Houston at the center of the physical AI revolution.

Houston Robotics Staff May 9, 2026

Autonomous Trucks Are Now Hauling Freight on the Dallas-Houston Corridor

Kodiak AI's self-driving trucks began commercial freight runs between Dallas and Houston in April 2026, marking a milestone for autonomous logistics on one of Texas's busiest industrial corridors — with full driverless operations targeted by year end.

Houston Robotics Staff May 9, 2026

Port Houston's Automation Push: What It Means for the Gulf Coast Economy

As global ports automate at record speed, Port Houston is investing in intelligent cargo handling systems to stay competitive — and the ripple effects will be felt across the region's supply chain.

Houston Robotics Staff May 3, 2026

STEM Spotlight: How Houston's Young Engineers Are Learning to Build the Future

From FIRST Robotics teams in Katy to university programs at Rice and UH, Houston's education ecosystem is producing the next generation of robotics engineers.

Houston Robotics Staff Apr 30, 2026

The Texas Medical Center Is Quietly Becoming a Surgical Robotics Powerhouse

With the world's largest medical complex deploying robotic systems across dozens of facilities, Houston's Texas Medical Center is at the forefront of the surgical robotics revolution.

Houston Robotics Staff Apr 27, 2026

Underwater Robots Are Reshaping Gulf of Mexico Oil & Gas Operations

ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles are transforming how energy companies inspect, maintain, and repair subsea infrastructure in the Gulf — and Houston companies are leading the charge.

Houston Robotics Staff Apr 24, 2026

Welcome to Houston Robotics: Your Hub for Automation in the Energy Capital

Houston is more than oil and gas — it's becoming one of the most important robotics and automation hubs in the country. Here's why, and what we're building here.

Houston Robotics Staff Apr 20, 2026

Building a Moon Suit: Inside the Robotics and Engineering of Axiom Space's AxEMU

Houston's Axiom Space has entered production on the AxEMU — the next-generation spacesuit that will carry astronauts back to the lunar surface on Artemis III. A look at the suit as a wearable life-support machine, and the robotic systems, like the Argos gravity-offload crane, used to test it.

Houston Robotics Staff Mar 18, 2026