NASA Johnson Space Center’s 16-member Dexterous Robotics Team builds robotic hardware and software for tasks people do with their hands. Its work is aimed at helping people explore safely—not replacing human explorers—and the team’s iMETRO facility lets NASA programs and outside partners test robots and components in spacecraft-like settings.
What the Dexterous Robotics Team does
NASA places the team in Johnson Space Center’s Robotic System Technology Branch. Its specialty is developing robots that can perform human-like tasks in environments designed for people or while working alongside them. The work spans both mechatronics and software.
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Team lead Shaun Azimi described the goal this way: “Our team is not trying to replace human explorers with robots but instead make human exploration safer and more sustainable by developing highly capable, reliable, and trustworthy robots to work in extreme environments.” NASA published the statement in its September 28, 2026, profile of the team.
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That human-centered focus matters in space exploration: robots may need to use tools, operate equipment, or handle cargo in spaces built around human crews. NASA describes the team’s near-term emphasis as technology for a sustained human presence on the Moon, with possible relevance to future Mars missions.
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Robonaut 2 and Valkyrie are part of its technical lineage
The team builds on experience from two humanoid robot projects. NASA says Robonaut 2 participated in robotics technology demonstrations aboard the International Space Station for seven years. Valkyrie is described by NASA as its first bipedal humanoid robot. The team continues building on the legacy of both projects; the profile does not provide performance statistics or compare them with other robots.
How iMETRO helps teams test robots
Johnson’s Integrated Mobile Evaluation Testbed for Robotics Operations, or iMETRO, is available to NASA programs and external partners. It brings together digital and physical resources so a team can evaluate either a complete robot or an individual hardware or software component.
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- Digital resources: open-source software and simulation assets.
- Physical environments: spacecraft and habitat mockups, house robots, and an outdoor rock yard.
The mix is useful because a robot can be assessed in simulated conditions, against physical mockups, or in an outdoor setting, depending on what a project needs to test. NASA does not publish quantified outcomes for iMETRO tests in the profile.
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Examples of work tested at iMETRO
Operating a spacecraft hatch and moving cargo
In an example involving PickNik Inc., a robotic arm recognized a spacecraft hatch, turned its latch, grasped the handle, opened the hatch, and transferred cargo bags between the hatch and a bin. The sequence illustrates the kind of multi-step, human-like task the facility can help teams evaluate.
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Inspecting and maintaining a cold stowage freezer
A separate example involved software written by an intern for a commercial robotic arm and camera. The system was intended to inspect and maintain a cold stowage freezer like those aboard the space station.
Why NASA works with outside partners
iMETRO gives external partners a place to test ideas against tasks and environments that matter to human spaceflight. Azimi said of the facility: “It shows them the things we actually need done so they don’t have to speculate.” NASA also describes collaboration with an oil and gas company dealing with harsh environments and risky tasks, but does not name the company or provide partnership terms.
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The profile presents this collaboration as a way to apply robotics to challenging work; it does not report a measured safety improvement, reliability rate, cost saving, or comparative result.
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Is this a robot readers can buy?
No. The Dexterous Robotics Team is a NASA engineering group, not a commercial robot company or a retail product line. NASA’s profile does not identify Valkyrie as a purchasable robot, recommend a consumer model, or endorse a kit or accessory. Its focus is the team’s work, testing facility, and space-exploration goals.
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