https://austinrobotics.io/news The latest robotics, AI, and hardware news from Austin and the broader Texas ecosystem. en-us Fri, 04 Sep 2026 16:28:44 GMT Austin Robotics RSS Generator https://www.ttnews.com/articles/tesla-robotaxi-cybercabs Tesla put its steering-wheel-free Cybercab on Austin streets, launching invite-only rides on Sept. 3 with public bookings announced for the city’s existing Robotaxi service area. The two-seat vehicle has no pedals or steering wheel and is built only for autonomous operation. Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Associated Press https://www.ttnews.com/articles/tesla-robotaxi-cybercabs https://www.cs.utexas.edu/news/2026/roberto-martin-martin-earns-nsf-career-award-household-robotics-research UT Austin computer scientist Roberto Martín-Martín received an NSF CAREER award for Dual-Axis Continual Learning, research aimed at letting household robots keep learning new mobile-manipulation skills without forgetting what they already know. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UT Austin Computer Science https://www.cs.utexas.edu/news/2026/roberto-martin-martin-earns-nsf-career-award-household-robotics-research https://news.utexas.edu/2026/08/27/ut-to-lead-nsf-center-that-will-study-how-robots-and-people-learn-to-live-and-work-together/ The University of Texas at Austin will lead a five-year, $30 million NSF Science and Technology Center studying how people and assistive robots adapt to one another in homes, hospitals, and everyday settings. Joydeep Biswas will direct the center, with industry partners including Austin-based Apptronik and Diligent Robotics. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT UT Austin News https://news.utexas.edu/2026/08/27/ut-to-lead-nsf-center-that-will-study-how-robots-and-people-learn-to-live-and-work-together/ https://www.marinelog.com/shipbuilding/shipyards/shipyard-news/saronics-300m-franklin-shipyard-expansion-marks-a-construction-milestone/ Austin-based Saronic reached topping-out on a $300 million expansion of its Franklin, Louisiana shipyard, adding more than 300,000 square feet and three new slips to scale production of its 180-foot autonomous Marauder vessels. Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Marine Log https://www.marinelog.com/shipbuilding/shipyards/shipyard-news/saronics-300m-franklin-shipyard-expansion-marks-a-construction-milestone/ https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/article/uber-partner-avride-reaches-100-000-rides-dallas-22386780.php Austin-based Avride has completed more than 100,000 autonomous Uber rides in Dallas less than a year after launch, doubling its original service zone. The company also operates delivery robots in Austin and several other U.S. cities. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Dallas Morning News https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/article/uber-partner-avride-reaches-100-000-rides-dallas-22386780.php https://www.therobotreport.com/five-years-operation-shape-diligent-robotics-rollout-moxi-2-0/ Austin-based Diligent Robotics started deploying Moxi 2.0, its next-generation hospital assistant robot, to health systems nationwide. The platform draws on five years of operations in more than 25 hospitals and adds faster onboard perception plus a fleet-learning world model. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Robot Report https://www.therobotreport.com/five-years-operation-shape-diligent-robotics-rollout-moxi-2-0/ https://news.engineering.tamu.edu/news/2026/08/03/texas-am-to-build-first-national-self-driving-laboratory-for-metals-open-to-researchers-nationwide/ Texas A&M University researchers received a $24.9M NSF grant to establish the Autonomous Robotic Metallurgist Materials Innovation Platform (ARM-MIP), using AI and robotic systems to accelerate alloy discovery. Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Texas A&M Engineering News https://news.engineering.tamu.edu/news/2026/08/03/texas-am-to-build-first-national-self-driving-laboratory-for-metals-open-to-researchers-nationwide/ https://www.therobotreport.com/google-deepmind-says-gemini-robotics-2-enables-full-body-control/ Austin-based Apptronik announced that its Apollo 2 humanoid robot is now serving as a primary demonstration platform for Google DeepMind’s new Gemini Robotics 2 model, enabling advanced full-body control. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Robot Report https://www.therobotreport.com/google-deepmind-says-gemini-robotics-2-enables-full-body-control/ https://environmentenergyleader.com/stories/texas-am-tests-tiny-robots-to-recover-lithium-from-seawater,135811 Supported by a DOE grant, Texas A&M researchers are developing microscopic, fish-like robots designed to extract critical minerals like lithium from seawater more efficiently than stationary filters. Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Environment + Energy Leader https://environmentenergyleader.com/stories/texas-am-tests-tiny-robots-to-recover-lithium-from-seawater,135811 https://news.utexas.edu/2026/06/15/proteins-to-precision-robotics-texas-researchers-partner-to-break-ground-in-cancer-care/ A collaboration between UT Austin and MD Anderson Cancer Center has resulted in 'IG-RABIT', a precision robotic device that assists surgeons in performing complex implant procedures with minimal tissue trauma. Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT UT Austin News https://news.utexas.edu/2026/06/15/proteins-to-precision-robotics-texas-researchers-partner-to-break-ground-in-cancer-care/ https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/nauticus-robotics-partners-with-strangeworks-on-subsea-network-optimization-93CH-4834386 Austin-based Nauticus Robotics (NASDAQ: KITT) has partnered with Strangeworks to optimize the deployment of underwater fiber-optic sensing networks using advanced AI computational platforms. Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT PR Newswire https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/nauticus-robotics-partners-with-strangeworks-on-subsea-network-optimization-93CH-4834386 https://yespress.io/salem-robotics-yc-s26 Austin startup Salem Robotics Inc. has emerged in the latest Y Combinator cohort, developing software that enables robots to operate independently in hazardous industrial environments. Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Y Combinator https://yespress.io/salem-robotics-yc-s26 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/saronic-closes-1-75b-series-d-at-9-25b-valuation-to-accelerate-a-new-era-of-maritime-autonomy-302729238.html Austin defense tech company Saronic, focused on autonomous sea vessels, secured a massive $1.75 billion Series D funding round, cementing its position in the embodied AI sector. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT PR Newswire https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/saronic-closes-1-75b-series-d-at-9-25b-valuation-to-accelerate-a-new-era-of-maritime-autonomy-302729238.html