The steel industry is experiencing a revolutionary transformation as artificial intelligence and robotics converge to reshape one of America’s most foundational sectors. At the heart of this transformation lies a groundbreaking partnership between US Steel and Gecko Robotics, announced at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit on July 15, 2025, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
This historic collaboration represents more than just a business partnership—it signals a fundamental shift toward intelligent steel mill operations that prioritize infrastructure health, worker safety, and operational efficiency. The announcement, made in the presence of President Trump and industry leaders at Carnegie Mellon University, positions Pittsburgh as the emerging “physical AI capital of the world” and demonstrates how AI-powered steel mill operations are becoming the new standard for industrial excellence.
The Strategic Partnership: US Steel and Gecko Robotics Unite for Infrastructure Innovation
The collaboration between US Steel and Gecko Robotics emerged from a shared vision of modernizing America’s steel infrastructure through cutting-edge technology. During the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, Jake Loosararian, CEO and Co-founder of Gecko Robotics, and Dave Burritt, US Steel President and CEO, jointly announced their commitment to exploring “a new collaboration focused on the health of steel mill infrastructure throughout the US.”
This partnership represents a significant milestone in the convergence of traditional heavy industry with advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. As Loosararian emphasized during the summit, “Pittsburgh is fast becoming the physical AI capital of the world”. The collaboration aims to leverage Gecko’s advanced robotics technology and AI-powered analytics to enhance the operational efficiency and safety of US Steel’s extensive manufacturing facilities.
US Steel’s strategic approach to this partnership reflects the company’s broader commitment to innovation and modernization. The steel giant has been actively investing in robotics and automation technologies, having previously partnered with Carnegie Foundry to accelerate advanced robotics development. This latest collaboration with Gecko Robotics represents a natural evolution of these efforts, focusing specifically on infrastructure health monitoring and predictive maintenance.
The partnership’s focus on steel mill infrastructure health addresses one of the industry’s most pressing challenges. Steel manufacturing facilities operate in extremely harsh conditions, with equipment subjected to high temperatures, corrosive environments, and constant mechanical stress. Traditional inspection methods often require dangerous manual inspections or costly facility shutdowns, making Gecko’s robotic solutions particularly valuable for continuous monitoring and early problem detection.
Key aspects of the collaboration include:
- Comprehensive infrastructure assessment using Gecko’s wall-climbing robots
- AI-driven predictive maintenance through the Cantilever platform
- Real-time monitoring of critical steel mill components
- Data-driven decision making for capital allocation and maintenance scheduling
- Enhanced safety protocols through automated inspection processes
Gecko Robotics: Revolutionary AIR Technology Transforming Steel Mill Operations
The groundbreaking partnership between US Steel and Gecko Robotics represents far more than a simple collaboration—it showcases how cutting-edge AIR (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics) technology is revolutionizing the steel manufacturing industry. Understanding Gecko’s comprehensive suite of technologies reveals why this partnership holds such transformative potential for America’s steel infrastructure.
The Core of Innovation: AIR Technology Platform
At the heart of Gecko Robotics’ revolutionary approach lies their AIR technology platform, which seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence with advanced robotics to create an unprecedented data collection and analysis system. This sophisticated technology stack enables steel mills to achieve operational excellence through actionable data for both immediate decision-making and long-term strategic planning.
The AIR technology distinguishes itself through its ability to collect full-coverage, high-fidelity data layers that power AI analysis and drive fast, confident decision-making at scale. Unlike traditional inspection methods that rely on manual sampling and provide limited coverage, Gecko’s robotic systems ensure data integrity by collecting comprehensive information across entire steel mill infrastructures.
Gecko’s suite of robotic technologies has analyzed thousands of assets across various industries, offering complete visibility into asset health while continuously strengthening AI algorithms with powerful, real-world data. This iterative learning process ensures that each inspection becomes more accurate and insightful than the last, creating a continuously improving system that adapts to the unique challenges of steel manufacturing environments.
Cantilever: The Operating Platform for Steel Mill Excellence
The Cantilever platform serves as the central nervous system that transforms raw robotic data into actionable insights for steel mill operations. Described as “the world’s first operating platform powered by artificial intelligence and robotics (AIR) technology,” Cantilever represents a quantum leap in how steel mills can understand, monitor, and optimize their infrastructure.
Key capabilities of the Cantilever platform include:
Baseline Asset Health Assessment: Cantilever enables steel mills to shift from reactive to predictive maintenance with complete asset analysis. The platform integrates robotic data layers with existing facility records into a centralized system, establishing a single source of truth for entire steel mill operations. This comprehensive approach provides mill managers with unprecedented visibility into the condition of critical infrastructure components.
Dynamic Budgeting and Capital Allocation: The platform provides full visibility to make confident decisions and justify capital expenditures. By fostering transparency and understanding across steel mill organizations, Cantilever enables facilities to save millions of dollars through more efficient resource allocation. This capability is particularly crucial for steel mills operating on thin margins while facing aging infrastructure challenges.
AI-Powered Scenario Modeling: Cantilever’s advanced AI capabilities provide recommendations for operational changes and repair plans that improve asset reliability and safety. The platform can model various scenarios, helping steel mill operators maximize productivity while reducing operational risks. This predictive capability allows mills to anticipate potential issues before they become costly problems.
Operational Optimization: The platform delivers AI-powered insights that drive outcomes most critical to steel mill operations, including increased uptime, enhanced production capacity, and improved profitability. By providing the complete picture of infrastructure health, Cantilever enables steel mills to make data-driven decisions that optimize both short-term operations and long-term sustainability.
Advanced Robotic Inspection Technologies
Gecko Robotics deploys a comprehensive suite of specialized robots designed to address the unique challenges of steel mill infrastructure inspection. These advanced systems represent the culmination of years of development specifically focused on industrial environments where traditional inspection methods fall short.
TOKA Series Robots: The TOKA Flex represents Gecko’s most advanced robotic platform, specifically designed for challenging industrial environments. This sophisticated robot features independent suspension and drive axles that allow it to dynamically adapt from flat surfaces to pipes down to 6 inches in diameter. The robot’s four permanent magnetic wheels each have independent steering, suspension, and electronic drive systems, enabling it to navigate complex geometries including elbows, overcome obstacles up to 3/8 inches, and execute 180-degree turns.
The TOKA Flex can operate at heights up to 75 feet and withstand temperatures up to 275°F, making it ideally suited for steel mill environments where extreme conditions are common. With its IP67 rating for water resistance and 200 pounds of magnetic force per wheel, the robot can maintain secure adhesion even in challenging conditions.
Advanced Data Collection Capabilities: The TOKA Flex houses 12 single-channel ultrasonic probes at 1-inch spacing, collecting A-scan, B-scan, and C-scan data simultaneously. This multi-probe configuration, combined with a high-speed drive system, enables the robot to cover over 30 square feet per minute while maintaining exceptional data quality. The robot captures 1-20 readings per inch and can cover 204-2550 square feet per hour, representing a dramatic improvement over traditional manual inspection methods.
Rapid Ultrasonic Gridding (RUG) Technology: Gecko’s proprietary RUG technology enables comprehensive corrosion mapping across steel mill infrastructure. The system can identify and quantify corrosion, erosion, and pitting using up to 24 ultrasonic testing transducers operating at 700 readings per second. This high-speed approach allows for 2D and 3D corrosion mapping while traveling at 3-6 inches per second, providing unprecedented coverage of steel mill assets.
Tri-Lateral Phased Array (TriLat) Technology: For steel mills dealing with hydrogen damage and environmental cracking, Gecko’s TriLat technology provides specialized inspection capabilities. This advanced system can identify and quantify wet H2S damage, including hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC), stress-oriented hydrogen-induced cracking (SOHIC), blistering, and environmental cracking. The system provides over 150,000 readings per square foot and can identify damage at depths up to 4 inches, making it invaluable for steel mills dealing with corrosive environments.
Transformative Benefits for Steel Manufacturing
The integration of Gecko Robotics’ technology into steel mill operations delivers transformative benefits that address the industry’s most pressing challenges. These advantages extend far beyond traditional inspection capabilities, fundamentally changing how steel mills approach asset management and operational optimization.
Enhanced Safety and Risk Mitigation: Traditional steel mill inspections often require workers to access dangerous areas at extreme heights or in confined spaces, exposing them to significant safety risks. Gecko’s robotic systems eliminate these hazards by conducting comprehensive inspections remotely, keeping personnel out of harm’s way while providing superior data quality.
Dramatic Time and Cost Savings: Case studies demonstrate the revolutionary impact of Gecko’s technology on steel mill operations. In one documented case, a steel manufacturing facility achieved a 5x return on investment and $40 million in annual value creation through the implementation of Gecko’s technology. The facility also realized a 30% reduction in unplanned downtime, directly addressing one of the steel industry’s most costly challenges.
Comprehensive Asset Coverage: While traditional inspection methods typically cover only 3-5% of steel mill assets, Gecko’s robots provide close to 99% coverage. This comprehensive approach ensures that potential issues are identified before they become critical problems, enabling steel mills to transition from reactive to predictive maintenance strategies.
Superior Data Quality and Quantity: The difference in data collection capabilities is staggering. Traditional manual inspections might collect 10,000 data points over a week, while Gecko’s robotic systems can gather 10 million data points in a single day. This massive increase in data quality and quantity provides steel mill operators with unprecedented insights into their infrastructure condition.
Optimized Capital Allocation: Gecko’s technology enables steel mills to make more informed decisions about capital expenditures and maintenance scheduling. By providing accurate, comprehensive data about asset condition, the technology helps mills avoid both over-repair and under-repair scenarios, optimizing maintenance budgets and extending asset life.
Predictive Maintenance Capabilities: The combination of comprehensive data collection and AI-powered analysis enables steel mills to implement true predictive maintenance programs. This approach allows facilities to schedule maintenance based on actual asset condition rather than arbitrary time intervals, reducing costs while improving reliability.
Strategic Implications for Steel Mill Modernization
The partnership between US Steel and Gecko Robotics signals a fundamental shift in how the steel industry approaches infrastructure management and operational optimization. This collaboration represents more than technological advancement—it embodies a strategic transformation that positions American steel manufacturing for long-term competitiveness and sustainability.
Digital Transformation of Steel Operations: Gecko’s technology enables steel mills to create digital twins of their infrastructure, providing intuitive data records with complete operational health history. This digital transformation allows for optimized maintenance planning and potentially reduces long-term maintenance costs by improving the likelihood of identifying and addressing issues before they require expensive emergency repairs.
Competitive Advantage Through Innovation: As the steel industry faces increasing pressure from global competition and environmental regulations, the ability to operate more efficiently and sustainably becomes crucial for survival. Gecko’s technology provides steel mills with the tools needed to optimize operations while maintaining the highest safety and environmental standards.
Future-Ready Infrastructure: The partnership demonstrates how traditional industries can successfully integrate cutting-edge technologies to address modern challenges while preserving their core competencies. This approach ensures that American steel mills remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven global marketplace.
The partnership also reflects the broader trend of industrial AI applications in heavy manufacturing. As companies seek to optimize operations while managing aging infrastructure, the combination of robotics and artificial intelligence provides unprecedented insights into equipment condition and performance. This data-driven approach enables more efficient resource allocation and helps prevent costly equipment failures that can disrupt production for extended periods.
Furthermore, the collaboration between US Steel and Gecko Robotics demonstrates the growing importance of Pittsburgh as an AI and robotics hub. The city’s rich industrial heritage, combined with its world-class research institutions like Carnegie Mellon University, creates an ideal environment for developing and deploying advanced manufacturing technologies. This partnership strengthens Pittsburgh’s position as a center for innovation in traditional industries.
The announcement at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, attended by President Trump and other key political figures, also highlights the strategic importance of this collaboration for American industrial competitiveness. As the United States seeks to maintain its leadership in both traditional manufacturing and emerging technologies, partnerships like this one serve as examples of how established industries can successfully integrate cutting-edge innovations.
Pittsburgh is fast becoming the physical AI capital of the world. Today’s Energy & Innovation Summit—hosted by Sen. McCormick and attended by President Trump—put our region’s industrial and technological momentum on the national stage.
—Jake Loosararian and Dave Burritt
The revolutionary partnership between US Steel and Gecko Robotics represents a defining moment in the evolution of American manufacturing. By combining traditional industrial expertise with cutting-edge AI and robotics technology, this collaboration sets the stage for a new era of steel mill operations characterized by enhanced safety, improved efficiency, and sustainable growth. As Pittsburgh continues to emerge as the “physical AI capital of the world,” this partnership serves as a powerful example of how innovation can transform even the most traditional industries.
SOURCES (Click Arrow To Open)
Primary Sources and Official Announcements
- McCormick, Dave. “FACT SHEET: MORE THAN $90 BILLION IN INVESTMENTS ANNOUNCED AT SENATOR MCCORMICK’S PENNSYLVANIA ENERGY AND INNOVATION SUMMIT.” U.S. Senate, July 15, 2025. https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/press-releases/fact-sheet-more-than-90-billion-in-investments-announced-at-senator-mccormicks-pennsylvania-energy-and-innovation-summit
- McCormick, Dave. “Senator Dave McCormick’s Inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit.” U.S. Senate, July 14, 2025. https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/energy-summit/
- WTAE Pittsburgh. “Trump, Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon Energy AI Summit.” WTAE, July 15, 2025. https://www.wtae.com/article/trump-pittsburgh-carneigie-mellon-energy-ai-summit/65398493
- YouTube. “President Trump Attends Energy and Innovation Roundtable in Pittsburgh, PA.” YouTube, July 15, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4sdol8OgiY
- LinkedIn. “Statement following the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit.” LinkedIn, July 15, 2025. https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E22AQG5T1AEiIqx-g/feedshare-shrink_800/B4EZgQCrE3HgAg-/0/1752615794395?e=1755734400&v=beta&t=abr7pqbPuUHWKtAU8-ybKvgZUlQuSpx2Ij-GBW8C5ow
Gecko Robotics Corporate Sources
- Gecko Robotics. “Homepage.” Gecko Robotics, 2025. https://www.geckorobotics.com/
- Gecko Robotics. “AIR Technology.” Gecko Robotics, 2025. https://www.geckorobotics.com/air
- Gecko Robotics. “Cantilever Platform.” Gecko Robotics, 2025. https://www.geckorobotics.com/cantilever
- Gecko Robotics. “NAES and Gecko Announce $100M Deal Deploying AI and Robotics to Transform the American Power Grid.” Gecko Robotics, July 15, 2025. https://www.geckorobotics.com/news/naes-and-gecko-announce-100m-deal
- Gecko Robotics. “BPMI and Gecko Robotics Partner to Accelerate Component Production for the U.S. Navy with AI and Robotics.” Gecko Robotics, July 15, 2025. https://www.geckorobotics.com/news/gecko-robotics-bpmi
News Coverage and Industry Reports
- The Inquirer. “McCormick, Trump announce billions in AI and energy investments in Pa. at innovation summit in Pittsburgh.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 15, 2025. https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/trump-mccormick-carnegie-mellon-summit-20250715.html
- CNN. “Tech and energy giants pour billions to turn Pennsylvania into an AI hub as part of Trump’s tech push.” CNN, July 15, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/15/tech/ai-energy-summit-90-billion-trump-anthropic-meta-google
- Reuters. “Trump joins tech and energy executives amid AI push.” Reuters, July 15, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/trump-joins-tech-energy-executives-amid-ai-push-2025-07-15/
- New York Post. “The $90 billion AI investment Trump announced is an economic and national-security win.” New York Post, July 15, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/07/15/opinion/the-90-billion-ai-investment-trump-announced-is-an-economic-and-national-security-win/
- Politics PA. “Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit to Showcase More Than $90B In Investments For Commonwealth.” Politics PA, July 15, 2025. https://www.politicspa.com/pennsylvania-energy-and-innovation-summit-to-showcase-more-than-90b-in-investments-for-commonwealth/142100/
- Politics PA. “A Triumphant Day For Commonwealth; Trump Praises McCormick’s Energy Summit.” Politics PA, July 15, 2025. https://www.politicspa.com/a-triumphant-day-for-commonwealth-trump-praises-mccormicks-energy-summit/142122/
- CBS Pittsburgh. “A homegrown robotics company is a Pittsburgh success story.” CBS Pittsburgh, February 25, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-homegrown-companies-and-stagnant-economy/
- CNBC. “Gecko Robotics CEO built billion-dollar business by ‘going through hell’.” CNBC, July 10, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/10/gecko-robotics-ceo-built-billion-dollar-business-by-going-through-hell.html
- Fortune. “Gecko Robotics CEO: How I bucked Silicon Valley’s monopoly on frontier tech.” Fortune, February 20, 2025. https://fortune.com/2025/02/20/gecko-robotics-entrepreneurship-startups-success/
Academic and University Sources
- Jahanian, Farnam. “Tomorrow’s Energy and Innovation Summit.” Carnegie Mellon University, July 14, 2025. https://www.cmu.edu/leadership/president/campus-comms/07-14-25
Defense and Government Contract Sources
- The Robot Report. “Gecko Robotics awarded $1.5M Air Force contract.” The Robot Report, December 1, 2022. https://www.therobotreport.com/gecko-robotics-awarded-1-5m-air-force-contract/
- Defense Daily. “Gecko Robotics Announces Air Force Contract to Aid in Conversion to Sentinel.” Defense Daily, November 29, 2022. https://www.defensedaily.com/gecko-robotics-announces-air-force-contract-to-aid-in-conversion-to-sentinel/nuclear-modernization/
Steel Industry and Manufacturing Sources
- AIST. “U.S. Steel Partners with Carnegie Foundry to Accelerate Advanced Robotics.” Association for Iron & Steel Technology, 2022. https://www.aist.org/u-s-steel-partners-with-carnegie-foundry-to-accelerate-advanced-robotics
- Technical.ly. “Carnegie Foundry US Steel partnership.” Technical.ly, 2022. https://technical.ly/startups/carnegie-foundry-us-steel/
- Nasdaq. “U.S. Steel Makes Strategic Investment in Pittsburgh-Based Autonomous Warehousing Pioneer.” Nasdaq, 2022. https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/u.-s.-steel-makes-strategic-investment-in-pittsburgh-based-autonomous-warehousing
- CarnegieFondry. “U.S. Steel Makes Strategic Investment in FreeSpace Robotics.” Carnegie Foundry, 2022. https://www.carnegiefoundry.com/news/u-s-steel-makes-strategic-investment-in-freespace-robotics-a-pittsburgh-based-autonomous-warehousing-pioneer
Technology and AI Industry Sources
- Pittsburgh Business Journal. “Pittsburgh Power 100 2025: Meet the region’s most influential.” Pittsburgh Business Journal, January 7, 2025. https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2025/01/07/pittsburgh-power-100-2025.html
- Recall AI. “Jake Loosararian, Gecko Robotics | All-In Summit 2024.” Recall AI, October 1, 2024. https://www.getrecall.ai/summary/robotics-2/jake-loosararian-gecko-robotics-or-all-in-summit-2024
Additional Industry Coverage
- CNBC. “These wall-climbing robots are finding flaws in D-grade infrastructure.” CNBC, May 15, 2024. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/15/these-wall-climbing-robots-are-finding-flaws-in-d-grade-infrastructure.html
- CBS Pittsburgh. “Gecko Robotics NAES partnership.” CBS Pittsburgh, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/gecko-robotics-naes-parternship/
- Mining Technology. “Robots AI mines Gecko Robotics.” Mining Technology, 2023. https://www.mining-technology.com/features/robots-ai-mines-gecko-robotics/
- Yahoo Finance. “Robots AI help ensure safety.” Yahoo Finance, 2023. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/robots-ai-help-ensure-safety-104515669.html
- BusinessWire. “Gecko Robotics to Help U.S. Air Force Modernize Nuclear Triad.” BusinessWire, November 29, 2022. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221129005403/en/Gecko-Robotics-to-Help-U.S.-Air-Force-Modernize-Nuclear-Triad
- Outokumpu. “Outokumpu is the first in the steel industry to use robotics in safety management.” Outokumpu, 2023. https://www.outokumpu.com/en/news/2023/outokumpu-is-the-first-in-the-steel-industry-to-use-robotics-in-safety-management-%E2%80%93-supporting-the-vision-of-achieving-the-lowest-accident-frequency-rate-in-the-industry-by-2025-3286722
- The Hill. “Trump tech energy investments Pittsburgh summit.” The Hill, 2025. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5402682-trump-tech-energy-investments-pittsburgh-summit/
- GMB Industries. “How to improve steel mill productivity with automation.” GMB Industries, 2024. https://gmbindustries.com/how-to-improve-steel-mill-productivity-with-automation/
- WPXI. “Deal complete US Steel Nippon Steel finalize partnership.” WPXI, 2024. https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/deal-complete-us-steel-nippon-steel-finalize-partnership/T67VMYBBMJH2TCVVOV2CJOHKJU/
- PublicSource. “Trump McCormick visit CMU energy innovation summit Pittsburgh.” PublicSource, 2025. https://www.publicsource.org/trump-mccormick-visit-cmu-energy-innovation-summit-pittsburgh/
- AP News. “Trump Pennsylvania energy innovation summit.” Associated Press, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/trump-pennsylvania-energy-innovation-summit-b11f7f4053bac2603664ffbd1dc4c6da
- CBS Pittsburgh. “Trump energy AI summit Pittsburgh Carnegie Mellon.” CBS Pittsburgh, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/trump-energy-ai-summit-pittsburgh-carnegie-mellon/
Additional Academic and Research Sources
Grove City College. “Annual Report & Honor Roll of Giving 2012.” Grove City College, 2012. https://alumni.gcc.edu/s/1472/images/editor_documents/2012_gcc_ar_final_1_web.pdf
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