Renu Robotics to Demonstrate Autonomous Mowing Platform at eMERGE Americas 2026

Renu Robotics, a San Antonio-based autonomous robotics company, will showcase its industrial autonomous mowing platform at eMERGE Americas in Miami this May as a featured company with SBIR Advisors at Booth 557. Founded in 2018 by Tim Matus, the company developed an autonomous vegetation management solution originally designed for utility-scale solar farms, an industry where extreme heat, safety hazards and labor shortages make traditional mowing impractical. The company's robot, now in its third generation with a fourth on the way, stands 28 inches tall, spans a 64-inch cutting deck across a 10-foot platform and operates at three to five miles per hour using LIDAR, cameras and AI-powered Human-Animal-Vehicle (HAV) detection for safe autonomous operation.

What began as a commercial solution for solar energy sites has grown into a dual-use platform serving both civilian and military applications. Through its partnership with SBIR Advisors, Renu Robotics has secured multiple Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 SBIR awards, funding critical technology advances. These include LTE GPS RTK corrections that eliminate the need for complex on-site signal infrastructure, and tower communication systems that enable the robot to operate near active military runways. "When we can find help in grant funding to build the technology and then use it in other markets, it really is helpful," said Matus. "The key is how you communicate with people in the military to understand the need for the use case on the commercial side as well."

Attendees can see the Renu Robotics unit in action during eMERGE Americas Demo Day and throughout the conference at the Garage, a new hands-on exhibition space on the conference floor. Matus and members of the Renu Robotics engineering team will be available for conversations and live demonstrations. "There's no better feel for a product and what it can do than when you see it on the ground and moving around," said Matus. "Your mind will start flowing into what this can do differently and how we take people out of the process and put machines in place to solve real issues." The company's technology integrates LIDAR, computer vision and AI-based safety systems to deliver unmanned mowing operations in hazardous and hard-to-staff environments. For more information, visit renurobotics.com.

The demonstration at eMERGE Americas represents a significant milestone in autonomous robotics adoption across critical infrastructure sectors. The technology addresses persistent challenges in industries facing labor shortages and hazardous working conditions, particularly in solar energy maintenance where traditional mowing methods are often impractical or dangerous. The dual-use nature of the platform demonstrates how commercial innovations can be adapted for military applications through strategic partnerships and government funding programs like SBIR. This cross-sector application potential increases the technology's market viability and societal impact beyond its original solar farm focus.

The autonomous mowing platform's evolution from solar farm solution to military-ready technology illustrates a growing trend of commercial-military technology transfer. The SBIR funding mechanism has been instrumental in this development, allowing Renu Robotics to advance critical features like LTE GPS RTK corrections and tower communication systems that enable operation in sensitive environments like active military runways. These technological refinements not only enhance military applications but also improve commercial viability by reducing infrastructure requirements and increasing operational flexibility. The platform's ability to operate autonomously in diverse environments while maintaining safety through AI-powered detection systems represents a significant advancement in outdoor robotics with implications for infrastructure maintenance, agricultural automation, and defense applications.